PC Productions Studio composes the sounds of the Swannanoa Valley

The Studio Collective nurtures Talent and Creativity with patient proffesionalism

Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
June 17, 2026

Ridgecrest-based PC Productions Studio launched its subscription platform, The Studio Collective, at the beginning of June. The program is designed as a creative home for area recording artists. Photo by Fred McCormick

Entering a professional recording studio can often induce feelings of intimidation, stress or frustration, as artistic perspectives of musicians, sound engineers and producers collide. Peter Councell has a longstanding familiarity with that creative process, but with the launch of a program designed to support audio artists of varying skill and experience levels, the Ridgecrest-based producer is blending professionalism and approachability into the mix.

Tucked away in a small, well-appointed recording facility, PC Productions Studio introduced a unique subscription platform, The Studio Collective, at the beginning of June. The system is designed to establish a home for Swannanoa Valley musicians and audio creators.

Councell, a native of Brevard and graduate of Montreat College, discovered his lifelong love of music and production as a child. He picked up his first instrument at the age of 6.

“I was hooked,” he said. “I started taking piano lessons around that time, and by middle school I was involved in band at school, while becoming heavily involved in a Beatles tribute band.”

By the time he was a young teenager, Councell and his bandmates were playing shows, using replica instruments matching those made famous by the Fab Four, in the Asheville Music Zone. The experience helped shape his career development.

“That’s where it started for me, really nitpicking the songwriting of geniuses, and how they crafted parts that were inspirational for me,” he said. “I just knew I wanted to do music for a living.”

While attending Montreat, Councell went to classes during the day, before using his time after school to learn from acclaimed drummer Jeff Sipe.

“He’s a jam band king, and a true genius on the drums,” Councell said. “So, I was incredibly fortunate to study under him while working on my music business classes, with a piano concentration, at Montreat.”

He honed his production skills as the chief audio engineer for Lifeway, which owned the Ridgecrest Conference Center until the end of 2020. When the company sold the facility, Councell launched PC Productions.

“At the time, during the pandemic, I started it kind of begrudgingly, because it just didn’t feel like the right time to open a production company when nothing was going on,” he said. “But, I made so many great connections over the years in that industry, and I met so many great artists, specifically in the Christian world, because it’s a Christian conference center. I still work with a lot of those artists today, doing front-of-house production on the road.”

PC Productions expanded with the opening of a studio in 2024, but a five-year plan to grow the business was thrown into disarray that September. While Helene upended the lives of many area residents, Councell completed a project with Casey Sharpe of the Black Mountain band Moon Draper, but also endured the fallout from the natural disaster.

Peter Councell, owner of PC Productions Studio, is introducing The Studio Collective, a subscription program that supports Swannanoa Valley recording artists of all levels of experience. Photo by Fred McCormick

He developed the concept of The Studio Collective, which offers tiered memberships to local artists, who receive monthly studio credits, access to a livestream session that provides feedback from other members and the completion and release of a final product.

“Stuff was happening here, but not as much as I was expecting before the storm,” he said, “This concept was kind of a brainchild coming fully to fruition. I want this studio to be a place that truly treats the Swannanoa Valley like a community of creatives, not a place where you just bank time. There’s enough of that in the big cities like Nashville, L.A., Atlanta, where you just come in to an engineer and you’re on the clock.”

The subscription structure provides an entry level Studio Membership, which includes $25 in studio credit, a 10% weekday discount and priority booking, for $49 per month. The Pro Artist level packages additional studio access with quarterly strategy calls for a $99 monthly rate, while registered Anchor Artists receive four hours of tracking, an hour of production and mixing and release guidance for $400 per month.

The structure facilitates a collaborative environment, according to Councell, who focuses on building strong working relationships with artists.

“I want to know more about the artist, even if they aren’t a professional player. I work with folks like that here, too,” he said. “Once I know more about the artist, as a person, we can craft something that really fits the vision he or she has for their music, not my dream for their music”

Completed projects are owned by the artists who created them, he added.

“I want the artists to feel like this is a place where they can stay creative,” Councell said. “That is what’s different here, I call it ‘the people’s studio,’ where folks can come in, be themselves and not feel like they are under the gun and have to be perfect.”

That approach fosters a sense of accessibility to audio production services, inviting a new wave of area recording artists.

“For people who don’t know what the process is like, it gives them an idea of how to take something they have written and develop it into something that is ready to be recorded,” Councell said. “Our feedback sessions are in a private group, so if you can be open-minded, you can sometimes be blown away by the ideas others give you. Musically, it might not even be something you understand, but it might work well with what you’re envisioning.”

The goal, he added, is to create an environment that supports aspiring and established Swannanoa Valley artists.

“I think what would be really neat is if enough of these members come out with finished products that they are going out into the community and performing these songs,” Councell said. “Wouldn’t it be cool to have a Collective artist come in, gain the confidence, and do shows at local venues, or put their album on a streaming service, while knowing it was all done here the community? This is a creative and talented place, and I want to support that.”