Alphabet Sound Observatory

24/05/2023

We are excited to open up our first offering with Girls Rock New Orleans in just a couple of weeks! Also exciting - Amara Skinner is back with us to teach this course!

This workshop is available to folks ages 15-20 who identify as a female, trans, gender q***r, or with any other gender variant identity and who want to learn how to use their phone to record music. Students will learn the fundamentals of music production by learning the basics of recording techniques, audio mixing practices, and midi instrumentation - all on their phone or tablet!

In order to insure all students receive adequate assistance from the instructor, we will cap the class at 8 participants - so sign up soon! Students must plan to attend all 4 sessions. There is no cost to participate.

If you would like to join us, please fill out the form below by May 31, 2023 at 11:59 pm. We will inform the class June 2, 2023.

Questions? Feel free to reach out to [email protected] or DM us here

08/03/2023

Hey y'all, A*O is trying something new

Artist in residence, Muthi Reed, will lead a collaborative process of gathering sound and curating a soundscape with up to 8 members of our community. This will be a roving workshop taking place in 6 sessions over 3 weeks

It costs a whopping $free.99

Workshop dates are 3/16, 3/18, 3/23, 3/25, 3/30 and 4/1.

The series is open to anyone who self identifies as a woman or gender-variant person of color over the age of 18. If you'd like to participate, you can respond to this email. We'll also host an info session virtually on March 11 at 2pm CST - RSVP for link.

Check out http://www.houseoflux.info/luxradio/hold-on-lux-radio-lux-is for more info from the artist!

13/05/2022

We still have plenty of room in Lilli Lewis' Wider World of Songwriting Course, starting May 24! In this FREE course, you'll explore your songwriting practice not simply as a mode of self expression but as a source of income. Participants will learn terms and best practices around licensing and sharing their work, writing to spec, and integrating their unique creative style into writing music for film, television and more. Students will have the opportunity to share their work in a live Showcase event at the end of the course. This class meets online and has unlimited capacity.

Are you hip to Lilli Lewis yet? Athens, Georgia native turned New Orleans Folk Rock Diva Lilli Lewis is a powerhouse composer and performing artist with “storytelling with transformative empathy and classically trained poise.” Jewly Hight, NPR.org. Lewis is a voice for the voiceless in Americana, her third full album for Louisiana Red Hot Records, lauded by NPR, Rolling Stone, Offbeat Magazine and the New Orleans Times-Picayune. “One of the most powerful records of 2021, Lilli Lewis' Americana offers up 13 tracks of raw, unfiltered talent…jaw-dropping vocal stylings, sharp lyricism, irresistible hooks and a needed perspective that's often overlooked…” Lorie Leibig, TheBoot.com

The course meets Tuesdays May 24 to June 14 6-8 pm on zoom AND Wednesday June 22 6-9 pm . It is FREE and open to songwriters who identify as women of color or gender variant people of color.

Questions? Ready to sign up? DM us here or email [email protected].

11/05/2022

We still have a few spots open in our Mixing Essentials 101 course starting Next week at the . This class is offered FREE OF CHARGE to women and gender variant people of color in New Orleans.

Meet one of the instructors, !

Amara Elizabeth Skinner is a very talented musician, sound designer, audio engineer, stage manager, and production manager. She nurtured her talents at Loyola University of New Orleans by obtaining her bachelors degree in Music Industry Studies in 2019. Since then, Amara has worked as for many musical artists, theater companies, festivals, venues, and commercial audio visual companies in the Greater New Orleans Area. She has been sound designing for the NOLA Project since 2020. Amara started her role as production manager for No Dream Deferred NOLA in 2021. Soon, she will be branching out to join New York Stage and Film as an audio apprentice for their summer season. Amara’s ultimate goal is to inspire young technical artists.

The class will meet Mondays 7-9 pm May 16- June 13 AND Wednesday June 22 7-9 pm, with a showcase the following weekend (date and time TBD). For more info about the class or to sign up, you can DM us here on FB or instagram or email us at [email protected]. There are only a few spots left so jump on it!

11/05/2022

10/05/2022

We still have a few spots open in our Mixing Essentials 101 course starting Next week at the Beaubourg School! This class is offered FREE OF CHARGE to women and gender variant people of color in New Orleans.

Meet one of the instructors, Diaz! Alex has been working in live event production since 2008, when she graduated from Savannah College of Art and Design. She has taught live and studio audio engineering at Delgado Community College as well as workshops.

Alex has spent most of her career as a Touring Front of House audio engineer for live music. She has worked for bands such as Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe, Grupo Fantasma, and more recently Allison Russell and Devon Allman Project. She has also worked for most of the clubs in New Orleans at some point or another, Brooklyn Bowl in Vegas, and most of New Orleans major festivals such French Quarter Fest and New Orleans Jazz festival.

The class will meet Mondays 7-9 pm May 16- June 13 AND Wednesday June 22 7-9 pm, with a showcase the following weekend (date and time TBD). For more info about the class or to sign up, you can DM us here on FB or instagram or email us at [email protected]. There are only a few spots left so jump on it!

10/05/2022

So excited to announce a new course this spring: The Wider World of Songwriting w/
!

In this course, you'll explore your songwriting practice not simply as a mode of self expression but as a source of income. Participants will learn terms and best practices around licensing and sharing their work, writing to spec, and integrating their unique creative style into writing music for film, television and more. Students will have the opportunity to share their work in a live Showcase event at the end of the course. This class meets online and has unlimited capacity.

Tuesdays May 24 - June 14 6-8 pm AND Wednesday June 22 6-9pm; Showcase TBA

Please DM or email [email protected] with any questions or to enroll

10/05/2022

Hey Y'all! A little late making this announcement...

A*O is happy to announce 2 classes this spring, both funded generously by the and presented in partnership with !

It is so exciting to be able to offer these classes to our community free of charge! Details shortly!

10/05/2022

Greetings explorers!

Excited to announce two new courses this spring FREE OF CHARGE for BIPOC women and gender variant artists in NOLA!

Audio Mixing Essentials 101 w/ and is an introduction to Sound Engineering. In this course you'll learn the principles of sound and the basics of mixing. While the course is geared toward learning in a live context, the principles are totally applicable to studio work as well. At the end of the session, you'll be ready to assistant-engineer our live Songwriter's Showcase for an audience! This course will meet at the Beaubourg School and can accommodate 6 to 8 students.

Mondays 7-9 May 16 - June 13 AND Wednesday June 22 7-9; Showcase TBA

Please DM or Email [email protected] with questions or to enroll. The class will be filled on a first come first serve basis, so contact us ASAP if you want to participate.