A kid in a candy shop

Whenever you think of a kid in a candy shop, I guarantee the image of a twenty-three-year-old music student with a mullet is not what usually comes to mind, however when I first set foot in the recently renovated Stoney Road studios for my first session as assistant engineer this is exactly how I felt. 

Being a drummer, music tutor and self-professed recording nerd, over the course of my time at Queens University Belfast studying BA Music and Audio Production one of my biggest goals has always been to enter the world of recording and music production as an engineer/producer. Having the opportunity to work alongside Brian Houston at Stoney Road Studios as part of my work-based learning was an opportunity for me that was not to be missed.

Using the Gibbs Reflective Cycle [1] I am going to analyse my experiences at my first recording session at Stoney Road.

My first session at Stoney Road studios, which had been taken over and renovated by Brian Houston in August 2020 had several items on the agenda. First and foremost, Brian was recording the first episode of a new podcast series exploring the lives of influential figures within the Northern Irish music industry, taking on the style of a one-to-one interview with his first guest being George Jones who was part of Van Morrison’s showband in his early career and later went on to have a successful radio career. Also on the agenda for the day was to setup for the next day’s recording session – a 3 piece rock/blues band with guitar virtuoso Dom Martin.

Upon my arrival to the studio, I was feeling an overwhelming sense of excitement to finally be experiencing sitting on the other side of the control room. Theis feeling however quickly turned into a more nervous feeling as Brian revealed I would be in charge of recording the podcast allowing him to focus on the interview itself. After a quick setup of two vocal mics Mr Jones arrived and after some small talk allowing myself the opportunity to introduce myself and do some networking, we got stuck straight into the podcast interview. At this point I was feeling a lot more relaxed as both Brian and George settled into the interview – both having extensive experience behind the microphone made the whole task a lot easier for myself as essentially all I had to do was monitor the mic levels throughout whilst having a front row seat, hearing stories from George first-hand about his career right from the early days up until the present day which I found truly inspiring. 

When it came to time to setup for the next day’s session, I had by this point began to feel a lot more settled having been able to familiarise myself with the studio’s array of equipment that morning during the podcast. The setup gave me the opportunity to share with Brian (who is primarily a guitar player by trade) some of my expertise on recording drums including placing the kit in the room, mic selection and kit tuning. Brian seemed very appreciative of my help throughout the day which filled me with a somewhat strange sense of pride and achievement knowing for the first time I had put skills I had learnt to use in a professional setting.

Overall, I had a very enjoyable and inspiring experience on my first day at Stoney Road. I was able to manage well under the pressure of being put on the spot to record the podcast despite having issues using the tracker ball the studio has instead of a mouse as I couldn’t figure out how to scroll sideways! Furthermore, I think Brian and I worked well as a team during the session setup later in the day as my knowledge of drums combined with his recording experience allowed for us to achieve the best possible drum sound in the studio in advance of the session. This was such a success I was invited by Dom and his management the next day to join them for rehearsals which has now led to me being hired as their fill in drummer! 

The reason I think the day went so well was due to the laid-back atmosphere Brian has created at Stoney Road. Despite being put on the spot with the podcast I was made to feel welcome and at ease from the moment I arrived – something Brian aims for with all studio clients as well as it can be a very intimidating place for inexperienced musicians. This allowed me to focus less on feeling like I needed to make a good impression and more on the tasks at hand for the day. The laid-back atmosphere also allowed for plenty of chat between Brian and I on all things music giving me the opportunity to put my communication skills to good use building a good working relationship and made it easier for me to ask questions when I was unsure about something which helped greatly as we worked together as a team on setup. 

In conclusion I had nothing but a positive experience on my first day at Stoney Road. I not only put my communication and teamwork skills to good use in a completely new setting, but I left the day feeling very inspired, both from the work Brian and I carried out and from some of George Jones’ stories from his life in the music industry. 

For future sessions at Stoney Road, I plan to familiarise myself further with some of the equipment I have yet to use by doing research online including reading manuals and watching tutorials – I learnt from the issue I had with the tracker ball that there’s no time to be wasted in the studio when people are paying for your time, and so knowing the equipment you’re using inside out is a must. Thankfully George was there on a voluntary basis and didn’t mind the holdup.

[1] “Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle”, The University Of Edinburgh, 2020 <https://www.ed.ac.uk/reflection/reflectors-toolkit/reflecting-on-experience/gibbs-reflective-cycle> [Accessed 26 November 2021]