Students Compose, Record, and Produce Albums

Composing and recording original music is a mysterious and often transformative process. Making a finished recording usually requires a blend of inspiration, determination and fearlessness. It also provides the creator the opportunity to experience the joys that come from sticking with a task to produce a refined and edited finished product. It also encourages the producer to view one's own work both subjectively and objectively. Although it's always great to reach the point where a finished work is completed, the process of composing and recording might be it's own greatest reward.  Creating music is one of those rare activities where passion and rising to the challenge of the task overlap. It is not uncommon for a musically-inclined student who has struggled with focusing to be completely absorbed in a way that dissolves time and completely engages their attention in a way that they have not experienced before.

Many of our students have written, recorded, and released full albums while others have learned the ins and outs of digital recording and the joys of selfless collaboration. Our focus is not all about releasing cd's, but rather learning, having fun, collaborating with other musicians, and growing as people and musicians. We rarely encourage students to focus on music as a career goal but more as a way to begin using the creative process as a way toward creating a successful and fulfilling life. There are many other students who aren't mentioned below who have had great success writing and recording music with us.  

The following are albums students were written and produced while at Pathways Abroad. All are available for previewing and purchasing on Itunes. To listen to some of these tracks, go to our Music Page or click on the student profiles on the right sidebar.

Zack Slavkin (Kinack) - Ondas 

Zack was very determined and knew just the kind of sound and style he was aiming for, a unique blend of acoustic  and electronic melodies with electronic percussion.  Zack traveled with us to Spain, Argentina, and Chile, and he impressed us everywhere he went with his work ethic and willingness to enjoy his surroundings fully. His album has been reviewed to positive reviews by several magazines. Now Zack  attending Colorado State University . We're wishing Zack the best and hoping to hear more music from him soon.  

Justin Fink (Flowers) - Ready for Love 

Most of Justin's songs are based on straight forward guitar progressions with great drumming. He transformed these original progressions into unique gems with his catchy melodies, colorful voice, and knack for great lyrics. This is  truly an original and compelling album. Justin is currently in film school in Chicago.  

Rene Orth  - Freedom in the Desert 

Rene was a classically trained pianist and violinist who discovered her talent for singing while at Pathways Abroad in Argentina. She wanted to learn how to compose and produce original music at Pathways, and the results were astonishing and refreshing.

Sam Alderson  - Yellow Rose

Sam follows the mold of many great folk singer-songwriters. He took pride in keeping his lyrics personal, focusing on the people he had met and the places where he has lived. Sam was careful to keep his music as raw and natural sounding as possible. Sam did an incredible job helping design the the graphics for his album cover.  Sam was with us in Bariloche, Argentina and Chile.

Tango Guerrillas  - Electro

Pathways Abroad director, Rich Simpson and his son Matt, wrote most of this album. They produced it while living in Mendoza, Argentina. The songs feature a blend of classically-based tango instrumentation and electronica. Pathways student, Doug Peach, wrote and produced one of the songs. Former Pathways student, Scott Woodruff, also contributed on vocals and helped improve quality of the production. Many Argentine musician friends are also featured on the album, including our close friend Juan Pablo Jofré, a bandoneón player who is now one of the most well-known players in New York! Several Argentine vocalists made great contributions to the album, singing in Spanish.

Pathways Abroad - Sound Harvest

This album was released in 2008 and is a compilation of the music that Pathways Abroad students and staff produced while in Mendoza, Argentina between 2007 and 2009. It features music from Connor Murphy, Rene Orth, Doug Peach, Justin Fink, Nate Roleff, Matt Simpson, Scott Woodruff, and Rich Simpson.   

Josh Robbins - Tales From The Imagination
Josh, who became affectionately know as ,"El Hoshpo", while in Chile, was the most prolific of all of our students. A top-notch drummer, Josh quickly learned to add all sorts of instrumentation to his creations. He recorded enough material to fill close to 4 albums in the 10 months that he was with us. Josh was a generous collaborator who was always willing to accept ideas and contributions from others.

Nate Roleff - Self-Titled

Nate's music is fun and original, with a feel that combines elements of blues, jazz, and reggae. Nate is also a bold singer and lyricist who sounded quite a bit older and more sophisticated than a boy of 16.  When Nate's talents in playing and singing met with the producing skills of Pathways Abroad staff Scott and Rich, Nate's album evolved smoothly. In addition to completing High School course work and recording his music while he was with us in Mendoza, Argentina, Nate also took tango lessons and became a graceful tango dancer.