Rewind offers home for aspiring artists

Aaron Chandler, the owner of Rewind, a Bloomington recording studio and music school, is a former IU student who always knew he wanted to be a musician.

Today, he uses Rewind to help other aspiring artists hone their skills, one of his current students being a 9-year-old electric guitarist.

“Up a string,” Chandler said to the boy during his lesson Tuesday. “There it is.”

He paid careful attention as the student played, offering advice and encouragement along the way.

“Music takes a lot of commitment,” he said. “You can’t half-ass it.”

Thirty-one-year-old Chandler has been a musician for more than half his life. After first picking up a guitar in his early teenage years and playing throughout high school, he joined a band in Nashville, Tenn., at age 18. He came to know pop star Katy Perry, who worked in Nashville in the early stages of her career.

“I had a big crush on her at the time,” he said jokingly.

Chandler eventually enrolled in the Indiana University School of Music, now known as the Jacobs School of Music. He came close to finishing his degree but dropped out during his senior year when he was given the opportunity to record an album.

“I never cared about getting a degree anyway because I knew I wanted to be a musician,” he said.

While recording the album, he taught guitar at the now-closed Smith-Holden Music in downtown Bloomington until opening Rewind in March 2010.

“Our goal is to help local artists get their music out there and to help them reach their potential as musicians,” Chandler said.

Rewind hosted several live shows during its first year but eventually had to stop due to a lack of space. To combat the lack of performances, Chandler built a soundproof recording studio that now hosts several bands per week as they record both demos and full-length albums.

He also started an independent record label, Rewind Records, in summer 2011 to help kickstart local bands who wouldn’t normally be able to afford recording.

“We take a promising young artist from Bloomington, give them a recording contact and let them record for free,” Chandler said.

Bands that have released albums on Rewind Records include Elephant Quiz and Forest Rambler, among others.

When the staff at Rewind isn’t dealing with the recording studio, they aim to help people of all ages become better musicians through music lessons.

Ben Fowler has worked at Rewind since its inception and currently teaches drums. He encourages a collaborative environment and helps kids form “School of Rock”-type bands.

“I love helping kids learn songs together and learn about songs that they like,” he said. “It’s a really empowering thing to see.”

As for the future, Fowler said he would like to see more momentum behind the things already taking place at Rewind.

“I feel really good about what’s happening,” he said. “There’s a lot of good going on here.”

Follow Jacobs School of Music reporter Rachel Osman on Twitter @rachosman.