SMOOTH OPERATOR - A hidden gem, SWC's state-of-the-art $6 million recording studio will be the site of summer workshops. Past guests in the studio include Stevie Wonder and Will Calhoun. PHOTO BY April Abarrondo

SMOOTH OPERATOR – A hidden gem, SWC’s state-of-the-art $6 million recording studio will be the site of summer workshops. Past guests in the studio include Stevie Wonder and Will Calhoun. PHOTO BY April Abarrondo

Southwestern College’s Recording Arts and Technology Program is opening its studio doors this summer to intermediate and advanced students interested in furthering their skills.

Any San Diego County student enrolled in a similar audio or engineering program is welcome to apply. Individual workshops will cost $250, with packages ranging from $1,000-$1,500 when students sign up for four or more.

Workshops will run June 8 to July 28. Space is limited as there are five slots available per session. Deadline to enroll is two weeks before they begin.

Leading the workshops is Professor of Commercial Music James “Jay” Henry, a three-time Grammy nominated producer who has worked with Prince, L.L. Cool J and Living Colour. He has been an audio educator for more than 40 years.

Mae Enginco, promotions intern for the program, said enrollees must have fundamental knowledge of the recording equipment and the recording process.

“These are going to be very intimate workshops,” she said. “They are not for beginners.”

Enginco attended last summer’s Master Series Producer Workshop which featured Ed Stasium, a Grammy-winning producer who has worked with The Ramones and Talking Heads.

“It was a four-day event for six to seven hours each day,” she said. “We learned a lot and it was fun, but we didn’t have the individual attention we needed. These new workshops will deliver that.”

Sergey Sinin, who studied spacecraft engineering in Moscow, was diligent in his pursuit to join the recording arts program at SWC despite the long wait list to get in. He said he is incredibly enthusiastic about the quality of instruction Henry provides, as well as the professional equipment he gets to work with.

“With Jay, he is an engineer and a teacher, so he won’t just be mixing on his own as you watch,” Sinin said. “He will actually explain to you what he is doing and why he is doing it. He will step back then leave it up to you and tell you what was right and what was wrong.”

Levi Moua, who will earn his Associate’s degree in recording arts and technology this fall, said he is looking forward to Henry’s workshops.

“The skills Jay teaches you, even if you don’t go into the industry, are applicable in other fields,” he said. “By the end of the workshops, I hope students will gain the same knowledge I did (last summer) and be able to apply it inside and outside of the studio.”

Contact summeraudioworkshop@gmail.com for more information.