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Village Squire, 1978-12, Page 7When it comes to music, country and western music anyway, there aren't too many faces in Western Ontario more familiar than Ernie King's. For 23 years he has been a familiar part of the local music scene as host of the CKNX television show Circle 8 Ranch. Now he's getting out of performing and he wants to help other people with their music. The latest step in that direction came in November when he opened his new music shop in Wingham complete with a 16 channel, eight track recording studio in the basement. "I've had the idea since I started the store," he says as he sits on a stool in the basement studio. "I felt that as I was slowing down myself in music, I would like to devote some time myself to amateurs. At the time 1 was running the store I got acquainted with a lot of musicians and saw some of them come in and buy guitars or whatever and they were really interested in music in general. writing their own songs and so on. A lot of them used to come to me, and still do, asking "Where can I get help in this area, where can I get my songs published, where can I get some sort of (copyright) protection, this kind of thing so then 1 figured. well why not tape." So after five years of dreaming, the studio is now a reality. It came about after a move by Ernie from his old location of the Ernie King Music Centre farther south on Josephine Street (the main street) in Wingham to the old Berean Chapel at the north end of the main business district. Today the business office of the Centre is where the minister once stood in the pulpit and guitars. sheet music, electric amplifiers and other musical paraphernalia take up the place the parishioners once occupied. Downstairs is the current pride and joy, however. Even though there is still work to be done in the studio to finish it off already it has blossomed into a popular spot. Several _jingles have been recorded for use on radio and other bookings have been made as far ahead as the new year. Although the place was planned originally for semi-professional use, local professionals such as Richard Knechtel of Hanover have shown a good deal of interest and recording sessions for complete albums are now scheduled. When the shop was opened in its original location, Ernie says, he had full intensions of having a room where recording could be done but "the studio today has got to be bigger than it started out to be. 1 think maybe it's just maybe times, like you start out to buy,a stereo and unless you decide I'm going to spend x amount of bucks and that's all I'm going to spend' you usually end up with something better than you intended to buy. What happened with the studio was that I was going to start with a four track strictly amateur studio. I started doing some researching, looking around at prices and so on and I came up with a pretty good deal with_Teac and that's what made the difference in us buying an eight -track studio instead of a four. The microphones would have been the same, all play -back equipment would have been the same. (he only difference is the eight track versus the four. So we went for the eight track instead of the four. "Then speaking to a lot of musicians from the area they said 'well Erne. I've got a four track at home'. a two -track or four track just for their own benefit at home. So then 1 got thinking about it a lot more. then 1 got some friends like Ken Ducharme in on it. Kenny and I discussed it further and he got interested in it so now he's helping out in the studio. Then I've got Harry Busby. as well." Mr. Busby is an electronics repairman for a local television service company and he now works part time as the engineer in the studio. The studio is definitely a part-time operation. Ernie depends on his music shop for his bread and butter and the recording studio is a part-time effort. Mr. Ducharme is in real estate and spends his spare time in the studio doing the mixing. All are musicians as well as having their regular jobs and working in the studio. "But the real idea for the studio in the begining was to promote music in this area because 1 felt if 1 promoted the music and kept it alive then it would keep my business alive. It will reward me in kids saving 'well. if 1 learn to play the guitar 1 can go on further in my o.+n little hone town.' If you don't do that it 1 FIVE FURNITURE • PAINTS CARPETS • WALLCOVERINGS Robert L. Plumsteel Interiors DECORATING PHONE 527-0902 SEAFORTH LONG CHRISTMAS LIST? �w s s Sl`� s 1 LET US HELP YOU FILL IT! SEE Our selection of chairs including swivel & platform rockers in various colours and fabrics. We will hold for Christmas. We have over 10 years experience in interior design. December 1918, Village Squire 5 1