You never know where you are going to meet an awesome new client – for David and Felice, a chance encounter at a fundraiser concert for Big Brothers Big Sisters was the place where they met Matt McArthur, CEO of The Record Co. Screaming over a loud Jason Derulo set, we learned of the great work that The Record Co (TRC) does – providing affordable state of the art music recording spaces for local Boston musicians.
But TRC’s vision, mission, and values go way beyond just providing the spaces to make music. Their mission is perhaps the strongest we’ve seen:
Vision: “A city where everyone can make and enjoy music.”
Mission: To remove the technical and social barriers between music makers and their creative visions through affordable music workspace and professional development opportunities”
Values: “Every music maker deserves to learn, grow, and progress in a supportive community. Building that community requires inclusivity, integrity, and radical hospitality”
When STA was invited to design the new and expanded TRC, we were beyond excited. Our love of music, the music industry, community spaces and non-profits, coupled with an overarching mission of equity, accessibility and inclusivity led to a wonderful synergy and partnership between us.
An inclusive Design Process
Creating a space that is for everyone requires an inclusive process. Matt was committed to opening the design process to all voices in the community, not just the core TRC staff. He invited musicians, producers, managers, engineers – everyone who would be touching this new space – to the design discussion. We were fortunate to start this process pre-pandemic, hosting group meetings to gather people’s thoughts on everything from equipment needs to vibe. The sticky notes (and the laughs) were plentiful, and the ideas and direction were priceless.
“Vibey” and State of the Art
Touring TRC’s existing studio, we knew that this was not your typical recording studio. One of the first “vibe” directions from Matt was “a 70’s men’s gold velour jumpsuit”! This was a first! Images of retro spaces filled the precedent boards, but what evolved during the design process was a space unlike anything we had seen or designed before. The space truly represented the myriad of voices that had been included in the process. It was becoming a space for everybody, a space where everyone would feel comfortable, felt like they belonged. Although design continued during the pandemic, The STA and TRC teams worked collaboratively, making the most of digital collaborative tools during 2020. Digital shared finish and furniture boards were created for each recording studio and rehearsal room – no two are alike. The boards included acoustic materials, flooring, wall panels, new and existing rugs, and new and existing furniture. We worked together, remotely, moving materials around, adding new ideas and finds. While the TRC team would propose a material change, the STA team would be updating renderings with the new idea and adding them back to the board. It was almost like sitting across a real table!
Getting the vibe right was important, but getting the acoustics and sound right was equally important. Just because the spaces are low cost to rent shouldn’t mean that the performance should be compromised. The STA team worked closely with acoustical consultants, engineers and the TRC technical team to make sure the acoustics were state of the art.
TRC Today
The space was completed in December 2020, right in the middle of the pandemic. Huge thanks go out to the Citywide Contracting Team for their continued excellent work, especially in such difficult times. Since then, TRC has been at capacity with musicians creating fabulous music night and day.
But this success hasn’t stopped TRC from continuing to strive for greater impact. In December of 2022, TRC once again reached out to STA, this time to create an urgently needed rehearsal space for approximately 700 displaced musicians due to the abrupt closure of their existing space. STA and Citywide partnered with TRC to design and renovate the new facility at 55 Morrissey Blvd in Dorchester, and the space was open and full of musicians by March!
We are grateful for the opportunity to work with such an incredible group of people – mission driven, forward thinking and creative, with the best for the community at the heart of everything they do! This week the STA team took a tour to see the space in action, so full of life and music!
By Felice Silverman
