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Patterson’s Recording Studio lets aspiring musicians create tracks for free
The Black Lives Matter Youth Center in Paterson, New Jersey offers a free recording studio and audio engineer to help aspiring musicians record their tracks.
Anne-Marie Caruso, NorthJersey.com
“Keep the kids off the street.” This is the song every social worker sings every decade. Basketball, baseball, dancing at the YMCA, anything to keep kids out of trouble.
At Paterson, they put that old song to a new beat. Specifically traps, cranks, drills, or old school.
Kids can now reserve a 60-minute slot at the Black Lives Matter Youth Center on 10th Avenue to record their own hip-hop track under the control of an experienced engineer for free. Not only do they get valuable studio time for free ($40+ per hour on the market), but they also get advice. And it’s really priceless.
“We all need extra ears,” said Zerry Thomas, executive director of the Youth Center. “Because everyone thinks they sound great.”
Black Lives Matter You Center Addresses Issues
All Patterson needs is more than just extra ears, it’s extra activity. Supervised activity for children ages 16 to he is 24. Some of the unsupervised city activities were less exciting.
There will be 27 murders and 101 shootings in Paterson in 2022. That number is down from last year, but that’s not good news for the city.
“Our belief is that the safest communities don’t have more police officers,” Thomas said. “The safest communities have access to more resources. One of the main problems we always see in cities like Paterson is the lack of recreational opportunities. I am not enthusiastic.”
However, many children are crazy about music.
In Paterson in particular, rap took center stage after 2015’s platinum-selling fetty wap “Trap Queen” soared to the top of the charts. However, Fetty himself landed in prison, and the rap scene he heralded didn’t really take off, though not for a lack of local talent.
“We’re pleasantly surprised by some of these kids,” Thomas said. “We were shocked by some of the talent.”
line up for music studio time
About 30 children have taken advantage of the opportunity since the Black Lives Matter Youth Center opened a mini studio in November (the center was inspired by the national Black Lives Matter organization, not directly affiliated). Ja’Seir Jackson, 18, is a resident of Paterson and a student at the Passaic County Institute of Technology.
“I originally came in to record the song, but I wasn’t in the mood for singing at the time,” he said. “So I came out freestyle.”
This, he says, is a case of Patterson making news for good reason. “When people hear about Patterson, it’s usually about the murder, not the offensive stuff,” Jackson said. It’s really big to see you create a safe place for everyone.”
The studio setup is pretty basic. A soundproof booth equipped with a microphone and headphones. And at a desk with an iMac and a mixer, engineer Roderick Panel works his magic. But today, it’s all you need to get professional results.
“Me and the engineer always joke that we would be in the studio whenever we get the chance,” said Thomas, who teaches math at PS16 Elementary School in Paterson.
children can express themselves freely
After the kids have recorded, Pannell and Thomas will mix and master their tracks and send them the files.
“We don’t teach kids what to sing or write,” Thomas said. “It’s important to express yourself without censorship.”
This is not only a chance for children to record their own material under professional conditions, but also a chance to learn about professional standards.
“As an engineer, Roderick gives a lot of instruction to the kids: ‘No, do it again.’ ‘Maybe you should do this.’ ‘Change the delivery.'”
“For many children, this is their first time in the studio. They don’t understand how fast time flies. They are more prepared for next time.”
Black Lives Matter Youth Center, 426 10th Ave., Patterson. 973 413-2210. The recording studio is open to children aged 16 to 24 on Saturdays. Advance reservation is required. GoFundMe: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-blm-paterson-start-their-first-youth-center