WDBJ7: Grammy Nominated Songwriter Gives Back to His Hometown High School.

Written by Jean Jadhon for WDBJ7

wdbj7.com/Grammy-nominated-songwriter-brings-music-to-his-hometown-high-school

Bringing the music home. Grammy-nominated songwriter Ross Copperman is doing just that. 

The seed was planted last year when Glenvar High School Theatre Director Steve Franco brought a group of students to visit Copperman's Nashville studio. "The process seemed so foreign to everyone because not everyone gets to go behind the curtain and see how this works," said Copperman. "And I thought gosh I would have given anything to have access to a studio when I was in high school." 

"The kids were like 'Man this is amazing. I wish we could do this,'" said F. Reid Shippen, Grammy-winning producer and sound engineer. "Ross said 'You can.'" 

Copperman took the idea to the Academy of Country Music Lifting Lives Board. "I said I know this is a crazy idea but I want to build a studio in my high school," Copperman said.

Students will be able to work on writing and tracking songs. Teachers can record podcasts. Microphones are wired into the band room that will allow recordings of a larger group. "The marching band will be able to record themselves," Copperman said. "If they do a Christmas program they can record it and put it out or they can record it and listen back and work on how to improve."

"If you dream it you'll be able to do it in there," Copperman said.