A Brief History of Rock & Roll City Studios
Rock & Roll City Studios started as an undefined concept in the fall of 1994, while its future owner, Mark Soberay, was in graduate school at Arizona State University. At that time, Mark made the decision that owning and operating a business that was deeply rooted in his interests and talents would be a more appropriate career path than seeking a corporate job. The concept developed further in the spring of 1995. At that time, Mark was unaware of the existence of rehearsal studios or of the business of renting them out to bands. However, his deep interest in music, and his passion for hard work, combined with his desire to somehow make use of a unique but neglected building, reached a flashpoint in a fateful conversation with a local drummer. When the drummer explained that rehearsal studios existed in Cleveland, but that they generally were lacking in quality, Mark was immediately sold on the idea. At the conclusion of the conversation, moments after he had first learned of and considered this sort of business, a commitment was made, and five minutes later the business began! The vision of the studios came together quickly - a place where musicians could practice twenty-four hours a day, and where they could network with other active musicians, creating music for decades to come.
On September 1, 1995, which coincidently was the same day that the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame opened, Rock & Roll City Studios’ first bands began to practice in the building. For the next 21 years, musicians have evolved their craft as Mark envisioned it during that first, pivotal conversation – twenty-four hours a day at the studios, surrounded by the great resource of other musicians doing the same thing. The success of the business is based on the value that the musicians find in this unique facility which offers unparalleled amenities and opportunities for musical development. The facility currently has over ninety air-conditioned, alarmed and CCTV monitored rehearsal studios, and has historically stayed at or near full capacity at all times. Taking the studios to the next level involves doing something that has never been done before on Earth: constructing new rehearsal studios for that purpose, but this time from the ground up! The new structure will be contiguous to the current building, featuring the most modern amenities, maintenance/repair minimization construction techniques, and it will open opportunities for musicians for generations to come.