Local musicians everywhere have searched for decades for cheap ways to record and market their music.
Baton Rouge has a place where local artists can not only record music but also learn how to use the modern tools necessary to make it in the digital media world.
Tipitina’s Music Office Co-Op, located on Government Street, is the local branch of the statewide Co-Op system put in place by the Tipitina’s Foundation to “support and preserve Louisiana’s unique music culture.”
The Baton Rouge location has been open since 2008 and is home to more than 250 members. Membership with the co-op, which costs $10 a month, includes access to graphic and design software programs like Final Cut Pro, Pro Tools and PreSonos, as well as the office’s in-house recording studio.
The main function of the Co-Op is to be an incubator for aspiring small businesses and local media artists, according to manager Lacey McRight.
“I’d say that the most important thing is to not only provide access to this technology but to teach these musicians and artists how to use all the software and equipment so that it becomes more self-sustaining for their business,” McRight said.
Todd Souvignier, director of the statewide Co-Op project, echoed those sentiments.
“We’re trying to help these artists make more money and keep more of the money they make,” he said.
The Co-Op system is doing just that for its members, according to an economic survey conducted by the foundation.
“The survey showed that our members across the state have reported anywhere from a 13- to 30-percent increase in yearly income, and 80 percent of them attribute that increase, at least in part, to being involved with the Co-Op,” Souvignier said.
Local metal band Thou has used the Co-Op studio to record five songs, two of which appeared on the band’s EP a year ago.
Thou’s bass player, Mitch Wells, described the software and recording equipment in the small studio as “great.”
“We brought in this friend of ours from Oakland to help us mix the sound in our recordings, and he was able to use all the material we recorded there like it came from any high-end recording studio,” Wells said.
Wells called the ability of local artists to access a place like Tipitina’s “crucial” and said the Baton Rouge music scene is “pretty lucky to have the Co-Op as a cheap, viable recording option.”
“We have met a lot of bands from touring all over the place, and if you go elsewhere, bands either have to pay lots of money for official studio time or scrounge some money together and do it yourself,” Wells said.
While the title of the Co-Op indicates a focus on music, both McRight and Souvignier said a strong segment of the membership comprises other digital-media professionals.
“Media is not just these isolated outposts of music people or film people,” Souvignier said. “Media is a continuum, and someone who has a job in entertainment will need access to and skills in all different forms of the current digital media.”
Tipitina’s is also in the process of finding a building in Baton Rouge to convert into a practice and rehearsal space for musicians, according to Souvignier.
A fire that destroyed The Caterie in January also damaged the rehearsal space for dozens of bands.
“We’ve got a small amount of money from the state earmarked to spend on a rehearsal space, and we have identified a property that we hope to turn into a 50-room practice facility for local musicians,” Souvignier said.
While Tipitina’s is a 501-C3 operation — partially funded by the state and mostly by private donors — Souvignier said the Co-Op system’s state funding is being reduced to “almost zero” in 2011.
“We already don’t have much of an advertising budget, so we rely on working with nonprofits, like KLSU actually, and some volunteers to get our name out there,” McRight said.
Souvignier acknowledged the Co-Op system is vulnerable when relying so heavily on private donations but said Tipitina’s is working to change its business model.
“We’re working very hard to become better at self-funding this project because the state funding is diminishing so quickly, but things like the live music venue in New Orleans are a step in the right direction to continue our mission,” Souvignier said.
 
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Contact Chris Abshire at [email protected]