However, some students think that a bigger push from the administration would be necessary for the music scene to genuinely take off. James E. Dickerson ’14 has used the studio as a practice space since his freshman year. Former Musicians’ Representative for the Kuumba Singers (who rehearse in the penthouse of the SOCH), Dickerson believes that the community won’t grow without official recognition.

“My sense is that to have continuity beyond four years, it’s going to take an actual effort from the administration or from OSL,” Dickerson says. “There are many ways that could take shape, but I think that would definitely be a good goal moving forward to concretize the community.” Dickerson cites songwriting classes, workshops, and an official leader of the community as examples of steps that the administration could take to foster the school’s independent music scene. But to even ask the College for help first requires more organization than this extremely eclectic community currently has.

COLLABORATIVE TRACKS

Fortunately for Harvard’s musicians, Weiner and the SOCH are not alone in the quest to bring together the independent musicians of Harvard. Besides the countless musicians who would benefit from it, the studio has a powerful ally in Quad Sound Studios, a student group that runs another on-campus recording studio in the basement of Pforzheimer House. Unlike the SOCH’s studio, QSS offers sound engineering training to teach students how to produce musical recordings. Musicians interested in using their studio then get matched with one of these trained engineers. Around since the ’80s, QSS launched a major renewal effort in 2012 under the leadership of Matthew P. Sheets ’15. The president of QSS has bright ideas for the two studios’ futures.

Collaboration seems to be the cornerstone of the two groups’ efforts, which is reflected in the relationship between the studios. Instead of being a competitor to the SOCH recording studio, QSS looks to serve the same community in a different way. “Different use cases, but one community,” Sheets says, explaining that the two groups serve slightly different purposes. Whereas the SOCH’s studio is a more flexible creative space in which musicians can record, write, and rehearse music, QSS is a more traditional studio, allowing students to reserve the room and setting them up with students who have been trained in sound engineering. Both QSS and the SOCH’s recording studio will turn towards addressing the needs of the musicians on campus. “We really view the studios as a means towards supporting and helping build upon and create this community,” Sheets says.

“The cool thing about a recording studio is that it’s genre-less,” Sheets adds. “Every genre records, so it creates an opportunity for everybody to mingle together in the same place.” According to Sheets, uniting Harvard’s musical community will act as positive feedback for the musicians and encourage musical partnership. “When you do recordings, you get collaboration between different genres, which is the ultimate goal.”

Both Sheets and Weiner envision this growth of an independent musical scene at Harvard, fueled by cooperation and encouragement from fellow musicians. In this light, the SOCH recording studio may act as something tangible around which to organize. To supplement this, Sheets and Weiner have created an online musical community where Harvard students can find future bandmates or look for collaborators.

“It’s called Quad Sound Connect, and it has existed, but basically isn’t populated,” Weiner explains. “What we’re hoping [for] that to be is a database open to anyone at Harvard College, and you’ll be able to put up biographical information as well as information about what you play and what kind of genres you’re interested in.” Sheets explains that Quad Sound Connect is currently being redesigned. In the meantime, he is focusing on the reopening of QSS’s studio, which he hopes will occur in the fall.

COME TOGETHER

A recording studio on campus is a valuable resource for every Harvard musician. But even more importantly, the College’s community of independent musicians seems to be at a crucial tipping point: many students have found themselves wishing that they were part of a more organized and recognized group. Dickerson has many ideas for expediting the process. “I could envision house-wide songwriting collaboratives, or even Harvard-wide things like that,” he says enthusiastically. “I think those would provide better opportunity for people to meet each other, especially to form bands or collaborate on songs. I definitely say there’s room for growth as far as cultivating the community of original songwriters and performers at Harvard.” The collaboration between the SOCH’s studio and QSS is the first step towards this goal’s realization.

“I think [the studio is] very much a single part in a much broader picture,” Weiner says. For many in the music community, this broader picture must incorporate some way of encouraging collaborative music efforts. Harvard’s independent musicians recognize the importance of Weiner’s vision of a united, invigorated music scene. As Chin puts it, “You have to make friends before you make music.”

—Staff writer Se-Ho B. Kim can be reached at sehokim@thecrimson.com.

This article has been revised to reflect the following correction:

CORRECTION: Oct. 9, 2013

An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that a recording studio opened in 2011 in the Student Organization Center at Hilles. In fact, while the studio was relaunched in 2011, its grand opening was in 2007.