Lawrence University issued the following announcement on April 15.
SOL Studios was just like any other club.
Sure, they had their own recording space and equipment in the Music-Drama Center, but it was just that: a small, student-run basement studio. It had grown in membership since its founding in 2008, expanding from composition majors to include a variety of Lawrence musicians and bands, but the studio existed ad hoc, used occasionally for musical experimentation and expression. The members loved the studio, but if you weren’t involved, you probably didn’t even know it existed.
But then the pandemic happened—and membership exploded.
The SOL (Students of Lawrence) Studios mailing list expanded to include 70 people, their open mic nights sold out regularly, and more student musicians signed up to perform than there were slots available. The studio is open every day until the Music-Drama building closes at 1 a.m. It’s almost always being used.
“During the pandemic, all of a sudden, production and recording and videos became a more important way for musicians to get their stuff out there,” said Brian Pertl, dean of the Conservatory and advisor of SOL Studios. “And SOL was the place you could do that.”
Xavier Yon, a Lawrence sophomore, practices with VOODIS bandmates in SOL Studios.
The SOL Studios of today stays true to the original mission of the club. It’s still a student-run studio dedicated to providing a space for all Lawrence musicians, regardless of whether they’re in the Conservatory or the college, to create and record music and to collaborate with fellow musicians.
But as participation increased, SOL responded to meet the moment. Starting last year, under the leadership of Daniel Green ’21, SOL started to organize. They made recording schedules, held regular board meetings to address long-term goals, and started paying more attention to the space itself.
This year, co-presidents Moreau Halliburton, a senior, and Kate Stenson, a sophomore, have only continued the revitalization—and Pertl is impressed. He sees SOL now operating with the efficiency and professionalism of a successful business.
Halliburton and Stenson started with the studio renovations. They spent the summer redesigning the space, trying to create the optimal recording environment. As part of this, they fundraised for new furniture and decorations, sought out equipment donations, and did some hard-core cleaning. Tapestries were hung on the walls, wooden planks were installed for hanging items, a vocal booth was DIY-ed in the corner, and the studio was furnished with a new couch and fridge (for water! … absolutely no food in the recording studio). A new drum set and bass were donated by Conservatory faculty Dane Richeson and Mark Urness, respectively.
Basically, it’s a whole new space.
“I’ll look at pictures from before we renovated, and I’m like, ‘That was the studio? That used to be the studio?’” Stenson said.
Now, the focus is on maintaining the space, which has led to an increasing emphasis on training. New members go through mandatory training and masterclasses with one of the SOL engineers, during which they learn how to use the equipment, how to organize the room, and what SOL is all about. After that initial training, students can schedule a time to use the studio or set up a one-on-one with the engineers for more specific guidance.
Original source can be found here.
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