I want to thank Matt Westmier , Jimmy Cantrell and the staff over at Calhoun Community College for welcoming me over to their Decatur campus. Matt ran into me a while ago while playing at a local music venu Huntsville Al. called the AmendmentXXI. He asked if I would be a guinea pig for his recording students. I figured it would be interesting to watch and just maybe they would come up with a project I could use for release every now and then.
I went into Calhoun Barnwood Studios with an open mind and patience knowing it was a teaching environment and not a real professional recording studio setting where things have to move faster and deliberate, instead it would be step by step.
That first week I was there they talked about microphones and the instructor draws all these crazy diagrams on the board and talked about patterns and frequency and stuff as the weeks go by, finally they get to the actual hands on setting up the stands and placements and cabling and I said. “ wow! “ What have I got myself into? “ Everyone got a grade but me.
I was actually putting my time into this class of young people who have no interest in the Blues but they all need to learn how to record it. Blues has been called roots music and now we get to see its roots. “If these students learn to record my blues, they can record all other music types too” I kept telling myself.
I was delighted to see the looks on their faces when they make me happy with their projects. They learn what a happy client can look like and how to bring about a session with someone that may not be a mainstream musician.
The greatest reward for me is to watch them learn and knowing they are the future of all music of all types. I hope they go on to long and successful careers in recording and I’m sure some of the students will. I am delighted to share some of their work with you here thru my website. Enjoy.