Campers ‘Come Together’ at The Blackbird Academy
Forget the canoeing and the campfires – THEY WANT TO ROCK!
And, rock these campers did with some of Nashville’s premier musicians, while learning how to make a record at the same time. This camp’s band included Charlie Kavanagh (vocals), Mike Simmons (electric guitar), Paul Simmons (drums), and Bryan Clark (bass). July’s group of campers tracked two rock metal songs with the band and recorded their own cover of The Beatles’ “Come Together.” And they did it all in the famous Blackbird Studio A.
On day two, campers amazingly morphed into their own band to create “Come Together.” The almost all-female group consisted of Ella (MS) on lead vocals, Kate (TN) on bass, Chloe (GA) on acoustic guitar, Ella (TN) playing piano in the giant live room, and Gavin on drums.
The final day of camp was spent mixing the tracks they recorded in studios E and F.
Everyone stayed masked unless they were in the iso booth or socially distanced in the live rooms playing instruments or singing!
Thanks to Chloe, Ella, Ella, Duncan, Augie, Gavin, Jensen, Ryan, Kate, the band — and all the staff who helped make our first camp of the year a great one.
Which microphone sounds the best?
Besides studio orientation and setup, day one included a mic shootout where campers tested the Shure SM57, RØDE TF5, and RØDE NTR microphones. The winner was the NTR. It’s a ribbon mic, and they loved the sound.
Learning how to make a record
The campers learned what it's like being the producer, engineer, songwriter, artist, and more. Topics covered included recording and mixing a band, introduction to Pro Tools and gear, setting up the session talkback and headphone mixes, EQ and effects, processing gear, background overdubs, and so much more!
