Tennent and MBIT Student Opens Home Recording Studio

It used to be, that if you were a serious musician and wanted your music to hit the masses, certain things had to happen first. You needed to get a band together, record a demo, get a contract with a label, maybe hire a manager, play late night shows in underground clubs or bars, go on long road trips to get word of mouth to grow, etc.

With the continued availability of online file sharing, that process is changing dramatically. The filter created by labels deciding what is and is not "marketable" is disappearing, evidenced by the viral popularity of artists such as Lana Del Rey and Karmin.

Members of the old guard are naturally resisting the shift, but the success of up-and-comers like Connor Lepre depends on their embrace and mastery of the new technology. 

Lepre, a senior at and a student in the multimedia program at the Middle Bucks Institute of Technology, has taken over the finished basement of his parents' Warminster home and created a peek into what the future of music recording may look like.

In one room sits a standard-looking recording space, with instruments, microphones and soundproofed walls. Through a window, you can see the engineering room/Connor's bedroom.

Instead of the standard, large sound-boards with countless switches and meters, a computer sits on Lepre's desk, filled with complicated software that allows him to manipulate and perfect the recorded sounds.

"I spend a lot of my free time in here," said Lepre. "Pretty much anytime I'm not in school, I'm sitting here experimenting with the music."

Most of the recorded music is composed by Lepre himself and uploaded to his own file-sharing accounts on iTunes and Sound Cloud.

However, he and his close friend, Edward Stein, have opened up the unique recording space to other aspiring musicians in the area. Officially named Rabbit Stone Studios, artists have until June 10 to take advantage of Lepre's free promotion to record and mix a single, EP or LP, provide digital copies and heavily market the music on social media outlets.

And if you think that Lepre's parents, Rob and Amy, tremble at the thought of strange musicians traipsing through their home, guess again.

"We bought this house specifically because of the basement set up," said Rob, who moved his family to Warminster from Willow Grove in 2006. "Connor had big plans, and our old house was not big enough for what he wanted to do."

A local hip hop band, The Definition, has already taken Lepre up on the offer and stopped in last week. Lepre is confident that his attention to detail and collaborative philosophy will attract even more as word gets out.

"I don't consider myself the boss," said Lepre. "I help them write and compose, but I'm not an expert on their own sound. I can quickly see where it's going and recognize when something is missing, but they are in charge."

That quiet and confident approach is exactly why he will be a success, says Chris Tully, Lepre's multimedia instructor at MBIT.

"We want our students to not only master the technology, but also be prepared to become entrepreneurs," said Tully. "Connor is the perfect example of that."

When Lepre walked into Tully's classroom two years ago, it was clear from the beginning that he had a natural vision and a gift for the tools that would help him achieve that vision, whether it's through music, film or photography.

"Whenever I introduced what I thought was a really complicated software program," said Tully, "he would have it mastered a week later. My job with Connor has been to guide his talent and energy, rather than teaching him the technology."

Tully, MBIT and the Centennial School District regularly benefits from Lepre's talents. He is a regular camera operator for the broadcasted school board meetings and has produced several promotional videos for the tech school, including a 12-minute documentary called "Only the Beginning."

"Connor dedicated his entire summer to create that film," said Tully. "Not many students would give up their whole vacation to help out their school. If you watch it, have a box of tissues ready. That's how good it is."

Any musicians or groups interested in recording at Rabbit Stone Studios can contact Connor Lepre at (215) 264-9024.