Station West is a thriving recording studio and production company in Berry Hill. It has been owned and operated by Luke Wooten since it’s founding in 1998. Luke is a 1994 graduate of Belmont University, who first got interested in the recording industry while still a student interning at Famous Music. His internship developed through a friendship with Carl Jackson, a local writer and producer. Soon Luke had outside sessions, and began freelancing, a practice he continued upon graduation.
Two years after graduation, Luke was asked by Carl to form a partnership with his new publisher. He did, and they benefited from a successful business that ended when the publisher sold their song catalog.
Luke found himself at a crossroads. He was a producer/engineer with no studio. That’s when he found the perfect studio in Berry Hill. Luke was able to use the proceeds he received from his partner’s buyout, combined with a bank loan to purchase the studio.
Business ownership initially created serious stress for Luke. “I had a new studio, two houses, and my second child on the way. I woke up and my left arm was numb, and it felt like someone was sitting on my chest. I didn’t even wake up my wife. I just drove straight to the hospital.”
Fortunately, it wasn’t a heart attack, and Luke was soon back to work. By using equipment leases and leveraging his own knowledge of the industry, he got the studio running and open for business.
“I got the ‘monkey’ off my back after that first year,” he says.
Business at Station West grew over the next three years. The Studio now has six employees. Luke has built a loyal base of well known artists who work with him on each successive project, including country music superstar Dierks Bentley.
“Dierks is a great artist to be associated with. He is a nice guy with a great work ethic who is always professional and dedicated. He’s been known to spend the night in the studio, he’s so dedicated. Having artists like that makes all the difference in the world.”
To accommodate Dierks and other artists, Luke is expanding Studio West into the house next door, building a new studio that will feature surround sound mixing and DVD authoring capabilities. Surround sound DVD is the new paradigm that will change music standards. Most high definition televisions are combined with surround sound and every X-Box, Playstation, and Gamecube will feature the ability to play DVDs and CDs in surround sound. Future generations will grow up especting a higher standard in sound quality and presentation. Studio West will be the first studio in Nashville to offer full range monitoring of 5.1 and 7.1 surround sound.
With the recording industry suffering a slump recently, Luke feels the opportunity for entrepreneurs is better than ever. Outsourcing and downsizing are leading to new opportunities for aspiring producers and engineers, as well as artists and promoters. However, he feels it is necessary to point out the importance of interning and working for other studios to learn the trade and industry. He says that new graduates tend to think that it is just a matter of opening a studio and the business will line up. The truth of the matter is that recording studios generally just barely break even, even when booked to capacity. A studio owner must search for other revenue streams, such as production and engineering to earn a profit.
Through all of his success in business, Luke has made a conscious effort to always make time for his family. He has coached his sons’ soccer teams for seven seasons and has worked to make his facility as family friendly as possible. His kids come in to visit him daily and he encourages clients to bring their children in as well. With the long hours in making a record it is critical to put make time for family.
The recording industry is entrepreneurial by nature, and Luke is no exception. He has ventured into other areas of the business. He has a patent pending for his self-designed diffusion panels (installed in the new studio). He continues to search out new talent, including an up and coming singer/songwriter named Jessica Roadcap. Jessica is a multitalented young woman who also designed a beautiful wall sized watercolor that is prominently displayed in Studio West’s new surround room. (She also happens to be an incoming freshman at Belmont University).
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