New Recording Studio Gives SVHS Students a Hands on Feel for the Music Industry

Students at Scotts Valley High School now have the opportunity to experiment with digital music software and record their own creations on campus, thanks to a new recording studio financed by two local audio companies and the Scotts Valley Rotary and Kiwanis clubs. 

“When I first started, Superintendent Susan Silver told me that these two companies have been wanting to build a recording studio at the high school, and she gave me their numbers,” said Beth Hollenbeck, a music teacher hired this year at Scotts Valley middle and high Schools.

Universal Audio and Antares, two Scotts Valley-based developers of software for the music industry, were looking for a way to give back to the high school’s music program and generate interest in the digital audio field, which is sorely in need of well-trained recruits right now.

When Hollenbeck noticed a suitable location inside a classroom that was used only for one period a day, things quickly got under way.

“We talked with the principal and we got the district in here, and everything just sort of fell into place,” Hollenbeck said.

Since being hired, Hollenbeck has worked to update the music programs at the middle and high schools in order to familiarize students with the digital aspects of the music industry—required learning for anyone interested in a music career these days.

“We are really trying to build a program that nurtures not only musicianship but also music business,” Hollenbeck said. “To be able to give these kids a foundation so that they can walk into college and know what they need to do to get out there and be successful—that’s what I hope I can accomplish.”

Hollenbeck hopes that students coming from her digital music class at Scotts Valley Middle School will now be able to take their music education to the next level at the high school and get invaluable hands-on time with the programs and equipment that have become industry standards.

“It’s not just learning the material, it’s how you apply it, and this gives kids the opportunity to apply what they’ve learned and see what they can do with it,” Hollenbeck said. “I’m watching these kids, and they’re just sponges for this stuff, because, of course, they’ve grown up with computers and YouTube, and this is just their world.”

The recording studio is operational, but many additions are still in the works, such as soundproofing and more equipment. Hollenbeck isn’t stopping at that, though.

On Tuesday, Scotts Valley High was presented with a $5,500 check for a grant from the Grammy Foundation that Hollenbeck applied for. She plans to use the money to set up several computer workstations, which will allow students more hands-on time with the programs she is teaching them.

“When I wrote the grant, I said this is what we want to do; we want to put in Logic Pro at the high school, continue with the music production, focus it more toward a music industry class, and we got it, we got the Grammy Foundation Signature Enterprise Award,” Hollenbeck said.

According to Hollenbeck, students as well as parents have been excited about the changes taking place, and she hopes enrollment will quadruple in the music class at the high school. That happened with a similar class she started at San Lorenzo Valley High in 2004.

Hollenbeck continues to work closely with Antares and Universal Audio, which have both agreed to help with the donation and installation of more equipment as well as maintaining the studio. She says the music program at both the middle and high schools is still a work in progress but she’s thrilled that students will now have a chance to dive in and learn what’s needed to be successful in the music industry.

“You have to just get in and do it, start messing around with programs and get familiar with it all—and now we can do that,” Hollenbeck said.