Go to http://www.HollcraftStudios.com
When it comes time to make recordings, many of the Bay Area's classical artists head for state-of-the-art studios. some, however, opt for facilities that are not so high-tech — but provide quality sound at a reasonable price.
That's where Ed Hollcraft and Carol Greenley come in. The Husband-and-wife owners of Con Brio Recordings specialize in classical music, and their no-frills approach is an appealing alternative for musicians who find the high cost of commercial studios prohibitive.
Working in a small space converted from a former den in their Pleasant Hill home, Hollcraft and Greenley are building a loyal following among Bay Area musicians. In the year since they founded Con Brio, they've produced CDs for artists including violinist James Greening-Valenzuela and pianist Julian White. A recent recording of the Volkert-Walther String Trio (featuring San Francisco Symphony violinist Mark Volkert and violist Geraldine Walther) is in the final stages of production.
Hollcraft and Greenley are both professional musicians and music teachers — he's a clarinetist, she's a pianist — and on a recent visit to their studio in a quiet, tree-lined neighborhood, they said their work in recording grew naturally out of their associations in the Bay Area music scene.
The couple met at Mills College. Both were music students, although Ed — a freelance musician who had played with the Oakland, San Jose, and Marin symphonies — was also taking classes in the school's electronic studio. "We were recording things like lawnmowers and chain saws, combining the sounds and turning them into soundscapes," he says. "I started learning a lot about microphone, processing, and multi-tracking."
After he and Carol moved to Pleasant Hill in 1980, he found himself acting as engineer for selected friends, making impromptu recordings in his living room.
A few years ago, Hollcraft and Greenley decided to get serious about recording. They remodeled their home, turning a high-ceilinged back room into a performing space. With the addition of a sound booth, Con Brio was born.
Since then, they've recorded solo violinist, vocalists with piano accompaniment, flute-and-harpsichord duos and chamber groups — all acoustic artists seeking ambient sound of the concert hall.
Hollcraft allows the Con Brio isn't state-of-the-art. Employing a combination of digital and analog gear, he produced eight-channel recordings; most commercial studios have the capacity for at least 24 channels. But Hollcraft says more would be overkill for the artists he serves. Nor does he use the kinds of effects common in pop music: He says that classical musicians don't want them anyway.
"They want natural sound," he says. "I try to tailor it to the instruments, so it's not too strident or too bright."
The shape of the performance room is a defining factor in the studio's sound, he adds. "We made sure the walls aren't parallel, so it's a nice-sounding room, with no reflections in the sound," he says. "The musicians all say it's a great room to play in."
Greenley is the studio's second engineer and graphics designer. She creates the CD covers and maintains the label's Web site, which is the primary outlet for the recordings. CDs are available locally at Walnut Creek's Countrywood Music and C&L Music in Concord.
Con Brio hasn't made a lot of money yet, but she says the work is a labor of love. "A career in performing, especially classical music, is a very difficult thing," notes Greenley.
"The artists we're recording have worked hard to get where they are, and we've committed ourselves to help them move forward. Our goal is just to do a good job for them. If we make them look good, it makes us look good, too."
Hollcraft and Greenley say that when it comes to classical music, smaller is definitely better. By keeping costs down, they are able to produce quality recordings that up-and-coming artists can afford.
"We're not Skywalker Sound," says Ed.
"No we're not," says Carol. "But we can get the job done."
To learn more about Con Brio Studios, visit www.conbriorecordings.com.
Carol Greenley and Ed Hollcraft love music and run a recording studio.
Some things about their business make it stand out - the studio is in their home in Pleasant Hill; they focus on classical music; and they started their own classical label about a year ago.
The couple said they want to spend the rest of their lives surrounded by musicians, and this was the best way they knew to do that.
"I just can't give up music because it's too much a part of me," said Hollcraft.
The couple's label is called Con Brio, which means "with brilliance." The phrase is found at the beginning of some classical music pieces and it tells musicians the piece shoud be played vibrantly, Greenley said.
That vibrancy is something she sees in the classical field, too.
"Everyone keeps saying classical music is dead, and I just don't believe it," she said.
Greenley met her husband at Mills College many years ago when they were earning their masters degrees in fine arts. They were both professional classical musicians for about five years and also formed a group called the "Columbia Chamber Players."
Hollcraft, a clarinetist, also worked as a freelance musician in symphonies in areas including San Jose, Berkeley and Marin. Greenley plays the piano.
They later changed careers and started Hollcraft Studios, the name of their home recording studio. It was a photography studio for about 11 years, specializing in wedding photos. But now it boasts a 9[foot, concert-size grand piano.
Con Brio Recordings currently has eight artists, and the couple said they are constantly searching for new artists. They are most interested in signing experienced musicians. In addition, some musicians also pay to use the facility to complete independent projects, and prospective college students have used the facility to make demo tapes.
"We look for someone active and out there playing," Greenley said. "It's hard for first-time artists to record - the microphone is a real critical audience."
The Bay Area artists on the label include violinist James Greening-Valenzuela, and the Mark Volkert-Walther Trio, which consists of Mark Volkert, the assistant concert master of the San Francisco Symphony; his wife, Jan Volkert, a cellist in the Marin Symphony; and Geraldine Walther, a viola player for the San Francisco Symphony.
"(The music label) keeps us actively involved in music and it keeps us alive," Hollcraft said.
For information about the label, check the Web site at www.conbriorecordings.com; see http://www.hollcraftstudios.com for information about the studio.
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