A Message From Taylor

Well, it finally happened. Two years of preparation, living, loss, scheduling, rescheduling, revision, thought, blood, sweat, and tears… and we have the recording studio of our dreams to show for it. How did we get here? What's the story, morning glory? 

Well, you could say this really started back in 2009 in a dorm room at York University, when Bryn and I first met and casually fell into what would be one of many deep discussions on music, life & philosophy. It didn’t take long before blazing and talking about ideas didn’t quite seem like a worthy use of our time – so, we started to look for ways we could bring those ideas to life, make an impact on the world with our creativity, and connect others to their own. As a result, over the seven/eight years so far of our friendship, our lives have taken a markedly different trajectory.

We started with simpler creative victories – made some CD’s of original music, printed 100 copies and placed them unlabelled around campus for anyone to take and enjoy. We both made lots of other music during this time, and dabbled with volunteerism. Soon after, we graduated with B.A’s in music from York University. We found love with ladies, and we found heartbreak, and love, and lust, heartbreak, and etc. I went to hell and back to rediscover my love for music after a long battle with depression, and stumbled into a career I love in voice acting at the same time. We started playing gigs and winning music contests – we ran Airbnb together. Later on, while taking a rigorous leadership program with the intention of getting trained to make a great living in the arts, I booked a part acting nonstop on a sitcom, then booked another show, then another. 

The projects we took on simultaneously started to feel countless, and always like a little more than we could handle. Bryn ran a thriving harmonica school, surpassed me in guitar skill, became a personal trainer, released a highly ambitious album. I created a leadership program for children – ran multiple songwriting workshops. Wrote music for film & TV. We played music in small-town Ontario venues till our fingers bled on the weekends. Then, unexpectedly, we even became art dealers!

To control the slideshow, scroll over it & click the arrows that will appear. 

But out of all our victories, making this studio has been, by far, the most challenging one since the start of our friendship, and likely in our 25 & 26 years on this planet. But when you prove to yourself you can keep your word and follow through on the other things, and jump the bar with so many other hurdles together – heck, everything starts to seem possible.
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​Although we didn’t just make this studio to prove we could. No – those conversations at the start of our friendship, about a grander purpose, I believe, planted the seeds that kept us pushing through. Although sometimes we lost sight of why we were doing what we were doing, most of the time, we were lit up by a desire to make a profound difference for other people – an indelible spark to give others the tools to light their way. A desire to empower others to live life with an imaginative will, one that bends with the wind, and can turn the wind into Larabars in case you get hungry.

Silverthorn Studios isn’t just a studio – it’s a space where anything you’ve ever wanted becomes possible, a space where our creative ambitions and desire to make a profound impact, and yours, can become reality. If that sounds cheesy, then I suppose I think the world could use some more cheese. The gooier the better. 

Managing and overseeing a space of this expense, quality, and magnitude as 20-something musicians who were paying the bills as creative entrepreneurs (aka, mostly from music and acting) is something the world generally says is impossible… So, since we did that – making hit music? Helping you make the album of your dreams? Seems like smooth sailin’ from here. It’s like we’ve been training in 3x gravity the last couple years, and now its time to shine.

Kiefer Sutherland visiting the studio, session run by our good friends at Mint Music: Glen Alan (Left), and Greg Kolchinsky (Right). 

From the folks at Mint Music, to all our contractors, Futurpreneur Canada, our coaches, consultants, electricians, engineers, neighbors, and to everyone who encouraged us to keep going, a tremendous thank you goes out to *all* of you. I believe in other places I’ve acknowledged all of those dozens of people more specifically and will continue to in daily life. However, I want to write some particular acknowledgments to the absolute lynchpins of the operation here – those that, from which, everything else happened. To Glen Alan, our core consultant: A billion thank yous for going and keeping your word to us when life made it a daunting task to keep helping out – I am so tremendously grateful to have had your guidance, and your willingness and trust that we will treat your equipment well. Above all else, I just want to thank you for being you, and for believing in Bryn & I.

We'll add Bryn's wine glass in later in post ;) 

Of course Bryn Scott-Grimes: my multi-business partner, music brother, housemate, personal trainer, realist, surrealist, and one talented mofo: Like I said before, just a bottomless thanks for being in my life, believing in me when it felt like nobody else did, and persisting all these years with me. You throw around the word destiny a lot lately, and I feel it too when it comes to this studio, and our friendship. It obviously surpasses words when you’ve been to hell and back with someone. We’ve been through so much, but really all it comes down to, for now at least, is thank you, and I’m damn curious to see what boss battles we face next on the road to Massey Hall.

Finally, I’d just like to thank my parents, who finally got to see the studio the other night: Thank you for nurturing my ambitions, and giving me space to explore them. Thank you for your understanding – for giving me shelter, food, support. Thank you for giving me life.

Thank you all. The cane is pulling me off the stage. Book a session today and see what we can do for you!

- T.A

My parents, after getting to see the studio finished for the first time.

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