About

The Outer Ear Sessions (OES) at Experimental Sound Studio (ESS) is a pilot program providing free recording studio access to 20+ Chicago-based artists each year for the next two years. Awarded sessions are 6 hours, with an option to add additional hours at a discounted rate.

Goals:

1. Increase accessibility to professional recording services, opening up space for artistic experimentation.
2. Gather data, insights, and experience to feed further strategies towards building better economic systems and artist-centric approaches to the distribution of performed work.

The juried program accepts artists from all genres and career stages who are working to push the boundaries of their practice, leveling the playing field for working Chicago artists city-wide.

ESS’s expertise and mission focuses on artists experimenting in their respective genres and fields. Proposals that highlight exploratory approaches to artistic practices are encouraged. We acknowledge that the idea of “experimental” can manifest in many different ways and we are excited to work across the broadest possible application of that concept.

Fall Cycle Timeline:

June 1: Applications Open
July 1, midnight: Applications due
July 31: Award Notification
August 1-December 15, 2026: Sessions take place within this time period

Applicants that were not accepted in the first round are invited to reapply in the second round. To resubmit your Spring Cycle application with no changes, please contact olivia@ess.org.

1. I live in or near the City of Chicago and can get myself (and my group, if applicable) to Experimental Sound Studio (5925 N. Ravenswood Ave., Chicago, IL 60660) for an in-person session (you will be able to ask for transportation funding later in the application).
2. I work with sound as an artistic medium and understand that Outer Ear Sessions are intended for artists working on a sonic art or music recording project.
3. My session will take place between August 1-December 15, 2026.
4. As part of the OES pilot, ESS collects information from participating artists to learn how improved studio access supports creative work and to improve future offerings. All selected artists are invited to complete short surveys before, during, and after their studio sessions. Evaluation participation is voluntary, will not affect the number of studio hours you receive, and all individual responses will remain confidential. ESS may share summarized or anonymous findings publicly as part of a program report or white paper.
5. I understand that sessions are scheduled within the context of engineer and studio availability—some flexibility may be required.

Definitions for the purpose of this application:

1. ARTIST: applicants may be solo artists, bands, or project-specific groups
2. SESSION: 6 engineered hours at Experimental Sound Studio (5925 N. Ravenswood Ave., Chicago), which can be used for recording, mixing, or mastering. 
   
   The 6 awarded hours will be scheduled all on one day. Some exceptions may apply.
   
   Sessions include one 30-minute consultation session with an ESS engineer before the in-studio session.
   
   Additional hours up to 6 hours towards the project proposed in this application may be added at a discounted rate of $50/hour. Subsequent hours are charged at the normal studio rate of $80/hour.

Selection process:
Artists for the Spring Cycle will be selected by July 31, 2026 for sessions taking place between August 1-December 15, 2026.

Applications are selected by a panel of ESS staff and local Chicago artists. Applications are evaluated on the clarity of: 

• The artistic vision
• Use of the time and resources
• Impact on practice, project, and/or career

We encourage applications from artists working across all genres of music and sonic art, and from all backgrounds and career stages. No previous recording experience is required.

As part of the Outer Ear Sessions (OES) pilot, ESS is collecting data from artists to understand how improved studio access impacts their careers and creative process, and to inform future program improvements. Your participation in this survey is completely voluntary. You may skip any questions you prefer not to answer.

These questions are used for program evaluation only. They are NOT used by the review panel to score or rank your application.

ESS may use summarized, anonymous data in reports or public materials (for example, to describe the overall applicant pool). Your individual responses will not be shared publicly. All data will be deleted once the evaluation is complete.

If you have any questions about this evaluation, please contact Kelsey McFalls at kelsey@experimentalsoundstudio.org.

Please skip any questions you'd prefer not to answer. If you've previously applied to OES and already completed this survey, or prefer to skip it, please scroll past the survey and click "Submit" at the bottom of this form.

Thank you for helping us better understand—and so better serve—the Chicago music and sonic arts community!