SugarHill Studios Helping Houston's Music Community Heal

Two types of people walk into a music studio after a natural disaster, says Dan Workman, president of SugarHill Recording Studios. There are the types of musicians who are so inspired by the tragedy that they dig deep and pull songs out about it.

Then there are the musicians who just want to be of service, maybe like the guys who are offering free verses like Lil B.

They want to help out, record things for a charitable cause. Of course, the charitable stride is strong right now, Workman says, with folks like Clay Melton holding benefit shows and giving away CDs to support Harvey relief.

For his part, though, Workman has put out a call saying people can call up SugarHill for support with any musical projects. “We are willing to work with whatever they have,” he says. Workman is not giving away free studio time, he explains, but offering support for the music community here in Houston that was affected by the floods caused by Harvey.

“As life starts to find its own gentle rhythm again and Buffalo Bayou recedes back into its banks, then we’re going to have a lot of recording to do,” Workman adds.

He’s been around long enough to have lived through his share of Houston hurricanes. But he says the experience with Harvey stands out. “It will be a common bond for a long time,” he says. “This thing will be a part of our shared history for the rest of our lives.”

Workman said his home wasn’t impacted too badly, nothing compared with what they went through with Ike. He feels lucky. Giving back through his music business seemed like the right thing to do, after he reached out to help two friends who lost some of their recording equipment to water damage.

Workman hopes to help his friends and community heal by helping them make their music.

“Music is a group experience, it’s unifying.”