Craig Sowby

Converting his house into a recording studio finally paid off for UVSC student Craig Sowby, from Pleasant Grove, Utah, who was recently awarded first place in the pop/rock genre for a song he recorded, mixed, mastered and submitted to the 121st Audio Engineering Society’s (AES) International Student Recording Competition in San Francisco.

Sowby, a senior at UVSC majoring in music and integrated studies (music and office management), developed a passion for recording as a sophomore at UVSC. After taking two recording classes at the College, Sowby started recording concerts for the music department. Then, he and his wife came up with a great idea; “I spent a whole bunch of money on equipment and transformed our house into a studio,” Sowby said. His studio, Corner House Studio, is complete with a control room, tracking room, vocal room and lounge, covering the main floor of the Sowbys’ home. So far, he’s recorded more than 20 bands and 20 solo artists.

Sowby’s clientele includes the UVSC Chamber Choir and Orchestra, several local bands and artists and one standout: musician/athlete Bryon Friedman, a member of the U.S. Ski Team recently recovering from an injury he sustained training for the Winter Olympics. After a miraculous recovery, Freidman rejoined the training circuit, bringing him to Park City, Utah, his hometown, for a few days during the summer. Freidman found Sowby’s studio through a Web search and came to the Corner House Studio to record his album – the same album that earned Sowby first place at the AES competition.

"My dream job is basically what I do now,” he said. “Record and produce music, but on a bigger scale and for bigger top-name artists.”

Sowby said it was UVSC’s real-world training that prepared him to venture into recording. “I’ve used a lot of what I had learned in my business classes to get started [with the studio] and keep it up,” he said. “I’ve enjoyed UVSC for its ability to throw new things my way.”