The songs of two young Masterton bands on Thursday night opened The Spot recording studio in the town.
The Spot youth centre co-ordinator Glenda Seville said the two bands, Lakoda and the Voyagers and Koia, played to about 50 people who had gathered for the opening in Queen St near the YMCA. The music was the first to be recorded on equipment in the studio room at the rear of the centre's front hall and the opening was highly successful, she said.
Ms Seville said Featherston musician Warren Maxwell had been vital to the establishment of the studio and had been on hand for the inaugural live recording session. He had first envisaged a studio at the youth centre during the inaugural annual Live Life Loud concert at the site two years ago. "Warren had recognised all the potential of our youth music and the idea for the studio was to capture and encourage that potential."
Numerous community agencies supported the youth centre, Ms Seville said, including iwi authorities Rangitane o Wairarapa and Kahungunu ki Wairarapa, the Masterton District Council, Masterton Lands Trust and Wairarapa REAP.
The studio complemented an afternoon youth cafe out of a rear room at the site, she said, with the aim of offering a safe and supportive place for youth to gather while also co-ordinating the Wairarapa Youth Council, which runs youth events and hosts the Youth Forum to promote inter-agency co-operation.
