HAPPY NEW YEAR! As we move in 2022, we want to look back on all that we accomplished in the last year. We graduated students, expanded the team, took leaps in Studio W, and continued to do what we do best; record dope music. Here are some highlights of what we have been up to in 2021.
We added a new intern, Billy Hampton, to the team. Billy has gone above and beyond, building out the acoustic treatment in Studio W, and helping to take the space to a whole new level. We’ve had so much fun bringing him on sessions, and he has been a huge help and addition to our team.
We welcomed new students to Colorado Sound Media Labs as well as celebrated the graduation of others. We love to see our students grow and learn over the course of their classes, and we enjoy providing them new opportunities to gain experience in the industry.
Studio W made big moves in 2021, from renovation, to acoustic treatment, to our new custom PA installation. The amount that this space has developed and changed over the last 2 years is incredible. We had the pleasure of completing many music video projects, podcasts, photoshoots, and more in Studio W. The way that this space has transformed to accommodate so many different styles and projects over this year is crazy.
Along with music videos, we filmed live performances for Soundscape VR, an immersive virtual reality experience. We worked with electronic music duo Desert Dwellers on a live DJ set experienced through the world of VR, allowing the user to interact with the music, environment, and experience the music in a new way.
Over the course of the year we recorded tons of singles, and an impressive number of EP’s and albums. We had dozens of artists and bands come through our doors to place their music in our hands, and we continue to be amazed by the talent we get to be around every day of the year. To kick off the holidays we filmed Ric Podmore’s 2021 Voices on High production, “Light the Lights!” featuring the best vocalists Colorado has to offer. As part of the project, Ric Podmore coordinated a 50-person choir to bring people together for the holidays. We filmed the video featuring the choir and solo vocal performances in Studio W and it was so cool to see the space being used and enjoyed by so many people.
Following the install of our new PA, we also had the opportunity to host our first live performance in collaboration with Swallow Hill Music. It was super fun to have their students showcase what they have been working on, while also giving our CSML students an opportunity to learn live sound engineering in a hands-on environment. We look forward to more live performances in 2022!
Another big highlight for us was recording Wu Tang Clan at Red Rocks with the Colorado Symphony this summer. Our team did a great job capturing the insane amount of tracks required for this gig, capturing one of Colorado’s best shows of the year. Hopefully this upcoming summer will be even better for everyone’s health so we can get back out there and capture more beautiful moments like that.
And, of course, we’ve expanded our equipment list, adding new microphones and plugins to our arsenal, always with the intention of taking our recordings to the next level. Amongst our newest additions are a pair of Josephson E22s microphones, extensive virtual instrument libraries, a WA8000 tube mic (similar to the Sony C800) and some wonderful new plugins. The fun never stops; we are always growing our gear list.
Finally, we would like to acknowledge some of the album/single releases we’ve had out of our studio in 2021. From the funky hooks of the Jacob Larson Band, to the heavy hitting riffs of Love Stallion, to the captivating songwriting of HappenChance, we have had the honor of recording, mixing, and mastering some awesome music. We had so much fun recording Chris Daniels and Hazel Miller’s “What We Did (Live)” featuring Dana Marsh on keys, and Robert Johnson’s “So The Story Goes” on Jakarta Records, produced by our very own Kevin Clock and Tom Capek. We love the variety of artists that come through our doors, and working in different genres and styles every day. We are excited for our upcoming projects in 2022!
Thanks to everyone who made 2021 a great year for music, and we look forward to the new year!