‘Get a demo’ recording opportunity created by student

By Antonia Lopez

Staff Writer

Songwriters on Trevecca’s campus now have an outlet to get demos recorded and mixed while the school of music’s recording studio is under renovation. 

Turner Theel, a self-taught music producer, offered the first “get a demo” on Oct. 21. 

“For me, it’s a good business opportunity to start something for myself and get some money in college, but also to give people an outlet to get their ideas published in some form,” said Theel.  

Using the AV department’s storage space in the art annex, Theel met three freshmen students to record their demos. Before their time slot, artists had to have a song written and people to play the instruments for their songs.

Theel charged a base rate of $35 an hour for the use of the equipment, location and the mixing of the song as well as the guaranteed demo mix two weeks from the recording date. The final product of vocals and instrumentals mixed, as well as mixed tracks of just instrumentals and vocals are sent to the artist as the final product.

Duke Jones, a freshman commercial music major and one of the artists that signed up for “get a demo,’ said he recorded with Theel because he wants to start releasing music soon. 

“I had a song written,” said Jones. “I sent [Theel] a voice memo, a rough sketch of what I wanted, and we began with the guitar part then added some piano and eventually vocals and bass.”

Theel said that the opportunity to mix and record music gives him experience and also benefits students who seek to have their music on hand for a portfolio. 

Trevecca songwriters and musicians do not have access to the department’s recording studio located in the bottom floor of the Wakefield Fine Arts building as it has been under renovation. 

This is one of the reasons Theel decided to offer his services to the student body. 

“There’s a lot of people here who want to record their songs because we have a whole songwriting program.” Theel said. “I feel like I can fill that void until the studio gets up and running.”

Although Theel is not a recording technology or music major, students under the now-defunct recording technology associates of art are appreciative of the space created by Theel’s initiative.

“I haven’t had a studio at all to practice in or work on, which I think is very problematic coming from it being my degree,” said Elijah Stultz, sophomore recording technology major. “[Theel] did a great job, he had the opportunity for it since there’s nowhere else to record on campus.”

Stultz is one of four remaining recording technology majors. He said the impact of not having a studio to practice mixing and recording music can be detrimental to his capstone project required to finish the degree in the spring. 

Dr. Vernon Whaley, associate provost and dean of the school of music, said the campus studio will be done with renovations in January, and classes will be taught there in the spring.

Theel plans to have another demo day next semester but will respond to inquiries to his email TBTheel@trevecca.edu.