At the heart of Notes for Notes programs are the MusicBox Studios—drop-in recording studio environments where youth can gain regular, free access to a wide variety of musical instruments, expert instruction, and the tools to create and record their own music.
MusicBox centers are:
- Safe—i.e., staffed, supervised, and operated with knowledgeable staff having a clear understanding of rules and behavior requirements, such as always demonstrating respect for their peers.
- Designed to inspire youth to explore and create. No question is too dumb. No reasonable request is denied. Lyrics are NOT censored as it is the organization’s policy to inspire unrestricted creativity and provide a positive outlet for expression. Many youth suffer oppression and discouragement in many areas of their lives but in the studio they are free to express what comes from their heart in a safe, open environment.
- Stocked with a variety of electric and acoustic instruments, including guitars and basses, keyboard synthesizers/electric pianos, drums, percussion instruments, and turntables. As necessary and appropriate, instruments are listened to using headphones to allow for more to play and learn simultaneously without creating distractions for each other or for other activities that may be going on in adjacent locations.
- Outfitted with a complement of state-of-the art digital recording equipment, including computers containing a large assortment of music-making, sound, and recording production software, including ProTools, Ableton Live, Fruity Loops, Reason and Record and assorted “soft-synth” instruments (software programs that look and operate like their hardware equivalents). Traditional audio hardware, such as mixers and effects processors, are also on hand, as well as small, self-contained electronic recording devices that allow participants to create and explore at their own pace.
- Filled with a wide assortment of music trade magazines (Mix, Keyboard, Electronic Musician, Guitar Player, Guitar World, Future Music, EQ, Remix, and more), interactive instructional CDs and DVDs, and music songbooks. The format of these materials makes them easy to access (e.g., browse a magazine, or pop a DVD into one of the MusicBox’s computers), and available for library-style checkout.
