Earlier this month, the legendary Anchor Studio became the classroom for Alpha School of Music students.
The Alpha School of Music (ASOM) is Jamaica's only tertiary programme focused on ensemble music traioning and it may be the only programme that moves the entire school to the studio for recordings every year. This time, and with supported provided by New Wave, ASOM Year 1 and Year 2 students took over Anchor Studies earlier this month to make two recordings tha twill be released to the public later in the year.
Located in Kingston, Jamaica, Anchor Studio - aka Music Works - is a legendary studio created by a legendary producer, Mr Augustus 'Gussie' Clarke. In addition to Gussie's productions, Anchor has been the studio choice for some of the biggest names in music -- Luciano, Sizzla, Sting, and the Fugees are a few who have worked in the same space. On a certain day in May 2023, it was home to Alpha students, for many of whom it was their first time in the studio. The recording experience is an important part of ensemble training, allows students to apply what they are learning in a real world situation and makes for wonderful memories!
Sanjay Landell, a 2nd-year ASOM student who has worked in a studio before, said of the Anchor recording session: “The recording was a good experience. I learned that time management is very important in the studio. Participating with my contribution on percussion was a huge opportunity. I am so grateful to be working with my bandmates to pull off the recordings. This time around, the different environment and different space created a good learning experience.”
Fellow ASOM student Zuri Gordon shared: “It was my first time at Anchor Studios, and the experience was great. I learned that letting the engineer know beforehand what instruments are being recorded is vital to saving time and having an efficient studio session, and the studio was very big and beautiful.”
Recording in session.
