At BRMS Creative, Studio A is live, with four young musicians cranking away at their instruments and talking about what sounds are ideal for the project they’re working on.

At a soundboard in an adjoining engineering room, two are experimenting with new tech, laying tracks over one another and adding reverb to the pieces. Across the way, people chat in another room, listen to the live tunes and watch other creatives milling about through various practice rooms. In the hallway, a teen is banging on drums to find the right sound before he carts the instrument off to another room to play with a group.

Baton Rouge Music Studios is coming up on its 20th anniversary, and as founder Doug Gay says, the business was becoming maxed out at its current location on Government Street. Though a good problem to have, it offered an opportunity for growth. One very quick meeting later, Gay began working with Jessica Bandele, the mother of two of his students, on a new project—BRMS Creative.

BRMS Creative is the next step to what Gay has already been working on with the young musicians of the Red Stick. The goal of the new space is to allow students to produce their own work with the help of mentors and state-of-the-art equipment. Gay says he hopes the space will enhance what the students work on at home with technology like GarageBand and other easily accessible programs.

“He’s great at getting those kids and putting them in bands and doing live performances in the city,” BRMS Creative managing partner Bandele says. “But there’s another side to being a musician and an artist.”

BRMS Creative celebrated its grand opening event last Sunday, though the space has been in a soft opening stage since March. The event highlighted the wide range of programs offered at BRMS Creative, including private and group lessons, solo artist and band mentorships, musical theatre classes, songwriting and audio production—available separately or in combination. The hub will also be available for birthday parties, school field trips, corporate team-building sessions and more. The sky is the limit, Bandele says.

BRMS Creative takes up two units, which underwent renovations to create the space that exists today. Along with individual practice rooms, lounge areas and soundproofed studios, there is also a large event space ideal for intimate live performances or group events. The team plans to have regular events, like an open mic night on the schedule each month.

The highlight, though, is the engineering room, with lights adjustable in both color and intensity to indicate when the studio is live and to set the mood.

“This is where the art and the chaos are organized into presentable material,” Gay says.

The engineering room also features a soundboard with switches and panels to adjust how the music pipes in from the neighboring studio. In this room, the technology is set up primarily for the use of Logic, a program similar to GarageBand. Gay hopes that it will allow the students to be able to work on their music at home as well as in the studio. Another exciting aspect of this spot is that full bands can record here, plus other studios can contract BRMS Creative for work.

“This space allows us to kind of lean into digital art and creating content,” Gay says. He plans to invite videographers, photographers and social media creators to work with students on the different aspects of digital content in the future. “I don’t want it to be a class, I want it to be an experience,” he says.

BRMS Creative is set up to be inviting to both musicians and their friends and family. There are multiple lounging areas, with funky art that reflects creatives at work. Instruments that aren’t actively being used are tucked into corners, creating a lived-in feel at the new space. Decor is detailed with deep turquoise and orange. The design is meant to inspire creativity with a welcoming, low-pressure environment.

“I feel like this is where I’ve always been meant to be,” Gay says.

BRMS Creative is located at 11919 Sunray Ave. and is officially open for lessons, events and recording sessions. Check out the website for more information.

This article originally appeared in 225 Magazine’s 225 Daily newsletter.