This was a special visit for Brianna Musco. When she’s not championing LGBTQ fans on social media or sending out positive vibes, or performing, she carved out some time for a special project. She built a sound studio for Pascack Valley High School.  

 

“November of 2022 the high school put out that they needed a substitute music teacher. It was super last minute, and I have the credentials. I was home so I applied so the kids could be practicing and rehearsing for their winter recital,” Musco remembered.

 

 “When I got here, I saw they have all this incredible stuff, including music tech and music production courses but nowhere to record in-house.  

 

“We just recycled a bunch of materials, there was a lot of that stored in the closet. We did some fun DYI rigging, and we were able to have a vocal isolation booth and a control rook like we are in right now.” 

 

Craig Yaremko, their director of bands, has a vast musical background and extolled the virtues of the studio that is now a year old.

  

“I think this is important to give kids an authentic look at what music is like now in 2024,” said Yaremko. “I’m the director of bands here, but I also teach a music technology class. And a modern rock band class. In addition to that, we have three additional bands; and I’m recording them.” 

 

When I heard modern rock, it piqued my interest. I know my favorite band, Yes, isn’t, and another fave of mine, Green Day is. So, I asked about those two bands.  

 

“When I think of my dad’s band it’s Yes (gulp). I’ve probably seen them six times over the years,” Yaremko said respectfully. “In this class, they can play a lot of “Dazed and Confused” by Led Zeppelin, “Back in Black”, Green Day’s “When I Come Around”, we learned in a day.”

 

As a singer/songwriter without a major label. Musco has learned about marketing and book shows and does pretty much everything on her own along with making a recording studio. 

 

“When I was a senior in high school I did a senior project. I had played guitar myself on the side and never took it seriously (news to me considering how she plays now). For my senior project, I wanted to record a song. I watched a whole bunch of YouTube videos, and the song is great. I never released it. I just heard it a few months ago.

 

One of the big inspirations to me was Billy Eilish. She won a Grammy after Grammy recording in her bedroom with her brother. That mentality of you don’t have to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars, just to be in a fancy studio….I took all of that research to however many years of research to here.” 

 

I am urging her to release this song, and I will pester her for a while so let’s see if that happens.