Denver area guitarist Bob Story has leveraged his skill as a performer, writer, and producer to build and manage his own recording and music production facility, OilPan Studio. It was here that he recorded and produced the Martian Acres CD “In The Middle Of The Night” with his song-writing partner, Dennis Wanebo. But his accomplishments didn’t come overnight.

As a young guitarist, Bob began touring with the Original Drifters in 1986. After their first gig, he got his first taste of stardom when a fan asked him for an autograph. Bob was hooked on performance from that point on. In 1989 he moved to Los Angeles to study guitar and immerse himself in all styles of music while pursuing a degree at the Musicians Institute of Hollywood. Upon graduation, he was awarded the Student of the Year award and received a Howard Roberts Jazz Guitar from Gibson Guitars for his exemplary achievements. He wanted to teach at M.I., but was told by the school he needed to gain more experience. Unfazed, he did just that. He played rock and jazz on a cruise ship in the Caribbean, toured with the rock group Elias in Scandinavia and parts of Europe, and then toured the US with various bands.

Bob then returned to Los Angeles and worked at M.I. in many capacities before becoming a substitute teacher for the guitar department. Often times he would be asked to sub for guitar legends like Scott Henderson, Keith Wyatt and Steve Trovato. While at M.I., Bob learned from both his students and his teachers. He continues his musical growth by teaching 30 to 35 students a week while simultaneously maintaining an active studio career. He also produces local Boulder artists at OilPan Studio. And he’s begun work on a second Martian Acres release.

The Studio
Like it is for a great number of musicians in the business, recording technology is an essential aspect to the creative process. Bob's studio came about out of necessity. Simply put, he needed a way to archive and nurture his musical ideas, and he needed a way to record his music. His first recording system was a simple 2-track machine, but this soon became obsolete as technology advanced. Two tracks became four, and four became eight when Bob purchased a Roland VS-880 in 1997. Today, Bob uses the Roland VS-2480. “OilPan Studios is a continuation of what I've always done - learn, create and have fun. It only made sense then that this kind of momentum would find its way into the recording studio”, Bob reflects.

Bob plays with some of the best musicians in the Boulder area and uses this pool of talent to augment any project demand. He is excited about the current wave of technology for recording and continues to update the control room. “I bought the VS-2480 in 2001, and used it to record a friend’s cover band CD (Oldest Garage Band). Then I used it to record a demo for one of my student’s band, All For One. I used that experience and much help from the VS Planet website (www.vsplanet.com) to finally record my own CD, “Middle of the Night.” When asked about why he likes the VS-2480, Bob explains, “I like having all my recording gear all in one place, and the price makes it possible for me use some of the same tools as the pros.”

http://www.bobstory.com
http://www.martianacres.com
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/martianacres