For people with a passion for music or an ear for the perfect melody, the college recording studio satisfies the needs of all aspiring artists yearning to be heard.


Music department Chairman Wayne Organ offers students the opportunity to record music, create beats and ultimately learn the fundamentals of operating a studio.

"It's a chance for students to really see what production is like," Organ said.


The recording studio, located in the Music Building, is fully furnished with compressors, keyboards, microphones, synchronizers and various other pieces of studio equipment.


The studio works with different types of music software, such as Pro Tools, Reason, ACID, GigaStudio and Reactor.


"This is one of the top-notch studios in the East Bay," student Richard Gallardo said.


Currently, the studio is in the process of recording a Contra Costa College compilation CD featuring a song titled "The College" by students Jamil "M.O.O." Gatewood, Jesse "Jessfresh" Jacobs, Anthony "Doejah" Ellis, Lenny "LJ da 1" Isoua, Markee "KB" Webb, Jaron "G-mo" Johnson, Henry Parker, Kristina Bautista and many others.


The song, built with a hip-hop sound, is dedicated to CCC and the its release date is still pending.

Music from all genres has been recorded throughout the history of the studio, ranging from hip-hop to rock 'n' roll to funk and even gospel.

Students Glenn Stuart and Gerald Weissburg, calling themselves the Forerunners, create songs reflecting the messages of the Bible.


"We want to make music that glorifies the Lord," Weissburg said.


The Forerunners are currently working on a project using the Reason software to create virtual devices meant to control sounds and produce beats.


The studio has also produced many albums for groups outside of school, such as the City of Richmond's gospel choir and a local funk band, BeaufunK.

Many students appreciate the opportunity to work in the Music Building's studio, which allows them to avoid the high costs of reserving studio time in areas off campus.

"It's the same knowledge for cheaper," Weissburg said.

Organ believes it is vital for students to experience the triumphs and failures of working in the recording studio on campus.


"It is important for people to make their mistakes here and not in the outside world," Organ said.

This convenience did not come without a price, however, as it took Organ years to develop the structure of the recording studio.

He spent nearly six summers soldering more than 10,000 wires and acquiring equipment through college grants, various donations and department budgets.


From 1999 until 2002, advanced music students created E13 Productions, a booking and recording business.


E13 Productions opened the recording studio to outside artists while charging them $20 per hour.

The funds earned went to the music department to buy new equipment for the studio.


It was a good learning experience, Organ said.

The process may resume once current students gain the ability to independently operate the studio.


"It's important we provide students with the skills for contemporary musicians," Organ said.

A bond measure was passed to fund the redesign of the Music Building with plans to expand the recording studio.


The recording studio, originally built as a practice room, will hopefully be enlarged so teachers can hold lectures and students can hear clearer, Organ said.


A contract is waiting to be finalized before the reconstruction can begin.


Contact Asia Camagong at acamagong.advocate@gmail.com.