Sisters recording studio offers opportunities to musicians

Echo Ridge Music, a new cutting-edge recording studio in Sisters, provides an oasis of creativity for aspiring musicians of all levels.

The studio is a joint venture between well-known local troubadour Brent Alan and longtime L.A. musician and producer Jim Goodwin; the duo's goals are to provide a community music house to record and educate local artists and deliver charitable programs to the under-served and disadvantaged throughout Central Oregon and beyond.

"A family can fly out here and stay and become totally transformed in an environment where they feel safe and can learn within a positive emotional experience," said Alan. "We're not downtown, we're out on 10 acres in this private setting where people can come be inspired and have a sense of getting away from it all. We have a pond, a hot tub, huge deck and plenty of quiet, hidden spots to relax and write songs."

No stranger to the limelight, Goodwin was a member of the '80s pop-punk band, The Call, whose hit singles "The Walls Came Down" and "I Still Believe," played in heavy rotation on radio stations and MTV. For the past 19 years he's worked in Los Angeles as a successful writer and music producer for film and television. 

"This was sort of a match made in heaven," he said. "I moved up here last year and Brent was one of the first people I met. He felt this town needed a serious music studio and had this plan that was my exact vision, seeing how much music there was here and its connection to the community."

The main mission for Echo Ridge is to record, then educate, then deliver music to license for broadcast, giving kids a head start in the industry and preparing them for the challenges and many opportunities available outside the routine path of simply joining a band or becoming a singer/songwriter.

"Music programs have been gutted from most schools, and I was so impressed to find things like the Americana Project here in the Sisters schools," said Goodwin. "It's a very unique thing and not happening everywhere. So why not teach kids about how to make money in the music business?"

The studio features state-of-the art digital recording equipment in a comfortable, Central Oregon atmosphere with incredible vistas.

"Our professional recording platform is Pro Tools HD-9 with a C-24 console that enables us to create an incredibly efficient workflow," said Alan. "It's a limitless audio production system that lets you do anything you want. We pride ourselves on capturing the purest sound in the best quality microphones. We have all the gear to record anything from a solo singer to an entire band or ensemble, fusing vintage tube warmth with modern computer technology."

"We want to be a liaison between all musicians in the area and the contacts and opportunities in the entire music business," Goodwin said. "As well as be an ever-evolving and expanding piece of the Central Oregon creative scene."

Conventional studios used to be dark, cave-like rooms with no windows; Echo Ridge transcends and reinvents that environment with its kick-back, Western living room feel.

"There's never really been something like this in the area, with this level of professionalism with an engineer and producing team that can facilitate high-quality recordings and help musicians understand the process of how that is achieved," said Goodwin.

Goodwin predicts at some point there will be a singer/songwriter to come out of this program that will attain superstar success.

"This studio is a retreat and a sanctuary for music," said Alan. "Every year the level of ability and professionalism coming from these Americana kids has skyrocketed. We want to be there to document them and their music."

Echo Ridge Music is open for business and inquiries on their programs and packages. For more information or to take a private tour of the facilities visit them at http://www.echoridgemusic.com or call 541-549-6138.