Driven by the belief in music’s influence on children’s lives, Notes for Notes (N4N) has dedicated itself to being an answer to the lack of contemporary musical equipment and programs in public schools. For the past 17 years, the non-profit organization has built 26 N4N recording studios, providing the instruments, guidance, and space for young people to create music and realize their artistic identity.
As an early supporter of the non-profit, KRK, through its charitable arm KRK Kares, has provided gear for every N4N studio nationwide. This includes N4N’s most recent studio powered by Sony Music Group at the Boys & Girls Club of Metro LA’s Watts/Willowbrook, which was stocked with KRK CLASSIC 7, ROKIT 10-3 G4, and ROKIT 5 G4 Studio Monitors, as well as the brand’s KNS 8402 Headphones. With KRK Kares’ latest donations, every Notes for Notes studio is now equipped with KRK at every level, giving youth at 26 studios across 13 states the ability to produce, record, and mix like the pros while learning the ins and outs of music creation.
“Both KRK and Gibson and subsequently KRK Kares and Gibson Gives have been there for the majority of our growth, providing some of the most important gear for our studios,” shares Notes for Notes CEO and Co-founder Philip Gilley. “KRK has provided equipment for our facilities since studio number three. Monitors and headphones are core staples of any recording studio, and we wouldn’t have been able to complete those builds without them. In fact, we always make sure we’ve got those nice big, bright, yellow cones front and center at all our mixing stations.”
The Watts/Willowbrook Clubhouse also features multiple Epiphone guitars and bass guitars, MESA/Boogie California Tweed amps, and a selection of guitar pedals from Maestro Electronics.
By outfitting all its studios with Gibson brands, N4N aims to expose young people to gear that is attainable for them. “Younger generations pay special attention to brand recognition, and that iconic KRK yellow cone is hugely recognizable. KRK also has a very strong name within the Hip-Hop community, so that connection point between what’s in our studios and what they see on their favorite artists’ and producers’ Instagrams is a huge benefit.”
Gilley adds that it’s not just the recognizability that makes KRK products an ideal fit for N4N. “Obviously, there’s a quality aspect to consider when choosing KRKs, but there’s also something to be said for the fact that this gear is attainable to young people,” he explains. “The same goes for other Gibson brands, like Epiphone, Kramer, and Gibson guitars. Youth at our studios become accustomed to these brands when they’re first learning and growing, and these are the brands they will reach for when they can afford their first guitar or pair of monitors. Providing gear that’s within their financial reach is very important to us.”
N4N believes that incorporating reliable and recognizable music-making solutions is a key foundation for youth’s musical education, not just for every build.
“We’re building environments that visually, sonically, and equipment-wise are something that most youth have never seen before,” shares Gilley. “It may not exist in their community or schools, so they have only seen most of this gear on TV, movies, or social media. Once they get access to this stuff, there is always a ‘wow’ moment. There’s never a shortage of excitement when we crack open the doors to the studio for the first time. If anything, we always have to set the volume at a reasonable level on the speakers because it’s only natural that every young person wants to ‘turn it up to eleven.’ ”
According to Gilley, N4N also provides many extra resources to youth. “For us, it’s as much about emotional development as it is artistic,” he adds. “Young people may learn what it’s like to be in a studio and work efficiently on top-of-the-line equipment, but our producers also influence their lives. We focus as much on personal development as we do artistic. Music can be the key to unlocking something in a young person they never imagined they could. Providing a safe and inspiring environment for youth to learn musical skills and develop emotionally means that they will be light years ahead in knowledge and experience when they eventually get into a commercial studio. Thanks to Gibson Gives and KRK Kares, we can continue to provide these resources in all our studios.”
Schools or non-profit organizations with a music-based mission and would like to be considered for the KRK Kares giving program should visit the Gibson Gives’ Give Music page. Select the “Request a Donation” button to complete the online form and indicate KRK Kares. For those looking to subsidize the program, please select the “Donate” button—100 percent of all donations go towards KRK Kares and Gibson Gives to give the gift of music. For more information on KRK Kares, please visit www.gibsonfoundation.org/krk-kares.
Will Vance is a professional music producer who has been involved in the industry for the better part of a decade and has been the managing editor at Magnetic Magazine since mid-2022. In that time period, he has published thousands of articles on music production, industry think pieces and educational articles about the music industry. Over the last decade as a professional music producer, Will Vance has also ran multiple successful and highly respected record labels in the industry, including Where The Heart Is Records as well as having launched a new label with a focus on community through Magnetic Magazine. When not running these labels or producing his own music, Vance is likely writing for other top industry sites like Waves or the Hyperbits Masterclass or working on his upcoming book on mindfulness in music production. On the rare chance he's not thinking about music production, he's probably running a game of Dungeons and Dragons with his friends which he has been the dungeon master for for many years.
