SoundLab Camps for Teens

The Music Company (TMC), a Pacific Beach-based nonprofit music studio and incubator, is joining forces with the new Pacific Beach Arts Center to invest in the neighborhood’s next generation of musicians and creatives. The partnership will kick off with SoundLab, a series of week-long hands-on youth camps designed to teach students fundamental skills in music production, audio engineering, and live performance. The partnership brings together two organizations working to expand creative opportunity and build more year-round cultural spaces in the beach neighborhood.

“As we continue to expand into the community, we’re honored to partner with local organizations to enrich the art scene in Pacific Beach,” shares Michelle Sexton of the Pacific Beach Arts Center. “Our partnership with The Music Company allows teens the chance to step into a professional environment—learn real skills, build confidence, and become part of the local creative community.”

Designed for aspiring artists ages 12 to 18, SoundLab will run Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at The Music Company in three week-long sessions this summer:

· June 15 – 19
· July 13 – 17
· August 3 – 7

The Music Company / PB Arts Center

At $350 per session, the program offers participants hands-on experience using industry-standard recording and production tools. Working in small groups with guidance from TMC’s team, campers will use professional studio tools to create an original music track and short video, learning the fundamentals of recording, editing, shooting, and post-production along the way.

By the end of the week, participants will understand how sound is captured and digitized, how to operate digital audio equipment and software, and how to shape a finished creative project from concept to completion.

“Access and experience is everything at the beginning of a creative career,” said Ted Pawela, Executive Director of The Music Company. “Most young artists never get the chance to work in a professional studio or see how the recording process actually works. SoundLab changes that by giving them a real starting point and a connection to a creative community that can support them long after the camp ends.”

For TMC, the new camp builds on a growing mission to strengthen San Diego’s music economy from the ground up. Since launching in 2023, the nonprofit has worked to reduce the financial and professional barriers that often push emerging talent to leave the region, offering affordable studio access, educational programming, and collaborative production opportunities for musicians, producers, DJs, and engineers.

For Pacific Beach Arts Center, the partnership adds a music and media component to its broader vision for a more connected, accessible arts community in Pacific Beach. The organization, a project of Beautiful PB, is transforming the long-vacant former Pacific Beach Library site at 4606 Ingraham St. into PB Arts Commons, a multipurpose arts hub designed to connect artists, students, residents, and visitors through classes, performances, exhibitions, and community programming.

To register for SoundLab camps, visit www.pbartscenter.org/events/summer-camps/.

To learn more about The Music Company visit www.tmcmusic.org.

The Music Company and Pacific Beach Arts Center