Open Studio Recordings
While the intangibles of the experience have some of the greatest impact—hands-on education for students and access to professional equipment and support for musicians—Open Studio sessions also result in finished tracks for participating artists! Check out some of our previous participants' work in a variety of genres below.
Talking With Ghosts
Chestertown, Maryland
"Bioluminessence" is a single recorded in Washington College Open Studio in October
2024 by Talking with Ghosts. It was written, performed, mixed, and mastered by Stevie
Lyles '26.
Grimm Winter
Washington, D.C.
Grimm Winter's Chestertown Sessions is 4 track EP recorded in Washington College Open Studio on June 18-20, 2025. Recorded
& Mixed by Mariana Kilmon '28, Stevie Lyles '26, and Ken Schweitzer. Stevie Lyles
sings backup vocals on "These Hills They Have Eyes." Learn more about Grimm Winter.
Old Dogs Ska
Easton, Maryland
Gibson Studio Session is a 2 track EP recorded in Washington College Open Studio on June 30, 2025. Recorded
by Mariana Kilmon '28, Stevie Lyles '26, & Euro Najera '27. Mixed and mastered by
Mariana Kilmon & Ken Schweitzer.
Hip Hop Time Capsule 2025
Born from the expansive digital archive of the Chesapeake Heartland Project at the Washington College Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience, Hip Hop Time Capsule HHTC first blossomed in the summer of 2021. It was then that Kent County teenagers and Washington College students forged connections with musicians, college professors, and museum professionals, all united by a singular mission: to research, document, and interpret the rich tapestry of African American music history in Kent County. Those early participants delved into the Chesapeake Heartland's digital archive, drawing from interviews and music to craft their own beats and musical compilations, even reinterpreting historic images for their cover art. They also began to share their own perspectives on the profound significance of their community's history, offering a fresh lens on Kent County's past, present, and future.
Today the HHTC is part of Washington College's Innovation Plant, and an expanded summer program where High School and College students explored mural painting, printmaking, metal fabrication, woodworking, and music production, all the while gaining hands-on experience in public speaking, workplace culture, and team-building. The music portion of HHTC was supported by College students Euro Najera '27, Mariana Kilmon '28, and Stevie Lyles '26, and Associate Professor of Music Ken Schweitzer, with songwriting sessions led local artists Kentavius Jones and Ty Bolden.