Recording Day with the Tipton Rock Collective

Creative Communities: Tipton Rock Collective Recording Day.

Earlier this year, we commissioned a project with Misfits Music through our Creative Communities strand, to work with their Tipton Rock Collective, an inclusive community rock group for adults that meet regularly to rehearse and perform rock music in Tipton, Sandwell.

Over the last few weeks, the group have been working collaboratively with music leader Alex Lowe, to learn and rehearse a cover of ‘The House of the Rising Sun’, a traditional American folk song made famous by English rock band The Animals. The sessions culminated with the group being invited to record the track in the studio based at the Midlands Arts Centre, Birmingham.

Both the music leader and sound engineer did a fantastic job to ensure the session ran smoothly and the group felt relaxed throughout the day. After recording a few takes, the group broke for lunch where they all spoke about how much they were enjoying the day. After a few more bites of pizza, it was back to business for a few more takes and overdubs.

For many members of the group, this was their first time recording in a professional studio and the excitement of the experience can often be mixed with a sense of anxiety and nervousness too. However, they all seemed to really embrace the recording session and continued to perform better and better as the day went on. It was lovely to see how the group worked so well together and supported each other to make it a day to remember.

- Words & images by Gavin Medza, Programme Coordinator for Sandwell & Walsall

Misfits Music provides opportunities for people to have fun creating, practicing and performing music whilst making friends and connecting with others across Birmingham and The Black Country.

You can find out more about Misfits Music here: https://misfitsmusic.org.uk/