Studio 11 encourages musical creativity

Being loud in the basement of the Bethlehem Area Public Library isn’t shamed, it’s encouraged. 

The space, known as Studio 11, is a recording studio filled with instruments and equipment free for public use. 

About five years ago, Josh Berk, the executive director of the Bethlehem Public Library, received a grant for digital humanities. The funding provided the library with recording equipment, including a mixing board, speakers, microphones and an audio interface. 

Berk, who has served as the library’s executive director for 10 years and is a guitarist himself, is in charge of Studio 11. He enlisted the help of sound-engineering experts to bring it to life, and Studio 11 opened at the end of 2018. 

Since then, he said, managing Studio 11 has been a collaborative effort among the library staff. He said he’s always looking for ways to allow people to connect with the library and use it in new ways.

“Sometimes people say to me, ‘Who even needs libraries anymore?’” Berk said. “I try to remind people that we can be here for them in a lot of different ways.”

Berk said the library marketed Studio 11 to the community in both practical and creative ways. Much of the attention came from open houses, online marketing and word-of-mouth, but the staff also hosted various community events to raise awareness of the musical resource the studio would become. 

“We actually had this neat project in the beginning where we recorded a song that I wrote, called ‘I Like Being Loud in the Library,’ and we invited people at the open house to come sing on the chorus,” Berk said. “We had about 100 people come in shifts, and it was a fun way to get people involved.”

Another event they held, “Jam with Sam,” featured library volunteer Sam Radogna, who invited people to the studio and taught them how to use the new equipment. Radogna is also a drummer for a local band called Fictional Name. 

Berk said local musicians who heard about the project donated unused instruments to the studio, including a drum set, guitars, various wind instruments and a piano. 

He said when the studio first opened, he thought it would be a space where the library housed hardware and computer software and individuals could bring their own recording equipment. However, soon after the launch community members began donating instruments to the library. 

“A lot of musicians love the idea of their instruments living on in this space,” Berk said. 

He said some people use the studio for the interface and software to record vocals or work on mixes, while others use it as a rehearsal space without recording anything. 

When the studio first opened, he said he was incredibly excited and stayed in touch with musicians who came and used the space. He also asked to hear the songs they created, which allowed him to develop strong relationships with local artists. 

Berk became friends with many local rap artists, who he said have expressed gratitude for having a place to record their songs.

These connections were crucial to get Studio 11 off the ground. Nowthe library hosts an annual  fundraising concert called Eleven Fest on Nov. 11, where individuals who have used the studio can perform live sets. 

“I find it very rewarding and am really proud of the way people record something here that is meaningful to them, and they express their gratitude,” Berk said. “I know I have done something good for the organization.”

Being a free resource to the community is one of Berk’s favorite things about the studio,  as he said this allows it to be accessible to the whole community. Anyone can book a time slot on the library’s website and come in and jam. 

“Money is a barrier for a lot of musicians, as it is for everyone else,” Berk said. “There are some people who use the studio who have no money and live on the streets. They come in and play guitar for an hour, and that makes me happy.”

Mari Lwyd, a band based in Northeast Pennsylvania, uses the studio as a practice space when they’re  looking for a change of scenery. The band first heard about Studio 11 from its bass guitarist Ian Posh, who donated his drum kit when the studio first opened. 

Chris Zaccone, a drummer and vocalist for Mari Lwyd, said the vibes of the space have inspired her musically, both when practicing with her band and when using it as a space to write. 

“It’s a cool vibe,” Zaccone said. “There’s a lot of different instruments, and you are surrounded by books. The bookshelves along the wall are cool for the sound, but also I have pulled random books off the wall and found inspiration from a strange sentence.” 

Zaccone said she commends Berk for his commitment to the space, and said it has become a profound resource for the community. 

“I used to live in a much smaller town, and I would only dream of having something like this,” Zaccone said. “We are very lucky to have the library and everything it does for the community.” 

Scott DeDecker, Mari Lawd’s keyboardist and guitarist, said the band likes to practice in the space to shake things up when their sessions start to feel stale and stagnant. While they bring  their own guitars, they use about 75% of the other gear the studio has to offer.

“It’s really fun to make really loud noises in a space where you are supposed to be quiet,” DeDecker said. “For students, it is fantastic…You can literally just walk in, pick up anything, start playing and start recording.”

Youth bands lacking equipment have been able to kickstart their music careers with Studio 11’s resources. 

Becca Buhler, a volunteer mentor for Lehigh Valley Girls Rock — an organization dedicated to empowering cisgender girls, women, nonbinary and transgender people through music and art — said she books the studio for her band to practice in. 

The organization has been using the space for two years now, but Buhler’s punk rock band of young musicians aged 13 to 16, called Hissyfit, has only been together for a few months. 

She said Studio 11 is especially impactful for newer bands or individuals who don’t have space to play and record in their basement or garage, and the fact that it’s stocked with equipment makes it invaluable for young new musicians. 

Buhler said Berk’s efforts to provide this free resource, when affordable practice or recording spaces are scarce in the area, particularly for new bands, has benefited the library, community and Lehigh Valley Girls Rock. 

“Finding a place to practice and record can feel daunting, especially when you are in a younger age bracket,” Buhler said. “Studio 11 is so great because it’s a free resource for the community, and you don’t come by that too often in the music and recording world.”. 

The kids can also come right after school without having to lug their own equipment. Buhler said they use the drum kit, the PA system for vocals and various guitar amps.  

The ability to use the same equipment each week  is crucial for creating sounds and songwriting, Buhler said. 

“The way the room is set up it feels so comfortable and homey,” she said. “Once you get over the initial, ‘I’m in the library, this is kind of weird,’ it feels very comfortable and like a home base for our band.”

Buhler said it has been cool to watch Hissyfit create music in a space where they feel comfortable is really cool. She said they are able to face their fears of playing a loud, electric instrument for the first time and experiment with different amps to find their sound. 

Berk said his goal has been to make the library a place that serves the community with more than just books. 

“If you borrow a book from the library you really like, that is meaningful to you,” Berk said. “If you see a concert of your favorite band at the library, that is even more exciting. But if you record your own music at the library, you will have fond feelings of that place forever.”