It's music week and the highlight will be a concert this Saturday with an all star lineup of Belizean, Mexican, and Guatemalan artists. But for young local artists, the week is an opportunity to record a professional CD for free. It sounds like an offer no musician would turn down and today we dropped by the MIAB Resource Center which has been converted to a music studio this week to find dreams taking wing.
Keith Swift Reporting,
Sherilee McKenzie and Royann Riverol are fourth form students at acc who have been harmonizing under the name "Inspiration" for the past 5 years. That CD in their hands is actually their first CD. It was recorded this morning when the girls did something they've never ever done before - that is singing in a recording studio.
Royann Riverol, "Inspiration"
"From first form when we were in a choir together, from then we have been singing."
Keith Swift,
Today you guys did something you've never done before.
Sherilee McKenzie, "Inspiration",
"Yes we were in the recording studio. That was a good experience because it's the first time I've been with someone and having fun."
Today that someone was musical engineer Al Obando. The way it worked is that the girls sang, he mixed, and when he was done, Inspiration's demo was ready.
Next door in Studio B, which is a trailer parked on the House of Culture compound, French sound engineer Philippe Duval was mixing to a different beat and that's literally. At 21 years old you could call John Paul Castillo a veteran. This morning he beat the drum while Duval mixed on the soundboard.
John Paul Castillo, Drummer
"I been doing recording we usually pay for us to record but this is a free recording."
John Paul was able to beat for free and inspiration got a free demo courtesy the Music Industry Association of Belize. MIAB's Ivan Duran says recording is the focus of this year's music week. He told us why they turned the MIAB Office into a recording studio.
Ivan Duran, MIAB
"I think any young artists needs exposure and I think its important when you have something like this, aspiring artists can come and see how the people are working. I think music week is giving them the opportunity to record a track, see how they feel in the studio. Usually recordings take a long while to produce but at least music week will give them that first chance to experience a studio."
If you want to get your CD recorded, there are still slots open for tomorrow and Friday.
