Hayling Island music studio celebrates end of lockdown restrictions by helping artists get involved with upcoming Hi Fest event as musicians welcomed back

Therapy Room Music Studio welcomed artists back into the studio as Covid restrictions have been lifted.

The studio is run by Ian Maclaughlin, producer and engineer, and his wife Jane, who designs and produces the musicians’ CDs in-house.

Musicians have been rehearsing for the upcoming three-day music festival Hi Fest set to take place from July 23 to 25.

Jane said: ‘It’s been nice, we’ve just had a few friends around the studio. It’s been lovely to be at home with people around, enjoying themselves and listening to music.

‘The artists we have in today are Mark Handley and Karen Williams.’

As musicians, Ian and Jane are keen to promote live music and have decided to launch a special project to celebrate the end of the lockdown restrictions.

They will be running an afternoon event at the Hi Fest beach stage on July 24 from 2pm to 7pm.

Therapy Room Music Studio - so named because it is ‘something relaxing for musicians’, said Jane - will be providing recording facilities beforehand for the artists involved on that afternoon, as well as loaning sound equipment to the musicians involved, and also playing in some of the bands.

They will be selling CDs from the bands involved that have been recording in the studio.

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Jane said: ‘It’s a stage on the beach, The Plaza at Eastoke Corner, where everyone wants to be!

‘The motivation was the end of the Covid regulations, and getting our recording artists back out again and to support the charity part of Hi-Fest.

‘The purpose is to help out the Hayling Island charity, the Hayling Lions, who are being supported by the festival - we’re doing this for free.

‘Let’s celebrate - get out there playing again. If you own a pub, maybe get a musician along.’

Therapy Room Music Studio, which was launched in 2016 and has expanded over the years, hopes to build another drum studio next year.

All Hi Fest events are free, except for a ticketed event - The Wall of Floyd band - which will take place in the community centre on July 23.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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