The state motto of North Carolina – To Be, Rather Than to Seem – came alive in the heart of downtown Raleigh at Red Bull Music Labs November 8-12, 2006. In a spacious two-story brick loft complete with two recording studios and a hi-tech classroom, 10 aspiring musicians experienced the opportunity of a lifetime. Over the course of five intense days, aspiring music producers from in and around Raleigh challenged themselves to master the skills and knowledge necessary to not only survive, but to succeed in the music industry today.

Upon their arrival on Wednesday November 8, students were shown to their individual work stations featuring laptops loaded with industry-leading software and digital audio capabilities, a microphone and a keyboard. With all the resources needed to produce and record their own tracks, the studio would become home for the next five days.

Providing them with the information and tools to help make their dreams a reality, the 10 participants received daily group and individual instruction from Lorin Ashton (aka Bassnectar), co-founder of Red Bull Music Labs and renowned DJ, producer and recording artist. Also guiding the students through their rigorous week was Craig Russo, producer, DJ and the technical coordinator for the Labs. With the pair’s technical and creative direction, the students were able to begin laying down their own tracks using REASON music software.

Still, to make it in the music industry today, an artist needs to know more than how create music. Enter Merida Damewood, Music Supervision Manager at Rumblefish, a music identity and licensing company, who explained how to make a living making music. Her interactive lecture taught the ins-and-outs of copyrights, compositions and publishing.

Sonny Byrd, a student from Duke University who asserts that “learning how to produce music with skill is my life’s goal … I aspire to have the ability to give undiscovered music the quality it justly deserves,” found the lecture engaging and insightful. Thanking Damewood, he declared the presentation to be “the most valuable information I have learned.”

Also serving as an inspiration to the participants was guest lecturer Mike G from the Jungle Brothers. Mike encouraged the students to never give up their dreams stating, “Possibilities are endless - there are so many outlets to the music industry now.”

On their final day, the sounds of trains and the beat of the rain could be heard into the early morning as the students found encouragement in one another. With only 24 hours left to put the final touches on their tracks, the loft’s two recording studios became hot commodities. Between recording and editing their tracks, students could be found sitting on the front stoop of the loft chatting about life and music.

With five arduous days behind them and their tracks completed, the 10 participants could sit back, relax and look forward to the debut of their music at White Collar Crime nightclub in Raleigh on Sunday, November 12. Finally hearing their music blasted from the club’s speakers, the students – artists, that is - knew it was a feeling they would never forget.