Ryan Deffet Studio Scholarship Application

About
The Ryan Deffet Studio Scholarship provides free, engineered recording studio time to a group or musician working in the Chicagoland area. This Scholarship furthers Ryan’s legacy of creativity, generosity, and collaboration.

The goal of this initiative is to meet artists where they are in a recording project, giving them the time, space, and professional resources to complete production on a discrete project.

Artists may request anywhere from a single 8-hour day session, to a full 5-day (40 hour) investment, in which they could record, mix, and/or master a complete album. Proposals should consider what timeline will have the most impact on their project.

This juried opportunity is targeted to creative, passionate musicians and soundmakers whose project will be positively impacted by being able to work within a recording studio.

Timeline:

One artist/group will be awarded this opportunity in 2026.

May 11: Applications open
June 1: Application deadline
June 8: Awardee notified
June 15-December 15: Session(s) must be scheduled during this time period

Eligibility

Please read the statements below to confirm your eligibility.
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
2. My session will take place between June 8-December 15, 2026
3. I understand that sessions are scheduled within the context of engineer and studio availability—some flexibility may be required.
I have read the statements above and agree that I am eligible for the program to the best of my understanding.

Application
Overview:

Applicants may be solo artists, bands, or project-specific groups

Applicants may apply for anywhere between one day (8 hours) to five days (40 hours) in the Experimental Sound Studio recording studio (5925 N. Ravenswood Ave., Chicago) with a professional engineer. Time can be spent recording, mixing, or mastering. Proposed amount of time and use of time should align with your project needs, with the ultimate goal of moving production forward in a meaningful way.

Selected projects will also receive one 30-minute consultation session with an ESS engineer before the in-studio session.

Selection process:

Artists for the 2026 Sponsorship will be selected by June 8, 2026 by a panel of ESS staff and members of Ryan Deffet’s community.

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 from all backgrounds and career stages. No previous recording experience is required.
Name

First NameLast Name
Email
example@example.com
Phone Number
Please enter a valid phone number.Format: (000) 000-0000.
Artist or Group Name
If different from name above.
Number of artists attending this session
Instrumentation
Project Description: What is your project? How much time are you hoping to spend in the studio (you can propose anywhere from 1-5 days)? How do you plan to use that time in the studio (e.g. recording, mixing, mastering, etc)?

Limit 3000 characters0/3000
Why is this opportunity a good fit for your project and how does this session help realize your project?
Why is this project important to you or unique in the larger landscape? Why this, why now?
What is the end goal for this project and what timeline do you plan to follow?
Please link an example of work from the past five years. Does not need to be high quality documentation.
Note: this should give us some feel of the type of work you might be working on in the studio
Is there equipment, instruments, or technical needs that your project requires, but that you are not able to provide? Please list here.
Note: ESS has a selection of guitar/bass amplifiers, drum kits, a baby grand piano, and a collection of keyboards and synthesizers.
Is there anything else you hope to gain from this opportunity or anything else you would like to tell us?
Should be Empty:

About

Timeline:

Eligibility

Application

Overview:

Selection process: