Nestled in the newly constructed Westport Public Library, sits a recording studio named after one of Staples’s very own, Justin Paul. The Justin Nobel Paul recording studio gives people a space to record and produce beyond their imagination. 

The recording studio is the newest addition to the library, and the hope is that many in the town take advantage of the resource for all it has to offer. 

“Although the studio is not yet ready for widespread use at the moment, the goal is for the ability to do a wide variety of audio recordings in there […] with training required to use it,” librarian Rachel Pegnataro said. 

Pegnataro hopes that those who use the studio will be able to record a demo, song or even do voice-overs for various projects. 

A musician herself, Dylan Goodman ’21 is already thinking about using the studio in the future for recording her own songs.

“I definitely see myself using the studio at the library,” Goodman said. “The instruments and recording equipment in the library are high quality and will be very useful to have fun jamming with friends, record music and learn.”

Many parents are equally excited as the studio provides a space beyond the house for their children to create music. 

“It’s a great resource in our Westport Library. It celebrates ‘one of our own’ and it creates the opportunity for future performing artists to share their music,” Jennifer Johnson, a Westport resident, said.

Those who are not as musically inclined are also impressed by the resources that the library has to offer. 

“I come to the library to do work and every time I’m here I discover something new that the library has to offer,” Lucas Slater ’22 said. “This is the first time I’m hearing about the studio and I’m excited to see how it plays out in the future.”

The small studio is located past the meeting rooms at the end of the hallway, directly across from the maker studio. 

The studio is named after Justin Paul, a theater and television composer who grew up in Westport. In an interview with the Connecticut Post, Paul explained how he fell in love with the music behind theater after joining the Music Theater of Connecticut. The studio captures the essence of Paul and his accomplished career. 

“My first show [at Music Theater of Connecticut] was in ‘Oliver!’ that’s when the love affair with acting and musical theater began,” Paul explained. 

The library has already proven to be a tool used by many students at Staples and in Westport, and the newest addition is sure to draw more attention. 

“I don’t see myself using the recording studio because I don’t produce music,” Elana Lundbye ’21 said, “however, I think this is another great addition to the town that all residents should be proud of.”