Vaughan Music Studios

I’ve been a student here since 2011 when they were still at the old facility on Tremont Rd. Although the current facility is first rate, I did like the old facility. Seeing music posters such as Michael Jackson in the lobby of the old place put me in a jovial mood and motivated me to study singing. During 2011 at this facility, I had singing lessons with Steve. He’s very affable and very helpful in bringing out the best of your singing talents. In having singing lessons with Steve, he and I worked on singing covers, which would become a demo that I recorded in late 2011. Even though the recording studio at the current facility is state of the art, I did enjoy recording my demo at the old studio, especially the first time I recorded. It was exciting for me to be in that studio. Cindy saw me record the first take of my first song. Because of her presence, I placed pressure on myself to sing as best as I could. Later, she did complement my singing as well as a showcase performance. Since Cindy has ties to the music industry, her praise of me meant a lot. Although it’s been a thrill having lessons with Steve and some of the other instructors, at times I do wish I had lessons with Cindy.
Another thing I liked about the old facility is that EPs of students were sold. I wish that were the case in the current facility. That way, the other students and their parents would know about them, and besides the showcases, could know about their work thru the EPs. Also, in the old lobby, the TV showed movie musicals and music videos. In the current lobby, even though I appreciate the flat screen TV, I don’t care much about the performance videos shown. The receptionists are excellent. They work hard in scheduling lessons, answering your questions, and providing other services. In the first few months that I was a student, I appreciated the receptionist at the time. She always was enthusiastic whenever she greeted me, scheduled my lessons, and handled my transactions. The current receptionists are very good although there wasn’t one available a few times after lessons. A bell to ring at the desk can be helpful.
During 2012 in the current facility, I wrote songs with Steve that I eventually recorded for my first EP. I enjoyed learning how to write from him. I’m happy Steve was cool in letting me write and sing about subjects I wanted to express. Currently, I’m writing songs with Fran. With her, I think I’m improving as a songwriter. I’ve also worked with Barb on stage performance. It’s been a joy working and talking with her. Although I do need to work a lot to become a great singer on stage, Barb has taught me a great deal and has made me realize it takes a lot of hard work to be a top notch stage performer. The staff here cares a lot. They gave me a birthday card, which was thoughful of them.
The majority of students are kids and they’re very talented. I’m one of the oldest students and a decent singer though not at the level of the others. But I try not to be intimidated by them. I attempt to focus on what to do for the showcases and the recordings. Despite being nervous singing in front of people, I do the showcases, which are excellent in building experience and confidence in performing. I know my singing is not as great as the kids, but I’ve received praise from the staff and some of the parents, which made me smile and has motivated me to keep working on performing. Observing the other students perform closely can be beneficial in improving your stage performance ability. I wish there was a wireless microphone for the showcases. Still, I’ve held the mic while avoiding holding the cord. At one showcase, a girl sang brillant, but it was funny when she kept on holding the mic cord.
Vaughan Music Studios does have a myriad of young students who are very talented as if they’ve been successful musicians for decades. Yet, I feel it’s a great place for a beginner, like I was in 2011, to learn anything regarding music. My advice is don’t be intimidated by the talents of the students and the instructors. Whether it’s singing, songwriting, stage performance, or learning how to play an instrument, just focus on what you desire to learn. The staff at Vaughan Music Studios will help you tremendously.

Vaughan Music Studios offers a lot to the Columbus recording and musician community — they have great recording spaces, an amazing control room, all the latest gear, and an experienced engineer to tie it all together. They are great with working around schedules and finishing up tracks that were started at a home or project studio. Mark and Cindy really listen to what you are looking for and always ensure that you start your session with a plan/​goal and leave your session satisfied. I’ve recorded drums here multiple times and spent some time helping out their recording arts class during the summer and it was a great experience for all involved, including myself, the instructor, and the students. VMS comes with a very high recommendation from me, especially after having many lackluster encounters with other local studio owners/​operators.

As a certified audio engineer, I’ve seen many studios in Columbus, Nashville, Cleveland, and Cincinnati. Vaughan Music Studios likely has the most première mixing environment of any facility I’ve seen.
I had the pleasure of touring the music lessons spaces, performance hall, and studio at Vaughan, with Cindy Vaughan, who owns and manages the ins and outs. Her vision for this music school is all-​encompassing, backed by years of experience, and equipped with the best gear in the land. Lookout for this place in the future– as it seems likely to become a staple in Columbus’ music education and music scene as a whole.

Well, since my first review, VMS has completely redeemed itself. Perhaps it was just a coincidence that I finally received a return call from them the day after having posted my criticism, but regardless, I’ve now not only been taking voice lessons from them, but also drum, guitar, and ear training lessons (I do all of these in one spell over a couple of hours each Saturday afternoon), and am completely satisfied by the quality of instruction, the facility itself, and the friendliness of the staff. Columbus is fortunate to be able to claim a resource such as this one.