Patrick Cooley
When Patrick first started studying sound engineering at Cabrillo, he already had some experience under his belt. He'd worked with his friends' bands in high school, "hauling gear" and experimenting with live sound work. At Cabrillo, Patrick had the chance to supplement his experience in live music with a foundation in theory and plenty of time in the studio.
"We studied the theory of how sound works, the signal flow of using microphones and getting the best performances out of bands that you're trying to record — it was nice that Cabrillo gave us the opportunity to spend that much time in the studio to record and to actually get hands-on experience."
One favorite moment was getting the chance to share his newfound expertise with some old friends by bringing them into the studio.
"Being able to bring my close friends in and record their band was probably one of the best moments at Cabrillo," he says.
Patrick transferred to Chico State University and graduated with a B.A. in Music Industry & Technology, with a focus in Recording Arts. He's been in the music business ever since, working on festivals such as Warped Tour, touring the country with different bands, and even traveling as far as New Zealand.
Barbara Martin
Originally from Cuba, Barbara Martin has been studying and playing music since she was five years old. She has performed in a variety of bands as a Latin percussionist/drummer/vocalist and is currently developing her YouTube channel Kusina Jams with her partner. Barbara says she wants to get better at sound production for when they record. So, she enrolled in the MTRA Program to gain her Certificate. Her first class was beginning jazz/pop theory.
"The teacher was very good, and I learned a lot in this class," says Barbara.
Now she's moving on to sound production courses. So far, the class is going very well.
"This class is definitely going to help me. I'm learning lots of different recording techniques I didn't know I could do in music production," she says.
Barbara is already incorporating what she's learned into her Kusina Jams projects. She's also enjoying MTRAK where she learns from the other students she interacts and collaborates with.
Casey Sustaita-Paz
Casey Sustaita-Paz had some training in digital and entered in the MTRA program to reinforce and expand on what he had learned. Participating in the MTRA program has allowed him to further develop skills in recording, music, and the technical aspects of sound. In addition, he has learned of more career options in front of him.
"Before I started the program, I was looking specifically at the music and entertainment industries. Now I know I have back-up career options such as live sound or music for movies and video games," says Casey.
Casey appreciates the access to tools and resources, as well as the opportunity to collaborate with other students.
"The program is great. The resources at Cabrillo are really unlike anything I've seen before. With this much access to tools and resources, there's no limit to what we're learning."
Casey currently works as the music director at the Boy and Girls Club in Live Oak, overseeing the recording studio and curriculum and teaching music production.
Connor White
Connor came to Cabrillo in the spring of 2016 to study electronic music.
He'd already learned the basics at a private school in New York, which he attended for two years. His plan when he came back to California was to attend classes at Cabrillo and then transfer to a four-year university for his degree.
Connor also enjoyed the field trips where students received full tours of professional facilities and studios. He's also grateful for the opportunity to intern at InDigital Studios in Santa Cruz, which he says is all thanks to MTRA.
"I probably wouldn't have gotten that internship otherwise, says Connor"
Most of all, Connor enjoys the valuable network of musicians and professionals he's found.