Macon Magazine

D E C E M B E R / J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 0 | MACONMAGAZINE.COM 47 "He jumped in fully, ready to help, and without his expertise I think it would've been a real struggle," says Underwood. The studio has been outfitted with a custom-made console by API, whose original soundboard was central to the Capricorn sound. API, like Capricorn, is also celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. In October, Ivey and Mercer's Larry Brumley showed off the impressive new gear at an Audio Engineering Society convention in New York. "Tons of people were ooh-ing and aah- ing over that board," says Brumley. "Our charge to our studio advisers was: If we're gonna do this, let's do it right, let's put in equipment that'll draw the best of the best. And people in the business have told us that there isn't an artist in the world who wouldn't record on that board." Capricorn will have a full staff. Wes Griffith and Rob Evans will be managing operations, with Evans at the helm as chief engineer, but artists will be able to bring in their own engineers if they prefer. "The incubator space is the most important space, in my opinion, because I'm hopeful that this project will facilitate a more robust local music culture," says Underwood. "I hope that one day the next Otis Redding will come out of one of those practice rooms in the incubator. I want to see them full, 24 hours a day, with young people determined to make great music. That kind of musical energy downtown will benefit the whole community. "I'm hoping that young people will love the music coming out of the new Capricorn as much as I love the music that came out of there in 1969. Do I think there'll be hip-hop artists in the incubator? I hope so. Do I hope they'll be recording in the historic studio and the new digital studio? I do, I hope so. In fact, I hope there'll be some genre we've never heard of before that gets its start in there." TRUE COMMUNITY EFFORT Jared Wright, a Macon-based curator and archivist who has worked with the Georgia Music Hall of Fame, the Big House and the Otis Redding Foundation, has been deeply involved with this project for almost a decade. In 2012, NewTown Macon commissioned a study from Wright with recommendations for how to best utilize this important-yet- confounding space they'd just acquired. His impressive interpretive plan bounced around a bit as the building changed hands, finally landing on the desk of Brumley when Mercer took ownership. Now, Wright serves as Mercer's project liaison to Riggs Ward Design, the company hired to install the Capricorn Museum's exhibits, artifacts and digital kiosks. "One of the hardest things about this work is deciding what makes it in, what will tell the story," Wright says. "I worked my way around this by designing this digital interactive interface. You'll get the story through text, objects and photos when you're in the actual space, but I've been able to upload all kinds of other material, so if you want to deep-dive into pretty much anything, you'll be able to – like a choose-your-own-adventure. You'll be able to digitally pull out records, read liner notes, click on someone's name to see what other projects they were involved in. "There aren't a lot of places where you can get info about Capricorn; I didn't realize this until I started digging around. A lot of this music was previously available only on tape or LP and hasn't made its way onto streaming services, so being able to listen to it in that space is really nice." Several other Maconites are proudly working to revive the magic of Capricorn. Architect Bob Brown, president of BTBB Inc., has had a hand in many impressive renovation projects downtown. He has been working with Capricorn for several years and is truly devoted to honoring the history of the structures he works with. "If I find an old photograph that gives me a key to what something might have looked like in the '70s in the studio, I'm all over that," he says. Under Brown's guidance, the building façade, featuring four distinct storefronts, also has been beautifully restored to its original look. Interior designer Carrie Robinson of Robinson Home worked closely with Brown to seamlessly convey the authentic '70s vibe of Capricorn's heyday with her design choices. The color scheme for the project involves "a lot of browns, warm tones and a rusty orange – which gives a nod to Mercer – with a little gold and a little burgundy as well," says Robinson. Artist Michael Pierce, friend to original Capricorn artists like the Marshall Tucker Band and Jimmy Hall, has been able to complete his abstract mural on Capricorn's back wall while also restoring his interior artwork on the walls of what will now be the music incubator. "I'm proud of the fact that so many people have come together and contributed their time, energy, talent and resources to make this happen," says Underwood. "It really has been a community effort. It's been fun to see, and fun to be a part of. There's nothing like Capricorn in the United States, and there's nothing quite like downtown Macon in Georgia right now." 'MACON'S STORY ISN'T DONE YET' "I have so many family memories at Capricorn," says Jessica Walden. "Seeing it transformed takes my breath away. I love that the murals were preserved – if you look very closely, there are some magic marker drawings I did in first grade. When the mural was being painted, "I'M HOPING THAT YOUNG PEOPLE WILL LOVE THE MUSIC COMING OUT OF THE NEW CAPRICORN AS MUCH AS I LOVE THE MUSIC THAT CAME OUT OF THERE IN 1969." - WILLIAM D. UNDERWOOD

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