SRJC student Ben Stephens is one of the two founders of the one-year-old recording and rehearsal facility in Santa Rosa. He had been preparing to transfer to Humboldt State and pursue a career in environmental engineering when he made a life-altering decision. Two weeks before transferring to Humboldt he experienced a epiphany, thanks to Pink Floyd, and realized that he wanted to dedicate his life to music.

I didnt want to ruin my youth on something that I wasnt sure about. But I knew I loved music, Stephens said.

A contributing factor was his concern over Sonoma Countys declining live music scene. It was apparent that musicians in this area needed some help, including an affordable place to practice and record music.

Gabe Smith, SRJC alumni, friend and co-worker of Stephens, had similar ideas. After a walk around Spring Lake the pair decided to combine their college funds and give their dreams of a career in music a shot.

I decided I was just going to give it one more rebel yell, take a risk and do what I love, Stephens said.

After an internship at a local recording studio, followed by five months of market research and a 30-page business plan, Stephens and Smith were just about ready to begin building their dream into a reality. They sent their idea to the professional Australian designer John Sayers, who believed in their idea so much that he designed the plans free of charge.

Next came the fun part: actually building it.

The construction was overseen by a contractor, but Stephens and Smith did all the manual labor on their own, while still holding full-time jobs. Fueled by Bad Ass Coffee, the team often worked 16 to 22-hour days building the top-of-the-line facility. It took over our life for about six months, Stephens said.

It was insane, agrees Smith.

Each of the four roomy, state-of-the-art, sound-proofed studios includes a PA system with microphones, air conditioning, a refrigerator stocked with bottled water and Rockstar energy drinks, adjustable track lighting and a full set of house gear.

The gear is top-of-the-line equipment that clients can pick and choose from to build a set according to their tastes and the sound they want to achieve.

The producing is done on Mac computers outfitted with some of the most widely-used music industry programs, ProTools and Logic. Live Musicians Co-Op engineers are graduates from Expressions College of Digital Art in Emeryville who work with artists in the recording studio to produce professional quality music.

Usually musicians are forced to rent rehearsal rooms on a monthly basis, which can cost upwards of $500 a month.

The rooms at Live Musicians Co-Op are offered at affordable hourly rates. An average rental for a rehearsal room ranges from $12 to $14 an hour, including gear. The hourly cost for a recording studio with an engineer is just $30.

All bands have to do is rent an hourly block, show up and play, Stephens said.

With todays economy, there is no denying that cheaper is better. The hourly rental is a welcome alternative and saves the musician money. The hourly rates make it accessible to people of all ages, Smith said.

 Print  EMAIL

Continue reading: Next page

Leave a Reply