Facility provides art and music space for local community

Blues Day Studio is looking to strike a positive chord with the Lakeway artistic community.

The facility is a music, art and academic studio that opened last year. The brainchild of Eric and Janet Sims, the facility boasts rehearsal and recording studios for musicians, study areas and tutors for students, and space for local visual artists to show their work.

"We wanted to create a space for local creative people to be able to develop their skills and their professional opportunities," Eric said.

Eric said Blues Day Studio is aiming to complement nearby schools. The studio sells reeds and strings for band instruments and is looking to develop a positive relationship with nearby schools, Eric said.

Blues Day Studio can also facilitate one-on-one tutoring in almost any subject for a student.

"We really want to be a resource for the school and everybody out here," he said.

Blues Day Studio has the rooms and gear to record a band or musician's demo CD or album. For $50 an hour, people get access to Blues Day Studio's recording facilities and a sound engineer to help record songs.

Eric said the recording studio has come in handy for students who need demo CDs for college music school applications.

Blues Day Studio can also rent out rooms for karaoke parties where people take turns singing their favorite songs in the recording studio. In an adjoining room, friends and family can watch, eat snacks and cheer on the singer.

Party members can then go home with a recorded version of their karaoke performance.

"It usually turns into a real fun time," Eric said.

Blues Day Studio also offers a variety of workshops. Recent workshops have been on subjects such as songwriting and recording.

Eric said the workshops are part of the studio's effort to give people all the tools they need to get to the next level.

"We really want to help people develop musically," he said.

Visual art

Blues Day Studio features work from a different visual artist each month. Since opening, the featured art has ranged from watercolor to photography.

The studio celebrates each new art exhibit with an evening party in which people can meet the artist, enjoy live music and eat light appetizers.

"It gives people an opportunity to see a fantastic local artist," Eric said. "It's also a great opportunity to meet other folks who like art and to have a good time."

Eric, who has worked for years in pharmaceutical research, said he is hoping to retire in the next few years and run Blues Day Studio full time. A lifelong music lover, he recently bought a few new saxophones and put together a blues band last year.

"I've always liked music, my wife does art, so we thought we should do something to support the creative community out here," he said.

Blues Day Studio, 900 FM 620, Ste. B100, 243-6485, www.bluesdaystudio.com