Bushrat studios is a new home music studio based near Launceston on a mission to bring people together “for the love of music”. They are also offering free studio time to young people with learning difficulties that have a passion for music.
Saxophonist, music producer and composer, Sarah Gontsi (known to all as Bush) has launched Bushrat Studios with the assistance of her long-term friend and production partner, Chris Knight who is joint director of the Bushrat Studio project as well as a guitarist, composer, and sound engineer.
The studio project is about bringing local people and musicians together to work on recorded tracks. This is not a money-making project but an initiative that aims to benefit the individuals involved through exposure and joy and to showcase the musical talent of local people!
Bush told Launceston Life, “It’s been a really interesting experience meeting so many different people and learning what they can bring to the project.”.
Bush is a keen collaborator and values the various talents and skills of passionate individuals of varying skill levels that simply have a love of music. Bush listens to the vocal qualities of her singers and allows the composition of the track to be inspired by their unique qualities.
Although Bush has been particularly successful in the reggae genre, the studio produces music of all genres and encourages collaboration from all musicians and any vocalists, whether they’re professional singers or people that just love to sing!
Another inspiring strand of the project is one very personal to Bush, she said, “I work for a charity that supports people with learning disabilities. I have a stepson with learning difficulties and so it is a subject close to my heart.”
Bush continued, “I have met a lot of people with learning difficulties that love music and aspire to be singers or performers. So, I would like to offer any young people/young adults with learning difficulties in the local community a chance to record one track for free.”
The free sessions would provide a professional experience for the young person with their parent and/or guardian present the whole time to experience this special moment with them. Their track would then be professionally produced by Bushrat studios. The experience would also include a photo of them in the studio with all the recording equipment and a cover photo for their new track.
December brings the release of Bushrat Studio’s latest collaboration track, Love has Gone, a track co-produced with Danny Gutteridge, producer and director of Essex based studio PDM Music Studios with Cornwall based lead vocalist, Nuala. Click here to listen to more of Bushrat Studio’s newest tracks, including Little Bird sung by Nuala’s daughter, Erin.
If you are a local musician and/or vocalist who wishes to be part of a non-profit collaboration or if you are the guardian of a young person that would enjoy the offer of a free recording session, then please visit the Bushrat Studio website and contact the studio directly for more information.