The Community Synth Studio is a free, open studio where people can book time to use a collection of synthesizers and other electronic music equipment. It is open to all levels of experience, and the instruments are set up and ready to use during studio hours. You can use your session to patch a modular system from scratch, follow up on something you learned in a class, practice with an instrument, or work on your own music and sound projects. Carolyn Zaldivar Snow, our studio manager, is on site during studio hours to answer questions and help with the equipment.

STUDIO HOURS

Tuesdays, 3 to 6pm
Wednesdays, 3 to 9pm
Thursdays, 3 to 6pm

The studio opens Wednesday, October 21 and runs through Thursday, December 17, 2026. It is closed the week of Thanksgiving, Tuesday, November 24 through Thursday, November 26.

BEFORE YOUR FIRST SESSION

To use the studio, you first need to attend a studio orientation or an intro-level class. You can also spend the first 30 minutes of your first session as your orientation. After you sign up, you’ll receive an FAQ with the studio protocols, and you’ll sign a user agreement, waiver, and code of conduct.

HOW TO BOOK

To book, fill out the booking form.

Booking Form – Coming Soon

You can book in half-hour segments, up to two hours at a time, at least one week before your preferred time. Please allow 48 hours for us to get back to you. Studio time is not confirmed until you receive a confirmation email.

QUESTIONS

Questions? Email SoundLab@bowerbird.org.

ABOUT THE STUDIO MANAGER

Carolyn Zaldivar Snow (she/her) is a field recordist and journalist whose work explores the textures of tape, water, and place. Her sound installations have been presented in museums and universities, as well as in more ephemeral settings—abandoned chocolate factories, geodesic domes, and overgrown Victorian gardens. Carolyn helps shape conversations around sound, and contributes to Tape Op magazine, Mystery Circles’ editorial pages, and The Tonearm writing about recording, listening, and the spaces in between. Dividing her time between Washington D.C. and Philadelphia, Carolyn co-directs Sound Scene at Smithsonian’s Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden. She recently released on Germany’s I U WE records, and considers eurorack modular systems her primary instrument.

ADDITIONAL LOCATION INFO

From October through December 2026, our Neighborhood Sound Lab will be located in AMLA Studios on the first floor (lower level) of Esperanza Arts Center, in the Hunting Park neighborhood of North Philadelphia. The street address is 4261 N. 5th Street, but the entrance is on Bristol Street, near the corner of 5th and Bristol. Enter through Esperanza’s main doors.

Parking. Free parking is available on the Esperanza campus. The lot is on Bristol Street between North 3rd and North 5th Streets, at 4th and Bristol.

Public transit. Esperanza is on SEPTA bus routes 47, 53, and 4. For the 53, get off at 5th and Hunting Park. For the 47, get off at 5th and Bristol. For the 4, get off at 9th and Hunting Park.

ABOUT AMLA

Artístas y Músicos Latinoamericanos (AMLA) seeks to promote the development, dissemination, and understanding of Latin music and culture throughout Philadelphia and the Delaware Valley. AMLA is based at Esperanza Arts Center in Hunting Park, North Philadelphia. For more info, visit amla.org.

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Major support for NEIGHBORHOOD SOUND LAB has been provided by the William Penn Foundation with additional support from The Presser Foundation.