This coming weekend, The Watergate, IIM’s longest operating band, will cut an album length set of original music with student engineer Henry Naguski sitting side by side with Rick Batley. Since January, Rockers, Rockers Prep and Drum Ensemble students have been working in the studio four times each week, first laying down drum tracks, then bass, keyboards, guitars and vocals, and finally learning how the mixing process works.
During that same time, Studio Engineering students have worked with Dave Kelly, sitting at the board, learning the intricacies of how to record the individual tracks.
With the Drum Ensemble having finished their rough mixes with Dave and Wade this week, everyone will now turn to giving their full attention to preparing for live shows. A few of the older bands are rapidly adding enough songs to fill out their repertoire in order to have enough material to perform a full length set at the first annual IIM Fest on Sunday, June 10. Other bands are simply focused on making sure the material they have put together is show ready, practicing introductions and planning how to banter with the audience.
Finally, bands also began having their band photos taken by IIM’s digital media director Kyrie George. These pictures will be used to feature each band in the final shows’ program guide.