Brainerd High Opens a New Music Production Studio in Chattanooga With Artist Swayyvo Guiding Students Through Recording, Editing and Career Lessons
CHATTANOOGA, TN — Brainerd High School is giving students a fresh place to make music, with a new production studio now open in Chattanooga. The room is equipped with laptops, keyboards, microphones and other gear for recording and editing.
The school tapped Jerod Morton, known professionally as Swayyvo, to serve as studio facilitator. Morton is helping students use the space to write, record and shape their own audio projects during the school week.
How the studio was funded and outfitted
The setup came together through a mix of donations and grant money. Songbirds, a concert venue, donated the laptops, while the rest of the equipment was paid for with help from a 4Learning grant.
Principal Dr. Crystal Sorrells said the grant required the school to build a creativity-based lesson into a core subject. Brainerd chose senior English, which gives teachers more flexibility because it is not a tested course.
Why Morton says the space matters for students
Morton said having a creative outlet at school can make a real difference for students who may not have that chance at home. He said he would have welcomed that kind of opportunity when he was younger.
Sorrells described the arrival of the equipment as a major step for the school. She said getting the studio fully stocked was close to a miracle and something the program needed in order to work.
What students may learn beyond making tracks
Morton is bringing more than technical know-how into the classroom. He has worked on projects connected to the NFL and NBA, and several of his songs have appeared in the NBA 2K video game series.
He said that background lets him speak to students in a way that prepares them for professional rooms and real-world opportunities. Morton hopes the studio will build confidence and show students that their ideas can become something tangible.
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