The SENSES Project provides students with the equipment, instruction and space for self-exploration through audio production. Its goals are to enhance students鈥� sense of belonging, help them build marketable skills and foster a more inclusive community.
Heading down into the basement of Steele Hall, you鈥檒l find students coming and going from Room 001. Some are gathered in a lounge area, one likely controlling the aux on a TV, while others are in DJ or DIY recording booths or working on computers equipped with digital audio workstations. It鈥檚 the , a music and podcast production space intent on creating a more inclusive community around creativity.
SENSES (Studying an Environment that Nurtures Self-Exploration in Students) launched in summer 2021 as an initiative to teach sound recording to 51爆料网 students in the Arthur O. Eve聽聽(HEOP) and聽聽(SSS). These programs鈥攑art of the School of Education鈥檚 鈥攕erve underrepresented and聽first-generation students. Now open to all students regardless of major or experience level, the audio lab is led by Amy Messersmith, HEOP/SSS associate director, and Nick Piato, SENSES program coordinator.
A 鈥淪ENSE鈥� of Belonging
Members and leaders of the SENSES lab at the release party for their Valentine鈥檚 Day album, HEART/BREAK. They have also produced three other thematic albums since launching the lab.
鈥淭he SENSES lab has been a home away from home for me鈥攁 place where people can come in and be their true authentic selves and explore any and all artistic interests,鈥� says Samantha Vallejos 鈥�25, a member of the lab.
Vallejos鈥攁 triple major in law, society and policy; political philosophy; and political science at the 鈥攃ame to Syracuse as a first-generation student from Colorado with the intention of going to law school and becoming a defense attorney someday. 鈥淚鈥檓 passionate about rehabilitation over incarceration,鈥� she says, 鈥渁nd I鈥檝e been able to integrate that into my education.鈥�
She joined SENSES her first year and since then has helped the lab become a registered student organization (RSO) and created a few podcasts, one where she talks with other first-generation students about their shared experiences as students of color or students from low-income families.
鈥淚t has really helped me to find a sense of belonging here,鈥� Vallejos says.
Through helping SENSES become an RSO, Vallejos says she鈥檚 learned skills that will help her with her future goals. 鈥淚鈥檝e learned a little bit more of the bureaucratic process, how to get things done through the right channels, how to submit budgets,鈥� she says. 鈥淎nd being able to learn these skills and still have the space to grow is important.鈥�
Trying New Things
Marie-Elise Ambroise 鈥�25 agrees with the sentiment that SENSES is a place for growth. Ambroise, a sound recording technology major in the , discovered the audio lab when trying to gain experience in the world of music production. 鈥淢y major is more focused on sound engineering and technical aspects, so SENSES gives me a creative outlet,鈥� she says. 鈥淚鈥檒l go into the lab, sit at this one computer I like, and I鈥檒l just stay there for hours making beats.鈥�
Along with her major, Marie-Elise Ambroise 鈥�25 concentrates on classical voice in the Setnor School of Music and uses SENSES as an opportunity to learn new skills. 鈥淚 will always recognize SENSES as what started me as a producer and as the person I wanted to be,鈥� she says.
Ambroise is an intern and lab assistant at SENSES where she troubleshoots issues with equipment and workstations and helps ideate projects with Piato and other members.
One project concept she came up with was their Valentine鈥檚 Day drop, HEART/BREAK, a split album with side A featuring songs about love and side B featuring songs about loss. Ambroise produced the song 鈥淏e My Partner鈥� for the album.
鈥淚 always knew I wanted to produce, but I never pushed myself to do it,鈥� she says. 鈥淎nd since I started working at SENSES a year ago, it has pushed me in ways I didn鈥檛 even think would be possible鈥攂eing more creative and trusting my own creative intuition. So, now I鈥檓 taking advantage of spaces like SENSES that are helpful and resourceful and outlets for students. And I鈥檓 building from there.鈥�
So far, the SENSES lab has produced where they鈥檝e picked a theme, but there鈥檚 no limit on genre and students aren鈥檛 confined to any specific style鈥攆rom drill beats to indie music, it鈥檚 all welcome.
Emotional and Creative Outlets
Rolando Cabral Custodio 鈥�22, now living in New York City post-graduation, continues to work on his dream of becoming a commercial artist in the music industry.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 the thing about music鈥攊t鈥檚 always collaborative,鈥� says Rolando Cabral Custodio 鈥�22, an alumnus who studied finance in the and information management and technology in the . SENSES started during his senior year, and he says it gave him a sense of fulfillment.
The Manhattan native has been in music all his life鈥攆rom playing violin and piano to learning how to rap鈥攁nd his introduction to SENSES came the day Piato invited him to an informal class at the lab. When he arrived, they told him they were making a song. He asked, 鈥淐an I write the lyrics?鈥� and the rest was history.
鈥淚t became an outlet for me,鈥� Cabral Custodio says. 鈥淓specially for emotions I had about other things going on in my life.鈥�
Cabral Custodio went on to create an EP for a senior capstone project, titled The Senior Year, and he contributed to their summer 2023 collaborative album, A SENSES Summer. He also produced a few podcasts during his time with SENSES, including one with the Rev. Brian Konkol, dean of Hendricks Chapel.
鈥淚 had a background in music, but I never felt like I could be an artist,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 wanted to be a businessman, the CEO of my own company, but SENSES showed me I could be an artist too, and now I want to create my own media company in the future.鈥�
Support for SENSES
As for the future of the SENSES Project, the students hope for expansion and increased funding for instruments and equipment, and they want to grow their media presence.
鈥淓verything we do here is free to students,鈥� says Vallejos, who has seen fellow students come in with no audio background and grow into experienced artists. 鈥淪ENSES is such an important and unique space to have on campus.鈥�
And for many students, SENSES is a safe space to learn, make mistakes and do so within a tightknit community.
鈥淲orking in SENSES has instilled more confidence in my musical ability,鈥� Ambroise says. 鈥淎nd, most importantly, it has rewarded me with so many meaningful relationships.鈥�
