My kids are old enough now that I don’t need to find childcare, though there is still the mental load of ensuring everyone has their needs met (groceries, transportation, tuition, etc…). So here I am, now over 50, and I feel like I am entering a new season where my mind and time are clearer and I feel the art ’emerging’ again. I grieve the artistic time that I can never get back, and wonder what life might have looked like if I’d had support—either financial or community—that would have allowed me dedicated time to create.
OCL Studios
OCL Studios
Sound Production Workshop for Caregivers
Pilot Project: The Empowered Sound Workshop, a two-day beginner-friendly masterclass in engineering and production for mothers and female-identifying caregivers.
Project Duration: September 2025 – February 2026
Continuing to Implement: No, but would like to if funding is available.
Resources Shared: Project Field Notes, Social Media Post for Empowered Sound Workshop
About OCL Studios
Location: Calgary, Alberta
Artistic Discipline: Music
OCL Studios is Western Canada’s premiere Residential Recording Studio. The company’s recording facility features three studios, a rehearsal hall, and plenty of space to create. Studio A features a Neve 88R console and a large tracking room that can accommodate projects of all sizes. Studio B is a “plug and play” style room with an isolation booth. Studio C features a custom SSL 4K and offers the privacy and comfort of a standalone building.
OCL Studios’ award-winning team has decades of experience behind the desk, and a long list of incredible projects recorded and mixed through their desk. Custom-built from the ground up by a lifelong musician and music appreciator, the facility is a special place designed to facilitate creativity.
OCL Studios’ Level UP! Project
OCL Studios piloted the Empowered Sound Workshop, a free, two-day, beginner-friendly masterclass in music engineering and production designed for mothers and female-identifying caregivers. Facilitated by producer, engineer, songwriter, and vocalist, Jinting Zhao, the workshop created an accessible entry point into music production for participants with varying levels of experience. Eight mothers were selected to participate, including some actively caring for young children and others reconnecting with creative goals that had been postponed by the demands of motherhood. The workshop was designed to meet participants where they were, and to help build confidence, develop practical skills, and explore the areas of music production they were most interested in.
Project Highlights:
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- Selected eight mothers at different stages of caregiving to participate.
- Provided a childcare subsidy for participants who needed support in order to attend.
Resources
OCL Studios | Project Field Notes
About This Resource OCL Studios created these Project Field Notes in 2026 to share details about their Balancing Act Level UP! Pilot Project. Their project focused on piloting a beginner-friendly masterclass in music engineering and production for mothers and...
OCL Studios | Social Media Post for Empowered Sound Workshop
About This Resource OCL Studios created this social media post in 2026 to promote their Empowered Sound Workshop, a beginner-friendly masterclass in music engineering and production for mothers and female-identifying caregivers. The workshop was part of their...
More Information
For more information about OCL Studios, visit www.oclstudios.com.
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