Free World provides student music support

Some students throw house parties in their homes. Others use their homes to start their own independent businesses.

Seniors Brant Craft, Jordan Borders, Ian Lemberg and Jake Woodring have spent the past two years transforming their house into the fully operational Free World Recording studio.

“It’s basically a music breeding ground,” Craft said.

The basement of their house is divided into four recording rooms, known individually as “Control Room,” “Writers Room,” “The Drum Room” and “The Booth.”

The entire business is run by students, and every aspect of it was created or envisioned by students.

“The guy who designed our website, the guy who designed our logo and the girl who designs posters for us are all students,” Craft said. “We’ve drawn in a lot of student resources.”

Each room contains equipment the group believes rivals the quality of any other professional recording studio around. Profits are used to buy even more new equipment, Borders said.

Free World Recording is open to all genres of music and encourages any type of music that is out of the ordinary.

“Everyone in this house has a completely different interest in music,” Borders said. “Everyone had a different style and when brought together, it turned out pretty good.”

The group has mostly recorded with local and student artists, a variety of singer-songwriters and even a Korean rapper.

The commitment required to run a business and be a college student has put the group into some tough situations, though.

“We’re all students, and most of the people we record with are students too,” Craft said. “That can make our schedules pretty
hectic.”

Still, the group said they persist, driven by a passion for recording music and providing a way for local musicians to further their careers.

“I was never sure that we would ever make any money,” Craft said. “But I was full sails ahead because it was something that we’re all interested in.”

As a house full of seniors, Free World Recording must now find a new group to carry on its legacy.

“We’ve been talking to some underclassmen about taking over here,” Craft said. “Since we’ve put our blood, sweat and tears into this we would hate to see it dissolve completely.”

The group is also looking to include some students from the music school in studio sessions, wherever their particular talents are requested, Borders said.

“I think we’ve all been surprised at how good of a time college is to start a business and how much you can benefit from it,” Craft said.