2026 School Band Experience
Do You Want A Great Recording Experience for Your Students?
We’re Giving Away Over $20,000 worth of recording so that your students can have a life changing moment!
You have until 5/31/26 to enter our great giveaway only available to student bands. You can win a Grand Prize recording grant valued at $20,000.
Includes:
2 Full Days in a Professional Recording Studio at Catamount Recording in Cedar Falls, IA
7 Editing/Mixing Days
All Lodging Paid For
Free Mastering
*In addition to the Grand Prize winner, We will also be giving out 25 partial grants!
* 2 Full Days in the StudioYou will receive enough time to record a full length album in the same studio where many top jazz albums have been made over the past 40 years.
* 5 Free Editing / Mixing DaysOur team will make you sound the best your band has ever imagined sounding. Your band will come to life in our studio. The band does not have to be present for this part
* All Lodging Paid ForWe provide up to 20 double bed rooms for the duration of the recording
* Free MasteringWhen the album is complete, you will also receive a free mastering session to complete the album!
One School. One Big Moment. A Gift That Could Change Everything.
Catamount Recording is giving away a $20,000 studio experience to one lucky school band — and it will not cost your school a single dollar.
There is something magical about a school music program. Every day, kids show up. They pick up their instruments. They practice. They get better. They learn to be a team. Little by little, they make music that fills a room with joy.
If you run one of these programs, you already know. You know how hard your students work. You know the look on a student's face when everything finally clicks. You know how music can change a young person's life.
"Most school music programs never get to record in a real studio. Not because the kids aren't good enough. The reason is simple: the money just isn't there."
A Dream Most Students Never Get
Think about what happens when a band walks into a world-class studio. The engineers. The microphones. The warm, quiet rooms built just for music. For most students, this is only something they see on TV.
Catamount Recording has been one of those studios. Over the past 40 years, some of the greatest jazz albums ever made were recorded right there. Real legends. Real music. Real history.
Now, Catamount wants to open those doors to your students.
The 2026 School Band Experience Grant
Catamount Recording is giving away a $20,000 grant to one school band. The winning school pays nothing. There is no catch.
Your students would come to the studio. They would work with real engineers. They would hear their music played back like they have never heard it before. They would leave with a real recording — something they can keep forever.
For a lot of students, this could be the moment that makes them fall in love with music for life. That is not a small thing. That is everything.
Good for Students. Great for Your School.
When word gets out that your school's band recorded at a legendary studio — that spreads. Parents notice. Students notice. New students start to think, "I want to be part of that program."
This is not just a recording. It is a story. It is proof that your program is something special. It can help you recruit new students and help your school shine in ways that last for years.
"Your students deserve a moment that shows them how far music can take them."
Your Students Deserve This
We know how much you give to your students every single day. We know you fight for your program. We know the budget meetings are tough.
You should not have to miss out on something this big just because of money. That is exactly why this grant exists.
This is what your band can look and sound like!
