Good Vibrations at The Studios

Good vibrations were rocking the soundproofed walls of The Studios at the UTA Central Library as the student band, Party on Mars, laid down some new tracks for their upcoming album. 

Their music works to connect with their audience through shared life experiences but draws inspiration from some legendary artists and bands. 

"I was listening to the David Bowie song 'Life on Mars' when we were trying to come up with a name for the group. I was like, 'I am going to change one word,' and that is really all it was," Payton Fortner, a band member and music education major, said. "We are here today trying to record stuff for our first full album and expect to start dropping songs from it in the middle or end of July." 

Party on Mars has been playing as a group since 2017, with a few changes in its lineup. While some members were already playing together, most met each other while attending a university life class on campus as freshman students. 

Payton stated that while the band leans toward the alternative rock genre, a mixture of influences goes into Party on Mars' sound. Groups, artists, and music styles like Green Day, Twenty-One Pilots, Avenged Sevenfold, funk music, and of course David Bowie, have played a role in the band's creative direction. 

Emily Ledesma, a band member and music education major, stated that her sister influenced her interest in music. She began playing the ukulele because her sister did and thought it was cool. 

Recording Space at the Library 

Band members expressed their feelings that having a space like The Studios is a valuable resource on campus because it allows creativity to bloom. 

The Studios at the Central Library is a space that is designed for students to record music or podcasts with industry-level equipment. Three sound booths allow students to easily record high-quality audio with instruments and a computer to edit the audio. 

Renting a professional recording studio is expensive, but this space is a free resource on campus. All a person does is book an open slot online through the library website. 

The recording studio is only one part of the resources that The Studios suite offers students. Other resources provided in this suite include photography and motion capture studios. 

The Studios is an asset that is open to any library patron to use. It is our hope at UTA Libraries that more individuals, groups and bands use this space often to take a passion project from dream to reality. 

Updates about Party on Mars can be found online through the band's Party on Mars Music Instagram page. 

Information about The Studios can be found on the UTA Library website.