Recording music has never been easier. Gone are the days of shelling out big bucks to rent out time in a studio. All you need is a laptop, an interface and some microphones and you’re on your way.
But getting the equipment is the easy part — the hard part is figuring out how to use it. Figuring out learning how to use complex recording hardware and software can be a daunting task. Luckily for the aspiring undergraduate musicians the Recording Club is here to help.
The club, founded by Sean Goresht, aims to help student artists promote and record their original music, providing them with hands-on experience with recording equipment as well as a place to network with other musicians and develop as artists.
Goresht says he started the club in 2008 as a way to harness the talent and potential of students on campus. At the time, Goresht was looking to get started in audio recording and knew that there were lots of people like him working from their basements. He also faced a common problem — unfinished projects.
“I figured bringing all of us together would be both fun and solve our issue,” says Goresht, “and it did.”
Goresht also says he was inspired to start the club by a music collaboration project called “Neverending White Lights.” The idea behind the project, created by Canadian artist Daniel Victor, was to create a record that featured a variety of different voices, styles and artists proforming his own compositions while retaining the “focused” sound characteristic of a band.
Goresht says that “while listening to the project. . . one day, it occurred to me that I could something just like this, but on campus.”
This idea of collaboration plays a big part in the club. Members are encouraged to contribute to one another’s tracks in any way they can, even if this means stepping out of their comfort zone musically.
Goresht’s overall goal for the club is to have a “large network of students who can rely on one another to get their tracks sounding amazing.”
Though the club’s target audience is independent artists, no musical or recording experience is required to join. By working with others, Goresht explains, “students will quickly learn the basics of sound recording and familiarize themselves with the logistics and the equipment.”
Goresht also points out that there are many people involved in music production, and the club is always looking for graphic artists as well as individuals with pr and advertising experience.
His is the only club sponsored by CampusPerks, a company that sponsors on-campus projects across the country. This association affords card-carrying members benefits like discounts at the Stör and the Den.
Goresht encourages students interested in the Recording Club to attend one of the club’s many events. Weekly walk-in recording sessions, scheduled official sessions and workshops are all offered by the club.
For more information on the Recording Club, check out webapps2.ucalgary.ca/~urecord/.