Meet Elena Rayo | Singer, Songwriter and Owner of Ancient Wave Studios

We had the good fortune of connecting with Elena Rayo and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Elena, every day, we about how much execution matters, but we think ideas matter as well. How did you come up with the idea for your business?
As a professional musician, and having recorded many different records at different studios, I noticed that often the studios either were very sterile in environment or weren’t necessarily inspiring. As an artist I feel that it’s important to have the right setting for your creativity. So when my husband and I, he also a musician, bought our property in 2008, we converted a barn to a rehearsal space but then quickly realized we wanted to also record there which led to us wanting to offer that service to other musicians who gave us the feedback that they found our space one of the most beautiful and inspiring spaces they had ever visited.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I was a lifelong violinist but became a singer/songwriter as part of a deep inner healing process. I discovered that sound is a very transformative energy that not only has completely changed my life, but I find that music is one of the most effective ways to raise the vibration of the listener. It has been in many ways a very challenging journey, where I’ve had to overcome not only stage fright, but reinventing myself as a creative woman. This is also why I feel passionate about creating a space for others to explore their creativity with sound. Songwriting has in many ways been a lifeline to feeling confidence in my unique expression in the world. The biggest lesson I’ve learned as a musician has been to keep following your heart, don’t worry about what other people think of you and never give up.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If my best friend was visiting the area of Nevada City, in the mornings we could start off our day with one of the great cafes in town. Each morning we could pick a different one. The Communal Cafe has long communal tables and is a big space with lots of artwork. Java Jahn’s is tiny and always packed with locals, and has great coffee. We could wander the downtown Nevada City to see the local shops and art galleries. I would take her to one of our local rivers such as the Yuba or Bear River for a long hike upstream, and bring a picnic. We could swim and sun on the giant granite rocks.

Other day activities would include hitting one of the many local wineries for tastings, such as Lucchese, Sierra Star, and Mount Oliva. One of the days we could also head up to Truckee and Tahoe City, about an hour away, to check out the local downtown areas, and then go on a lovely hike in the Tahoe National Forest. A trip to see Lake Tahoe is a necessity. I also love to go to one of the hot springs in the area for a day trip to soak in the healing waters. Saturday mornings the organic local Nevada City Farmer’s Market is not to be missed. In the summer there are always lots of music festivals, such as Strawberry Music Fest, WorldFest and the Celtic Festival. In summer and winter street festivals with artisans abound in both Nevada City and Grass Valley.

For dinner, I would take her each night to a different local eatery. My favorites in the area are Sushi in the Raw, Sushi Q, both in Nevada City, 1228 in Penn Valley, and Diego’s in Grass Valley. For lunch or dinner we could hit Three Forks, with its emphasis on locally grown produce and meats, and has fabulous pizza made in their wood oven, and since they are also a brewery, a delicious selection of ales.

In the evenings, we could head out to see one of the local music venues with a high caliber of music, both local and touring. My favorites are The Crazy Horse, the Miner’s Foundry, and the Center for the Arts. Naturally I would bring her along to see me perform one weekend at Friar Tuck’s, where I’ve helped to create an Irish pub family vibe every Sunday evening.

In short, we would have a wonderful time!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Our first Shoutout goes to Grammy-award-winning sound engineer Oz Fritz, who originally brought his computer into our studio and asked if he could set up in a corner of our rehearsal space. That led to us acquiring more recording gear over time, much of which was given to us by other studios that were closing down. Oz has often advised us and encouraged us over the years to becoming more and more professional. Secondly, another of our engineers and talented musician in his own right, Boris Muzychuk, helped to refine our analog sound by rewiring the entire studio and helping us to get some of our vintage gear repaired and useable. Another engineer and musician, Paul Kraushaar, has also been instrumental in further refining the technical side of things as well as bringing many clients through our doors. Most recently, multi-platinum award-winning producer, writer, and jazz pianist Tommy Coster, who has been in residence at AWS since last year, has added another element of professionalism through his many years in the recording industry, as well as much-needed support throughout the covid years and the passing away of my husband Saul several months ago. Many others have also helped the studio along the way, including Reonne Haslett, Jenny Michael, Jaya Betts, and Nate Nauseda.

Website: https://www.ancientwavestudios.com/

Instagram: https://instagram.com/ancientwavestudios

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elena-rayo-176a9b66/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/therayosnevadacity

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2nZ-vJw-GAqJWkfjPYtAdA

Image Credits
Photo of Elena by Tommy Coster Photos of the studio by Ed Hensley