Falmouth recording studio launches nonprofit to help emerging musicians
Photo / Courtesy Equal Measure Arts
From left, Equal Measure Arts board members Victoria Stubbs, Kristopher Kleva, Noah Love, Sam Monaco and Ethan Woodman Fowler are looking to make professional studio recording accessible to students and under-resourced musicians.
A Falmouth recording studio has launched a nonprofit, Equal Measure Arts, to make professional studio recording accessible to students and under-resourced musicians in southern Maine.
"I know that for myself, growing up in the Portland area as a musician, if I had access to a space like Monaco Studios when I was in high school, that would have been a total game-changer," said Sam Monaco, the studio’s owner and the nonprofit’s founder. "That access is exactly what I hope to offer to the next generation of artists coming up in southern Maine."
The nonprofit aims to amplify diverse voices and provide emerging artists with education, resources and opportunities, according to a news release.
Monaco, a local musician himself, said the initiative was born from his desire to support the next generation of artists.
Solar-powered studio
Monaco grew up in Portland and helped develop music programming at the Children’s Museum of Maine, according to his bio.
He spent a decade in New York City playing percussion in rock bands and off-Broadway musicals, then returned to Maine in 2020, when he built a solar-powered music studio in an old farmhouse in Falmouth. Clients have included students and emerging artists. The studio provides student discounts. Its internship program works with local high schools to host promising young musicians and engineers in the studio.
To date, the studio has produced more than 50 songs with student musicians, generating more than 120,000 streams on Spotify.
The studio has also hosted live performances, including a concert series called Salon Night, and supported local radio through WMPG's live music show, "Local Motives," where Monaco serves as a host.
Monaco said he and his team recognized a need for long-term support among emerging musicians.
$50k fundraiser
Equal Measure Arts will begin offering need-based studio scholarships in 2025, allowing students and under-resourced musicians to record music they might not otherwise have been able to produce.
"We believe that a strong, vibrant community requires diverse voices, and our goal is to ensure that those voices have the resources and opportunities they need to be heard," Monaco said.
Equal Measure Arts already has community ties through partnerships with organizations such as the Maine Academy of Modern Music, the Children's Museum of Maine and Mayo Street Arts.
Equal Measure Arts kicked off an initial round of fundraising last month, with a goal of raising $50,000. The amount would equate to enough funding to produce about 50 songs produced for students and marginalized musicians, Monaco said
To date, the studio has produced over 50 songs by student musicians, hosted 121,000 streams of student recordings, produced over 10 live student performances and hosted more than 10 studio internships.
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