WATCH: New recording studio opens in St Helier

Wednesday 30 October 2024

A new recording studio designed to help students and budding musicians fulfil their ambitions has opened in Jersey.

The School of Popular Music (SOPM) – with sponsorship from Sure – has this week unveiled their studio after months of construction.

Music school co-managers Harrison Collins and Phoebe Willson said they hope it could usher in the next generation of musicians and even help to grow the local music scene as the first recording studio in Jersey designed with accessibility in mind.

Pictured: The School of Popular Music was established in 2021.

The facility includes a range of outboard analogue units alongside a complete digital suite, allowing students to learn both traditional music production techniques and modern digital technology.

What used to be a storage room is now kitted out with state-of-the-art soundproofing and a space that will benefit over 300 students and seven tutors.

Harrison said that since being approached by Sure this spring, he has spent nearly all his days off learning DIY skills, browsing and buying equipment, and fitting the studio – and now it's ready for students.

Pictured: The soundproofing panels are portable, in case the school moves location.

Founded in Guernsey in 2013, the School of Popular Music aims to create environments where students feel comfortable and free to express their opinions and ideas. In 2021, the music school expanded to Jersey by integrating Chordz Music School and their tutors into the team.

The launch of the new studio follows calls from Jersey's music community in the recent 'Music Manifesto' for more music spaces, such as rehearsal rooms, studios, and performance venues.

"There are some studios over here, but they are either very expensive or inaccessible for other reasons," Harrison explained, adding: "Guernsey already has a space like this, which benefits both the tutors, students, and they use it as a separate studio for anyone that wants to record in an affordable way but is still high quality."

Pictured: The studio occupies a space which used to be a storage room.

Phoebe said: "Accessibility is really important for kids. We have a lot of incredibly talented students from ten years old, but they're not going to know how to approach someone to use their studio, so we were so keen to be able to provide that."

With talented students eagerly awaiting the studio's opening, Harrison said they were already planning to get one of their songwriting students into the studio as soon as possible to record and produce some of her songs.

The plan after that is to release that music on social media – what will be called the 'Sure sessions' – and tutors will show the young artists how to properly release their music on streaming platforms.

Phoebe explained: "The stipulation you need for wider release is a really good quality recording. Hopefully that's what we can help kids learn. How to do that."

Harrison continued: "In turn, the hope is for those older students who are at the level where they can create and produce original music in the studio, then hopefully that inspires the younger ones to think they can do that in a few years' time."

Pictured: Tutors will be able to show students how to produce music.

Phoebe said: "Being able to put out really nice, good quality content is an exciting step for the school. We hope to see that snowball, because Jersey is trying to get music to grow here.

"It's happening, and Guernsey leads the way on that with their thriving music scene, but our dream would be to create that here, to be able to produce good content that makes locals think these musicians are worth paying for a ticket to see."

Much more than just a recording space, she said there are hopes the studio could contribute to the wider music scene in Jersey.

She continued: "The kids are the people who will do that. They are the next generation of musicians. If they do leave the island, they will tell others that the music scene is great here; you can record, you can play, you can gig.

"Growing up you feel like you have to leave Jersey if you want to be a musician, but it would be nice for people to not feel that. If you could record here, tour here. We've succeeded, if we can plant that seed for them."

Paul Acton, CEO at Sure, said: "By sponsoring SOPM's recording studio, we are investing in the future of music education in Jersey. We can't wait to hear the incredible music that will be created and recorded in this state-of-the-art facility."

WATCH...