Camps – Frequently Asked Questions

What should I expect during the camp?

This will vary based on your personal experience or your bands amount of experience playing together and skill level. Our staff is well equipped and prepared to meet your particular need. We will spend the first few hours to a day listening to what you or your band already knows or has prepared and then plan a curriculum with you from there. At that point we have a step by step path that we will work down beginning with selecting songs to learn or song-writing if we decide that’s necessary, leading all the way to tracking and mixing your band’s original or cover songs if we’re able to make it so far. Even if we don’t, you are always welcome to become an MRC member after the camp, and while we may not be able to provide as much hands on attention, all the same resources are available any time!

Directions for you or your band’s camp experience could include any of the following:

• Learning how to play music with your peers (covers or originals)
• Arranging songs together as a band
• Turning your original lyrics or music into songs for your band
• Using our recording studio to record a song, demo, or CD
• Tighten up your live performance as a band
• Learn about preparing for professional studio recording
• Learn audio engineering skills
• Learn performance techniques such as stage presence or microphone technique
• Learn about promoting your band from booking to distributing your music

What’s the difference between being a Camper and an MRC Member?

While all the same equipment and space is available to MRC members, the amount of studio time and staff attention available to campers is not. Members generally have to reserve time at least a day or two in advance to get just one hour of time working with a staff member to arrange, record, or mix their songs. Sometimes they have to wait even longer to access the multi-track studio for an hour at a time. Campers are signing up for 20 hours jam packed into one week of full on attention from our staff of engineers, just as if they were recording in a professional studio at a much more expensive rate than our camp rates!

What if I sign up individually? Who will be in my band?

For a session full of campers who have signed up individually you’ll be paired with a group of 3 or 4 of your peers and MRC staff and volunteers so that you can spend the week learning songs as a real rock band! This could be a collection of cover songs or even an original or two depending on skill level. If you’re a drummer, we’ll provide you with guitar and bass players, or vice-versa. At the end of the week our goal is to have your group either recording a professional quality CD of your songs or prepared for a live performance.

What should I bring to be prepared?

This is up to you or your band. We provide everything necessary (guitars, basses, amps, drums, keyboards, pianos, etc.) but if you have equipment you are partial to, please let us know what you’ll be bringing and we should be able to accommodate.

What gear and facilities are available to camp attendees?

Campers will have access to the full extent of gear available at the MRC which is listed here. We may also be able to provide some additional items not normally available at the center upon request.

Who teaches at the camps?

Our camp staff includes our Program Manager, Josh Elstro and Studio Assistant, Max Raphael. Josh has several years of experience playing, writing and recording music with several different artists and bands both locally in Cincinnati’s music scene and touring the country. He also has his BFA in Electronic Media with a focus in audio and music production from UC’s College-Conservatory of Music. Josh has been teaching and producing music with teens at the MRC since it’s grand opening in August of 2009. Our studio assistant, Max Raphael, has been recording and producing music for several years and earned his BS in Audio and Media Technology at The New England Art Institute in Boston. After earning his degree he spent a year working as an engineer at Zippah Recordings in Boston before returning to Cincinnati in the winter of 2010 to join the MRC staff where he works on producing and mixing student projects. At times we may also provide additional help from MRC’s fantastic group of volunteers who are all talented or established musicians and audio engineers from the Cincinnati area.

When and where do the camps occur?

All camp sessions will be held at the Music Resource Center (3032 Woodburn Ave. in East Walnut Hills) within our studios. The weekday sessions begin at 10:00 AM daily and run until 2:00 PM when the studios open to our general members. Campers are welcome to stay after their session, but must sign up to become MRC members to do so. When available, weekend sessions are scheduled to be on Saturday from 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM. Some camps may also include an off-site performance or concert which is set up on a per-camp basis and may require additional permission slips from campers.

How much experience should we have before attending the camp?

While we aren’t expecting you to walk in sounding like world class rockstars, the focus of the camp is to take you to the next level as a band or musician, so it’d be best if you’ve at least gotten together and jammed a couple times if signing up as a group. It’s also recommended that each of camper has been playing and practicing his or her instrument for at least a year.

Where can I get additional questions answered?

Please feel free to call us at 513-834-8304 during our regular hours (Monday – Thursday 2:15 – 7:00 PM) or send questions via our Contact page.