Step inside the new music production studio at Maine-Endwell High School, and it doesn’t take long to realize this is not your typical classroom.
Blue walls and gold acoustic panels surround a professional recording space - while a large control room window looks out toward a performance area designed to capture the immense talent of our M-E students. At the center of it all sits a PreSonus Studio Live 64S mixing console, surrounded by studio monitors, computer workstations and state-of-the-art recording equipment. From the acoustically treated walls and ceiling to the lighting and technology built into the space - every detail was designed to give students an experience that mirrors a professional music studio.
And soon, those students will put it all to work.
The roughly $725,000 project brings a professional-grade music production studio to the High School, creating a new pathway into the arts for students who may not have seen themselves in traditional music programs such as orchestra, band or chorus. The goal is simple: get more students involved in music by giving them more avenues to explore it.
“When I first heard that Mr. Van Fossen was interested in constructing a fully outfitted music production studio, I was immediately excited for ALL of our students. The first group of students are the ones not taking a traditional music class. These students can instead take Recording and Production 1 (which will get them Fast Forward college credit from SUNY Broome by the way!) and open the door to a huge amount of creative opportunities,” said Kurtis Parker, a music teacher at the high school and leader of our Rock Band Club.
Through the new course and studio, students will learn what happens behind the scenes of music creation - from recording live instruments and creating beats, to mixing tracks, working with recording software, and learning how sound is produced for live events. The experience also provides a direct connection to potential careers in the music and audio industries.
But the studio isn't just for students who are new to music production.
Students who already perform in M-E ensembles and extracurricular groups will be able to use the space to professionally record and preserve their own performances, while gaining valuable experience in what it takes to work in a professional recording environment.
“These kids can now learn how to professionally capture their own performances. This is a skill that is incredibly valuable for all musicians, professional and amateur,” said Parker.
The studio also expands opportunities beyond the school day. It will serve as a recording space for the district’s Rock Band Club, while its connection to the High School’s other music spaces creates a larger network for students to collaborate, create and perform. The studio is also equipped to provide a direct feed to the high school auditorium - opening the door to performances that can be streamed directly from the studio.
In fact, the studio got its first real-world test our Opening Day Superintendent’s Conference Day.
As M-E staff gathered to kick off the 2026-2027 school year, the new space became the stage for a surprise performance of Bruno Mars’ Count on Me. Students from across the district, from Homer Brink Elementary through the High School, came together to perform for staff - showcasing exactly what the new space is intended to make possible: students of different ages, backgrounds and musical experiences creating something together.
For Parker, who is a musician himself, the possibilities are endless.
“As a teacher, I am also very excited for this opportunity. Learning how to capture and organize my performances with recording software and technology has improved my musicianship and has provided me with dozens of musical opportunities in the community collaborating with other professionals. I am eager to see what sounds students create and what creative doors they end up opening for themselves,” said Parker.
Those doors are now open, and somewhere among the students stepping into this new studio for the first time may be a future musician, producer, sound engineer or recording artist - or simply a student who never thought music was for them until they found their way into it.
Opening Day Performers
The Opening Day performance featured students representing all four schools across the district:
Oliver Lantry, Grade 10 — guitar
Nate Stanley, Grade 12 — keyboard
Apollo VanDusen, Grade 8 — bass
Nico Mann, Grade 9 — drum set
Sierra DeGaramo, Grade 11 — vocals
Alyssa Griffin, Grade 10 — vocals
Daniel Brown, Grade 12
Roman Beck, Grade 8
Nylah Burghardt-Bush, Grade 8
Coraline Klimas, Grade 7
Christian Isenberg, Grade 7
Brea Koniuto, entering Grade 6 — Homer Brink
Dimitra Rizzo, entering Grade 6 — Homer Brink
Alexander Hopper, Grade 5 — Homer Brink
Addison DiRado, Grade 5 — Homer Brink
Clare Glanville, Grade 5 — Maine Memorial
Laney Niedzialkowski, entering Grade 6 — Maine Memorial