Recording Studio Turns Dream Into Reality ••Owner Hopes It Opened up to Turcotte
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Thursday, February 25, 2016 n n D 3 Bryon Turcotte opened his Uncle Brown’s Sound recording stu- dio in August in Broken Arrow. STEPHEN PINGRY/Tulsa World Guitars hang on the walls at Bryon Turcotte’s Uncle Brown’s Bryon Turcotte works in his Uncle Brown’s Sound recording studio in Broken Arrow on Monday. STEPHEN PINGRY/Tulsa World Sound recording studio in Broken Arrow. STEPHEN PINGRY/Tulsa World Recording studio turns dream into reality ••Owner hopes it opened up to Turcotte. His in the morning and then father told him about record- getting up at seven to go to will be a place for ing, music and Les Paul, and my other job. Just because musicians to grow. Turcotte was hooked. it meant that much. I just That led him to a life full did it.” of music and a life of elec- The night before he BY JERRY WOFFORD tronics. He played in bands, opened in August, he sat and World Scene Writer played as a session musician, played guitar for four hours, Bryon Turcotte recorded other people and letting it soak in that this was Past the stacks of comic works in his was even a music journalist now reality, he said. books and nick-nacks, the Uncle Brown’s for a time. And clients feel the homey antique furniture and deco- Sound record- “I just couldn’t get enough aspects of the space, too. ration and the thrift store ing studio in of it,” Turcotte said. “But the From his octogenarian treasures, behind a set of Broken Arrow’s simple fact is, I just always country gospel singer-song- doors is Bryon Turcotte’s Rose District. wanted to help people out. writer Joe Watts to young childhood dream come true. STEPHEN PINGRY/ I just love people who make musicians honing their craft Behind Quizzy’s comic Tulsa World music.” like Kelsey Hausam, Tur- book, antique and thrift store In his bands, he was the cotte said he wants every- in Broken Arrow’s Rose Dis- guy who could record them. one to feel welcome and trict is Uncle Brown’s Sound, He set up studios in his inspired. 418 N. Main St., Turcotte’s houses and appreciated the Hanging up through the cozy recording studio that he intimate nature of recording studio are his seven points opened in August. there. that he said he hopes inspire For years, Turcotte oper- His clients liked it, too, he his visitors, pulled from a list ated a recording space out of said. It made them feel more from Arnold Schwarnegger’s his house in the Tulsa area should put a studio here. Just wants to house a creative cording as a 10-year-old. comfortable and took off list of things to be successful. and then in the places he think of how cool that would collective, a place where mu- Well, at least at the time he some of the pressure, which They’re an inspiration for lived before. But having his be. Think of another place sicians can come to not only thought he had invented it. is an atmosphere he said him as much as they are for own space like this always where you can go to a comic record but also to learn from “I was taking cassette he hoped to replicate with those coming in to work on seemed pie in the sky, Tur- book store and there’s an one another. tapes — not knowing how Uncle Brown’s Sound (which their craft, he said. cotte said while leaning back antique store, a thrift store “People come in and I the process is in reality — but came from a friend’s daugh- “I want these to be re- in his chair next to the large and a recording studio in the want them to tap on each taking tapes and experiment- ter who couldn’t pronounce quirements because they sound board in the softly-lit, back.’ And I thought about it others’ creativity and I can ing with tapes,” Turcotte “Bryon,” so Turcotte became won’t trust themselves or wood-paneled control room. and the Rose District is really do that too, and we can all said. “I built a little mixer, Uncle Brown). they’ll get down on them- Through the large window is starting to bloom. If it could work together and support and I’d play piano and take He spent weeks fixing up selves, and I say never do the quiet studio with a drum be a place that’s cool and be each other,” Turcotte said. these tapes and keep doing the studio, which had been that,” Turcotte said. “That’s kit, mics scattered around a place to go, there could be “You got one artist at one these overdub tapes. My dad a number of things over the not allowed in here. You’re to and guitars hanging off the a lot of interesting people in level and another artist at comes in and he’s watch- years including a tattoo par- be empowered in here. This walls. here.” another level. They can talk ing me do all this stuff and lor and a head shop, he said. is a safe place for you to be as “When my wife opened That’s a big part of Tur- and empower each other.” he said, ‘You know, people “It just felt right,” he said. a creative person.” the comic book store, I had cotte’s goal: He wants Uncle That dream has been a have already invented that “I was in here for a month my studio at our house,” Brown’s Sound to be more long time coming, ever since technology.’ ” and a half every night, hang- Jerry Wofford 918-581-8346 Turcotte said. “She said, ‘You than a recording studio. He he invented mixing and re- A whole new world ing sheet rock until three [email protected] told me, “you know Hank, I over 1,000 percent. It was a Miss USA returning to Tulsa for events can’t do that song, but you moment that was just plain HANK should/could” and I was GREAT! Everyone knows From the blogs FROM D1 listening to it and it just was what Waylon meant to me, there. I knew I had to do it, and it was just time for Men- Pop may like or not, but I do and when we were in the tal Revenge to be done again. know what I like and what studio, it just all fell in place What’s a Hank Williams Jr. show World Scene Writer I don’t like. I really like perfectly and what a song like for those who haven’t been Jimmie Tramel Eric Church and Justin it is. When I was asked to before? Moore and some of those perform on “The View,” I Well, I play a little fiddle, tulsaworld.com/pop new guys out there. Music thought what would I sing, a little piano, some electric goes in cycles, and it seems then it just hit me, well hell guitar, acoustic guitar and Miss USA Olivia Jordan that traditional sounding I am going to do “Wrapped sometimes the dobro. I have of Tulsa is returning to her country might be making Up,” and I am going to ask fun, and my fans know what hometown for a flurry of its way back on the radio, Whoopi to sing it with me. I am all about. I just do what events, beginning with a but whether it does or not, Everyone thought I was nuts they want me to do, and it’s Zagat food tour Thursday I am going to do the music for thinking that, but what wonderful. I have the most hosted by Google. that I like . they all don’t know is that loyal hardcore fans in the Jordan, who finished as What was it about the older Whoopi and I are friends. business. the second runner-up in the songs like “Wrapped Up” and She agreed, and after we did 2015 Miss Universe Pageant, “Mental Revenge” that made that song on “The View,” the Jerry Wofford 918-581-8346 will serve as master of cer- you want to include them here? sales increased on that song [email protected] emonies at the Alzheimer’s You know it was Kid Association’s Tulsa Memory Miss USA Olivia Jordan is returning to her hometown of Tulsa Rock that introduced me Gala, which will take place for events this weekend. MATT PETIT/Miss Universe Organization/Courtesy to “Wrapped Up” and he Friday at Cox Business Cen- ter. Cocktails are at 6 p.m. and dinner is at 7 p.m. For more information, contact Toni McGee at 918-392-5007 or [email protected]. Also, Jordan will sup- port the Red Ribbon Gala by attending the 6 p.m. Saturday event at Cox Business Center. The gala, commemorating 25 years of Tulsa CARES, which deliv- ers social services to people affected by HIV/AIDS. The Red Ribbon Gala will honor Patricia Chernicky with gala chairmen Jay Krottinger and Ryan Jude Tanner. For infor- mation, contact Bruce Lewis at 918-834-4194 or brucel@ tulsacares.org. Jordan is a Bishop Kelley High School alum who was named Miss Oklahoma USA prior to becoming the first representative from this state to capture the Miss USA crown. Jimmie Tramel 918-581-8389 [email protected].