Nelsonville student musicians to write, record original songs

Freelance photographer Leah Nairn is documenting this year’s Afterschool Music and Audio Programs at Stuart’s Opera House, following roughly 65 students who will form ten bands with the ultimate goal of performing during the Nelsonville Music Festival. 

NELSONVILLE, Ohio — A little more than a month into the fall semester, the Afterschool Music Program at Stuart’s Opera House is humming along. A quick visit Tuesday, Oct. 8, revealed a flurry of activity.

While one band stood ready to rock as their instructor, Juno Beard, helped finalize lyrics, Assistant Director of Arts Education Adam Remnant worked with four students to get the recording studio up and running. In a third room, Evan Seurkamp used prompts and questions to help his group find words and lyrics that fit both the song’s structure and meaning.

The students in the program — now in its thirteenth year — face the challenge of writing, rehearsing, recording, and releasing an original song by the end of the fall semester.

“We might not make it all the way to releasing songs by the end of fall semester,” Remnant said. “But each band should at least have their song recorded.”