MONUMENTAL
SUMMERS happen

Camps will be held at Studio West located in Rancho Bernardo at: 11021 Via Frontera Suite A, San Diego, CA 92127.

The camp consists of four 5 and a half hour days.

Cheyenne Benton is a singer/songwriter, musician, producer, and audio engineer who has been performing locally for nearly a decade. A graduate from the The Recording Arts Center, Cheyenne was nominated as a semi-finalist for the 2018 International Songwriting Competition and has independently released her own EP as well as 3 singles. With a background in youth theatre and a passion for storytelling, Cheyenne integrates her keen artistry with her ability to connect with individuals from all walks of life to create safe environments that foster creative growth and encourage team building skills. She continues to self-write, self-produce, and self-engineer her own original music.

Ryan Finch is a multi-instrumentalist, engineer, producer, and music lover. A graduate of UC Berkeley and the Diploma program at The Recording Arts Center, Ryan’s lifelong passion for music has followed him through years of performing, teaching, and music production work. In addition to teaching Music History, Songwriting, and Production in TRAC’s Diploma program, Ryan engineers, mixes, and produces local San Diego artists, recently earning a 2021 SDMA award for ‘Best Rock Song.’

Cheyenne will be accompanied by a roster of talented guest musicians, engineers, songwriters and artists to assist the students with their projects. Guest speakers will vary depending on the week.

Some of the topics covered include (but are not limited to):

-Goals of an artist/songwriter

-Creative technology

-Collaboration

-Pop theory

-Recording/performance techniques

-Basics of audio

-Studio etiquette  

-Introduction to ProTools, mics, + gear

Students should come equipped with a notebook and writing utensils, a thumb drive or external hard drive, any instruments they would like to record with (electric/acoustic guitar, bass, etc.), and a positive attitude.

Sign up online right above the FAQ’s.

We expect that many attendees will be able to play an instrument, and these students will get the chance to play in bands and ensembles that suit their experience and abilities, but instrumental experience is NOT required. There are plenty of roles in the production process that are filled by non-instrumentalists and lots of electronic music production techniques for non-musicians.

Prior songwriting or studio experience is NOT required to attend – however, any previous experience will be useful. This is a fast-paced program that will require students to apply themselves, adapt to a professional studio environment, and work together as a team to complete their project. As long as you are interested and serious about a future career in audio production, engineering, or songwriting – this is the right program for you.

Middle School and High School students, ages 14-18.

We all have diverse tastes in music, and this workshop reflects this diversity. Any and all musical tastes are welcome!

We’ll be putting together bands made up of instrumentalists, so if you play an instrument, expect to get plenty of chances to play. Drums and amplifiers will be provided. Guitars and basses will be available, but if you have a guitar or bass you want to play, bring it along.

The maximum number for each camp is 8.

Although there might be a certain amount of duplicated information, students can attend more than one week. The range of subjects covered and experiences available to students is wide enough that different aspects of the creative and technical production process can be explored in different weeks.