Silver Moon Sound is a Wheelchair-Accessible Recording Studio.
We strive to be the most accessible recording studio in Santa Cruz, in California, and beyond...
Physical Accessibility
- The studio has an entrance with a wheelchair-friendly ramp.
- The entire recording space is navigable in a wheelchair.
- Wheelchair-accessible restroom available.
- There are both indoor and outdoor areas for lying down to rest.
Sensory Accessibility
- Professional recording studios are inherently quiet.
- Studio lighting is dimmable and of a soft-white hue.
Clean-Air Accessibility
- The building has MERV-16 filters with approximately 5-6 air changes per hour.
- CO2 readings in the 500s-600s ppm, displayed by an Aranet CO2 meter in the studio.
- The Engineer wears an N95 respirator at all times when clients are present.
- Additional air purifiers are run on high for half an hour between clients.
- Scheduling as the first client of the day is available upon request.
- The engineer will run a PCR-grade COVID and/or flu test the day of your recording session upon request and send a photo of the results.
Why does accessibility matter in a studio?
One in four Americans has some form of disability. Most of these are non-apparent or invisible disabilities such as chronic illnesses, mental health conditions, and autism or neurodiversity. In other words, you can't tell by looking at most people whether or not they have a disability.
There are many musicians with disabilities who need a place to record that's built with their needs in mind. Most studio owners aren't aware of this need and make accessibility an afterthought at best. Silver Moon Sound aims to show that a top-tier recording studio can be an accessible studio. We are proud to not only be a wheelchair-accessible recording studio, but also a studio that prioritizes clean-air accessibility.
Clean-air accessibility benefits both non-disabled and disabled clients alike. Poorly ventilated spaces lead to fatigue, decreased performance, and easier spread of viruses. Due to the acoustic challenges required to make an HVAC system sufficiently quiet, many recording studios are poorly ventilated. On the other hand, Silver Moon Sound has excellent ventilation, ensuring a space where everyone can breathe easy, feel refreshed, and stay healthy.
Does Silver Moon Sound have a special connection with disability and accessibility?
In 2019, owner Shelby Lock became a wheelchair user after acquiring a virus that triggered a neuroimmune disease. She soon discovered that she could not even get a foot in the door––literally––in many recording studios. Undeterred, she established herself in the industry as a mix engineer working remotely in her own Virginia studio, racking up nearly 200 credits since her illness.
Five years later, Shelby relocated to California and founded her wheelchair-accessible Santa Cruz recording studio Silver Moon Sound, vowing to build it from the ground up with accessibility at the forefront.
Shelby has used her experiences to become an outspoken advocate for accessibility in the music industry and beyond. She has been a guest speaker on disability inclusion at institutions such as the Audio Engineering Society, the John F. Kennedy Center, the Virginia Legislature, and more.