Unique club at Cleveland High learns art of recording

“School of Rock” and theater tech club members at Cleveland High School may be too young to remember that classic Saturday Night Live sketch, which first aired on April 8, 2000. After all, an 18-year-old senior this spring would have been just 5 back then, and probably not allowed to stay up that late, even on a Saturday night.

The sketch, always included in Will Ferrell retrospectives, fictionalized the recording of the song “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” by Blue Oyster Cult. Walken, directing the session inside the control booth, kept stopping recording to insist that Gene Frenkle (Ferrell) bring “More cowbell” sound into the recording.

Of course, CHS fine arts teacher Keith Abrahamson understood the comment when it was uttered during a recording session in the Concert Hall Monday afternoon.

Two tracks, with others to be laid down in the weeks to come, gave students an idea of the time consumed by bands making recordings, from gathering various cords and microphones to making sure every input is accounted for at the mixer. Abrahamson said the keyboards and vocals tracks will be laid down in a week or two, and that three songs in all — “Monster,” by Disturbed, plus “Kryptonite” by Three Doors Down and “Learn to Fly” by the Foo Fighters — are also planned for what will be a the CD.

The CDs may be sold as a fundraiser, Abrahamson said, but the recordings are being done “basically for the knowledge on how this happens.” He explained to the students that if the group played as a band, and were unhappy with the final sound — or if there was a minor mishap during the recording — the entire song would have to be replayed. By laying down separate tracks, when each track has been recorded and its musicians are satisfied, then the other tracks can each be played to those musicians’ satisfaction.

Seated at the mixer was a professional, Mike Gerdes, who not only plays in two bands (“Mondo Vibrations,” a reggae band, and “Broken Breadwinner,” a hip-hop band), works in the audio department at Grandma’s and has his own studio, Central Root Studios in Nob Hill. He has an impressive résumé, having worked many facets in the entertainment industry, from lighting and sound in theaters and concert venues, and live recording, producing, audio engineering for intimate shows to large festivals.

A St. Pius X graduate, Gerdes said he initially learned to play guitar while listening to Pink Floyd.

He’s receiving a stipend for his time, Abrahamson said, being paid from a fund generated by various fundraising activities of the School of Rock and theater tech club.

“We splurge to do these workshops,” Abrahamson said. He’s taken the interested students to Santa Ana Star Center twice in the past year to see the arena set-up for “Cirque du Soleil” and “Batman Live.” The professionals, it seems, enjoy seeing the “future” of their profession, as well as the passion and inquiring minds exhibited by teenagers.

If there’s one thing the students might be learning, besides teamwork, it’s patience. Eventually, the proper cables are found and plugged in, and the requested “57″ mic, which Abrahamson said is made by Shure Microphones and better for instruments, rather than vocals, is plugged in.

“One cable, or lack thereof, can cripple a session,” Gerdes says, before the session officially starts with music.

After the drums and bass are recorded, the three-minute track is played back. The two musicians like what they hear and one track is all that’s needed.

But guitarist Alex Scales doesn’t like what he hears after he plays his part and the tracks combined. He plays his part again, and then a third time, before he’s satisfied with what he’s done.

Gerdes plays it back — 90 minutes have passed since the group began assembling in the Concert Hall after school ended.

“It’s kind of disturbed,” Abrahamson said of the sound, which seems to account for the band’s name.

Abrahamson, of course, has “been there, done that,” recalling days in recording studios, which then ran about $500 an hour, during his high school days many years ago as a teen in Massachusetts. These kids may have never seen Mylar recording tape or reel-to-reel recorders; digital sound is the new way to go.

“They’re learning how to do multi-track recordings to further their musical and technical knowledge,” Abrahamson said.

As 4 p.m. arrives, Monday’s session is about to come to an end.

More work must be done, and many more tedious hours of work will need to go into this CD before CHS students might be able to buy it.

Nobody has cracked wise, “Free Bird!”

Nor has anyone requested “More cowbell.”