Ontario Trillium Foundation’s support will fund HMC’s state-of-the art recording studio/classroom to be designed by multiple Grammy winners, Sound Engineers Jim Anderson and Ulrike Schwarz
Building on its popular Beats Making program, HMC will now offer professional instruction in modern, digital recording and mastering. OTF’s funding enables HMC, under it’s An Instrument for Every Child Program, to provide weekly classes for at-risk youth, ages 13 to 17, living in Hamilton’s most under-served neighbourhoods. This is particularly important, given the problems of isolation and mental health among young people as a result of COVID. Community partners such as Ableton recording software and Long and McQuade have also provided significant in-kind support for the program.
OTF will provide $75,000 in funding over the next 12 months, enabling HMC to fully equip a classroom with state-of-the-art digital work stations, including; computers, recording software, studio monitors, mixers, microphones, headphones and control surfaces for recording, editing and mastering. This studio classroom will give students a unique opportunity to learn in a “hands-on” environment from industry professionals.
While offered as a stand-alone program, this exciting, new recording initiative is a natural extension of AIFEC’s musical instruction for younger children. Programs such as Jambassadors, String Ensembles, Orchestral Music, Musical Summer Camps and Beat Making are created specifically for older children and teens. Keeping youth engaged throughout some of their most challenging years, is one of the most important goals of HMC’s programming. The new recording program will also benefit diverse communities and underrepresented populations , including many new Canadian families, helping them to better integrate into the community.
The new recording studio will be located in HMC’s Gasworks’ teaching and performance space and is being developed under the guidance of Jim Anderson, past-President of the International Audio Engineering Society and Urike Schwarz, both multi-award winners for Sound Engineering and Design. Anderson is considered one of the leading Surround-Sound Recording Engineers and has won 26 Grammy Awards, most recently working with jazz artists such as Patricia Barber and Jane Ira Bloom. Ulrike Schwarz has also been recognized with numerous international sound engineering awards for her orchestral and choral recordings. While in Canada, they have been invited to make a keynote presentation by the Audio Engineering Society of Toronto on immersive Surround-Sound Recording. HMC is honoured to host this presentation on January 17th at the Gasworks.
HMC, through its An instrument for Every Child program has provided musical instruction and free instruments for over 15,000 children, working in conjunction with the Hamilton School Boards, Kiwanis Boys and Girls Club, McMaster University, Mohawk College and the City of Hamilton. To find out how you can help support HMC’s “life affirming” programs or to your register for an AIFEC program visit hamiltonmusiccollective.ca.
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