Looking to take your music production skills to the next level?

Join our Studio Recording 101 workshop hosted at [the square]. Over these eight weeks of hands-on sessions, students will learn essential studio fundamentals including mic techniques, session flow, editing, mixing, and mastering—while collaborating on real sessions with working artists in a professional studio environment.

Whether you’re an aspiring engineer, producer, or musician looking to better understand the studio, these workshops are designed to demystify the recording process and connect you with Maine’s creative music community!

TUITION

  • $630 per 8-week (20-hr) workshop

  • The annual registration fee is $60. This fee covers registration for all MAMM programs for anyone in your household during the 2026-27 school year.

  • Need-based scholarships may be available - please email registrar@mamm.rocks to inquire!

WINTER SESSION DATES (click class link to sign up; see below for instructor bios)

Teens (13-18): Tuesday evenings // 3:30-6:00pm / October 6 - December 1 // Ages 13-17
Instructor: Kosta Johnson

16+ through Adults - LAPTOP REQUIRED: Wednesday evenings // 5:30-8:00pm / October 7 - December 2 //
Instructor: Matt Perry

CURRICULUM

  • Week 1: Introduction & Studio Fundamentals

  • Week 2: Microphones & Recording Techniques

  • Week 3: Session Planning & Engineering/Production Basics

  • Week 4: Live Band Recording Session

  • Week 5: Comping, Editing, and Overdubs

  • Week 6: Mixing Part 1 – Levels & Panning

  • Week 7: Mixing Part 2 – EQ, Compression, FX

  • Week 8: Mastering & Sharing Your Work

LOCATION

[the square]is Portland’s creative hub at Monument Square: a new multi-disciplinary studio space developed by the team behind Monaco Studios in Falmouth and their nonprofit, Equal Measure Arts (EMA).

CLASS SIZE

Classes are capped at 10 students. Must meet minimum enrollment in order to run.

INSTRUCTORS

  • Kosta Johnson is a producer, engineer, and educator with over a decade of professional studio experience. He graduated from Drexel University’s Recording and Music Production program, and has served since 2015 as Studio Manager/Chief Engineer at C Blake Studios, an award-winning gospel recording facility. A five-time Grammy–nominated engineer, Kosta has built his experience both in the studio and through years of on-location live recordings for indie artists and major labels alike. In addition to his studio work, Kosta has taught in Drexel University’s Music Industry program as an Adjunct Professor, leading courses in modern production techniques and Pro Tools–based recording and mixing. He has also spent several years as a Chapter Governor and Co-Chair of the Producers & Engineers Wing of The Recording Academy’s Philadelphia chapter, advocating nationally for producers and engineers, expanding membership, and helping guide conversations around emerging technologies within the recording industry. At [the square], Kosta brings deep technical expertise, leadership experience, and a strong commitment to education — supporting artists at every stage of the creative process, from first demo to finished release.

  • Matt Perry is an official Apple Certified Logic Pro producer who has worked on records for many of New England’s top artists. He frequently collaborates with Grammy Award–winning musicians including Dave Gutter (David Bowie, Imogen Heap, Aaron Neville) and Evan Smith (Taylor Swift, Sabrina Carpenter, Kendrick Lamar), bringing a polished, artist-centered approach to every project. As an engineer and producer, Matt specializes in music production, high-quality commercial audio, voiceover, podcast production, and fully remote-directed recording sessions. He regularly hosts livestream sessions with talent on-site while directors and script teams join via Zoom or Source Connect. His commercial clients include Blind Light Media (Despicable Me, The Avengers, Guild Wars 2), ESPN, Adobe, Google, Simon & Schuster, and NPR.