Students interested in recording music have access to a studio that's open and available on campus. Knowing how to use it, however, presents a different challenge.
The Bowdoin Music Collective (BMC) wants to change that, and recently offered students a workshop to introduce the basics of recording and help musicians make use of a resource many do not know exists.
A 242-member community of student musicians on campus, the BMC's mission is to connect musicians with one another and to empower artists and bands to rehearse, record, and perform. The group also organizes concerts, jam sessions, open mics, and the Battle of the Bands—an annual competition of student bands that decides the opening act for the spring concert.
The recent three-hour studio workshop grew out of a summer collaboration between Laura Souza ’27 and Sam Monaco, a studio owner and director of the nonprofit Equal Measure Arts in Falmouth, Maine. Their project focused on improving studio operations and creating a clearer route for Bowdoin students to begin recording their work.
“I’m really passionate about the arts and everyone having access to musical resources that are meaningful to them, so I’m really excited about this workshop,” Souza said. “My hope is to have more people figure out that this space is accessible to them. It’s a really great outlet for the stresses of college.”
Monaco became involved with the BMC this summer, when Souza was completing an internship with Equal Measure Arts. He had first learned about Bowdoin’s studio a couple of years earlier while recording Night Hawk, a Bowdoin student band that continues to tour and perform. Conversations with Souza brought him back to the subject, this time with an opportunity to address some of the difficulties students encountered.
“Laura confirmed what they had essentially told me: that the BMC studio has great potential but many students struggle to find pathways towards accessing and making the most of its resources,” Monaco said.
Plus, it can be expensive to pay for studio time out-of-pocket at a professional studio. “I want to do my part to create the opportunities I wish I had myself as a young, aspiring musician,” he added, “allowing students to gain access to a professional studios and get a head start on developing their artistic practices and careers in the industry.”
Souza and Monaco made improving BMC studio operations a special project, with both current and future Bowdoin students in mind. Monaco brought in his studio’s head engineer, while Souza connected the group with Delmar Small from Bowdoin's music department and Nate Hintze, director of student activities.
The workshop they ran was designed to give newcomers a useful introduction in just a few hours. “It can be a challenge to demystify a recording studio and simplify high-level engineering concepts,” Monaco said. “But by the end of it, each student seemed energized and excited to apply the skills they learned during that session with us.”
BMC organizers plan to host more workshops in the future.
