Young TSA Grad Builds
Own Recording Studio
By Sara Nelson

Most people have never been in a recording studio, but thanks to television, we all have a mental image of what they are like: dark, luxurious dens in New York or Los Angeles, full of glamorous, millionaire rock stars in fur coats.

However, according to Todd Sensenich, high-priced studios are on their way out, and local, independent studios, like the one he’s building above his garage in Sharon, are on the way up.

Sensenich graduated from Sharon Academy in 2005, and set out to learn audio production at the Institute of Audio Research in New York City. During a yearlong program there, he learned everything from mixing to studio design principles. Following his graduation, Sensenich stayed in New York, where he did freelance audio jobs and mixed sound for the likes of comedian David Carradine and cabaret artist Chris Barrett.

Then Sensenich spent several months as an intern at a hip hop and rap studio called "New Amsterdam." The experience was instructive in more ways than one.

"The week after I decided to leave, the studio went out of business, which really made me realize that this industry isn’t doing well in cities," Sensenich said.

Sensenich said big studios are in trouble due to the advent of inexpensive recording technology and internet downloading.

"The value of music is changing," he said.

At the same time, a niche is opening up for high-quality, small-scale studios.

"For musicians, it’s less about equipment, and more about the artistic ability of the engineer."

And so Sensenich has returned home to Sharon to build his own recording and production company, which he’s calling Northern Sound Recording Studios. Renovation of the second-story garage space is more than halfway done, and will be completed by early spring.

Sensenich is doing the construction himself, using knowledge gained through years of practice with his father.

"I’ve been remodeling houses with my dad since I was about five," he said.

Sensenich also designed the space, having learned principles of studio design, such as sound-proofing and "acoustical correctness" at school in New York. He said that in terms of studio design, Vermont has its advantages.

"The nice thing about Vermont is that it’s much quieter and much more secluded than New York," he said. "There’s much less ambient noise."

Sensenich said he thinks there is a big enough population of musicians in the region to support the studio. Many of them are his friends, and Sensenich said he already has a few people who are signed up to record at Northern Sounds as soon as it’s ready for them. While word of mouth will be his primary marketing strategy, Sensenich said he’s planning to have a website and business cards as well.

Sensenich said he especially likes rock and alternative music, although he has worked with a number of different genres and techniques. He recently finished mixing a compilation CD of Sharon Academy’s student showcase, "Thursday Night Café," which was released October 9, and is available through Sharon Academy.

Sensenich said he has always been interested in "every aspect of music."

"I like the idea of preserving a moment, the way photographers capture an image," he said.

"I like making a sound as nice as possible."