Peekskill Rotary Club Helps PHS Students Find Their Sound with New Recording Studio

Recording studio with speakers, keyboard, and sound dashboard.

At the Rotary Club of Peekskill, we believe in opening doors to new opportunities for the next generation. We are constantly seeking impactful ways to invest in our students and provide them with the tools they need to explore their passions. That's why we are incredibly proud to announce our role in bringing a state-of-the-art recording studio to Peekskill High School!

This fantastic project was made possible by a $14,500 donation from the Peekskill Rotary Club, which provided the essential technology to transform the high school’s chorus room into a professional recording environment.

The Driving Force Behind Our Initiative

Richard Swann and Adrienne LaValley holding the recording studio plaque.
A special acknowledgement must go to our past President, Richard Swann (2023-2024) and a Peekskill High School graduate in 1991 and President-elect Adrienne LaValley — a voiceover artist —, who were the driving force behind this initiative. It was Richard's vision and dedication that set this project in motion. He saw it as a powerful way to connect with students who might be looking for alternative avenues for success and to create a space that could both inspire creativity and teach valuable technical skills. Adrienne's professional contact, Liam Wade from Form + Future shopped and priced what would be needed for a high-quality recording environment suitable for educational purposes, including all the necessary equipment, cabling, and accessories.

Thanks to the collaboration between the Peekskill Rotary Club, the Peekskill City School District, and the Peekskill Education Foundation, that vision is now a reality. The studio is fully equipped with everything students need to produce their own music.

Superintendent of Schools Dr. David Mauricio, a long-time Rotarian himself, noted that this studio could be "the launch of amazing careers for our students and open up new horizons that they may have not known existed".

The Peekskill Rotary Club is honored to have funded a project that was so passionately championed by one of our own. We can't wait to hear the incredible music and creative projects that Peekskill students will produce in their new studio for years to come.

Peekskill Rotarian pose for ribbon cutting.
From left to right; Dr. David Mauricio, Peter Goodale, Richard Swann, Chris Calabrese, Tony Washington, Marisol Jimenez and Marie Greene