Uniacke Street home to new sound studio

Cops might get used to the sounds of sirens, radio calls and complaints, but two Halifax Regional Police officers are hoping to hear a lot more music and poetry on their beat.
Const. Holly Thomas and Const. Winnell Jackson are the Community Response Officers for the Uniacke Square area of downtown Halifax. They've been working on a community driven project they hope will have teens in their neighbourhood shouting out and singing for joy.
Jackson and Thomas are about to help open a fully-fledged recording studio on Uniacke Street in a space donated by Metropolitan Regional Housing Authority.
The recording studio, known as the Uniacke Sound Studio until a contest picks a new name, is part youth centre, part recording suite and part community project.
"The idea really came from the community itself," explains Thomas. Several years ago a survey was done asking people in the area what they'd like to see in the community, especially in terms of opportunities for kids.
"This is in response to what the kids said they'd like to see," Thomas said.
It took several years of planning and raising money to get the project started. But once the paint brushes and carpenter tools came out early this year, the sound studio began to take shape in earnest.
Professional quality recording gear is installed and a qualified recording engineer is volunteering to oversee the sound studio. People from the community volunteered to help renovate the space and even young people who are part of the restorative justice system were brought in to do everything from painting to scrubbing floors.
Thomas said people are enthusiastic about the sound studio, which she hopes will translate into a long and healthy life for the studio.
While Jackson and Thomas are hoping to hear the sounds of community-generated music, rap, spoken word and stories eventually recorded within the walls of the studio, what they want to record is a positive outlook for young teens in the neighbourhood facing disadvantages.
"It's really about making a positive place for them to be," Jackson said.
Having controlled access to a working recording studio could foster an interest in the arts, help with self-esteem issues and develop oral and written communications skills, Jackson added.
Thomas and Jackson hope to eventually open the doors of the studio to other community groups, schools and even businesses looking to make a recording. It would be a cost recovery type of operation which might help the sound studio continue as a viable community project.

This column will highlight some of the work of the Halifax Regional Police in your district.