I’ve always been interested in playing, but have rarely taken the time to practice to get good at it, so the technical aspects of music production are a better fit for me. Robert: It was kind of a natural progression from my live work. HOW DID YOU GET INTO THE MUSIC STUDIO BUSINESS? WERE YOU (ARE YOU STILL) PLAYING IN ANY LOCAL BANDS IN THE AREA, OR DOES YOUR INTEREST FOCUS MOSTLY IN MUSIC PRODUCTION AND NOT CREATING THE MUSIC, SO TO SPEAK? As someone that always stretches his creative muscle across several mediums I more than understand how difficult it can be to keep all personal outlets equally “present.” And though it put his musical/production endeavors a bit on the back burner he knew he wanted to build his studio, and I am glad he did, because it’s a beautiful space. The car world kind of took over when he was young, and I can understand why. When entering the large garage space attached to his home the first thing to catch my attention was a light blue ’65 Impala Convertible, and Robert informed me of his love for restoring old cars, which was made clear when he gave further details on originally rescuing this now impeccable Impala from a junkyard for $30. Upon arrival I was greeted by a welcome committee of dogs, which should be more common with music studios. Many of the people that help Codfish operate are unsurprisingly creative, from painters and musicians, to masters in the ways of gardening/agriculture, and this creative nature is clear when I arrived at Robert’s, a complex of sorts nestled about 10 miles North of Maquoketa in a valley called Otter Creek that is more of a title than a town. In addition to running sound, he also records many of the performances, some of which can be heard on IPR. If you’ve ever been within the walls of that barn, or absorbed the sounds of a show from the comfort of the hill that expands just beyond the barn’s main entrance, you have most certainly heard (if not felt) some of the sound work Robert can claim responsibility for. Codfish has grown into a legendary venue in the sense that there’s not another space that can really match the feeling this venue brings on, a freedom of sorts seldom experienced in the “normal world” that keeps bringing everyone back for more. Codfish is a magical space that rests just outside of Maquoketa, a town still known for its underground caverns which is quickly becoming known nationwide for being home to a venue/music that has become anything but underground. Robert runs sound at Codfish Hollow, which is where our paths first crossed years ago. This month’s feature takes us a bit out of the QCA, and while the location is a bit of a drive North from “Quad Cities Proper”, the driving force behind this studio, Robert Siegworth certainly plays a major role in the music scene of this area, as well as helping represent Iowa music/musicians/venues in the process.
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