Hartford’s Creative Space

About Parkville Sounds, from owner, Stephen Cusano:

“Throughout my life, music has been an integral part of my survival. A student of the game and a fan of music always.

After graduating from the Jackie McLean Institute of Jazz at The Hartt School, I hit the ground running making a living from music; playing gigs, recording, practicing, attending live music shows. I was playing with a few bands and I developed a love for the road; a road warrior if you will. I immediately took a leadership role in these touring bands including Broca’s Area, Wise Old Moon, Meadows Brothers and Daphne Lee. Around the time Broca’s Area was on tour with the Becca Stevens Band, driving all over the Northeast, I was beginning to plot out what my future could look like… Let me explain: the band was busy; we were writing, learning songs, rehearsing, gigging, and recording :|| but every time we wanted to do any of these things, we had to basically “sneak in” to our old stomping grounds and set up a classroom from scratch. (Which... is where I met my future wife & partner, Jill... but that is a story for another time.)

We all lived in apartments and we had no other place to play! It was draining and not sustainable. I don’t know what it is with drummers but all that responsibility fell on me… I had the PA System, the van, and spent most of my life collecting the equipment to make it happen… so I made it happen.

I had an idea of a space where musicians can work in Hartford.

During the years leading up to opening the studio, I was gigging heavy but I also did my homework. I knew Hartford had some of the baddest musicians living here and learned that some of the best musicians who aren’t from here, respect Hartford and what it’s givin’ to the music world.

So I got a phone number from a friend of a guy who owns some large factory buildings in Hartford. I called him one afternoon and he had no idea what I was even talking about when I said music studio; I think he thought I was nuts… Anyway, he agreed to rent me a corner of the basement at 1477 Park St. I shook hands with him, started paying rent, and began building. In about 3.5 months, I had a space, I had some gear, I had a vision, and I had a name: Parkville Sounds.

From late 2017 to 2019 we were located at 1477 Park Street. In this space we would lay the foundation of what we do. We really created some magic and we rose into becoming a vital studio: something people needed and something they couldn’t live without. Rehearsals became frequent and diverse, it was like an ever evolving door; national touring band, local touring band, startup, etc.

Recordings and video sessions also became a part of the mold & one day we had the opportunity to expand our relationship with PBS/CPTV. We were commissioned to make a 4-part series about the Parkville neighborhood and all of the musical happenings we were bringing to the city & we called it: "The Parkville Sessions".

Toward the end of our time in this space, it was so busy and small I would have to wait days just so I could get in there myself! Jill, my partner in this studio and in life, a dancer, had similar issues with studio space. Her group, The Hartford Dance Collective was getting bigger and bigger and we quickly realized ... it's not just musicians who need studio space... this is something that all types of performing artists need and struggle with. I picked up the phone and called my landlord and said, “we need more space.”

Parkville is in the name so obviously we wanted to stay in the neighborhood and I was trying to get us out of the basement but it’s pretty hard to build a music studio in a mixed-use building anywhere other than the basement. I think all musicians are sorta comfortable with basements because thats where we all started… and we eventually landed at 30 Arbor Street — in the basement — but this was a basement space I have never seen before. 12 foot high ceilings, around 4500 sqft total, WINDOWS! The bones were there but it still needed some TLC to turn it into a multi-dimensional studio.

After demolition, construction, hours building handmade baffling, and some fine products from our friends at Audimute Acoustic Solutions, we moved into Arbor Street in August 2019. This place felt right from the first second we walked in there… It felt like Brooklyn smack dab in Hartford CT.

In this space we have aided rehearsals, rentals, events, and recordings of all types: full bands, drum tracking, overdubs, live streams, pre-recorded live streams, voice overs, etc. and we developed into a space for all types of artists... “If you are on the tour bus, you belong here”.

And we are just getting started…

Which brings me to …. The space we’ve all been waiting for. We received a HartLift Grant from the City of Hartford Chamber of Commerce to build out the space that the Hartford music scene (and beyond) has been needing. This space will put Hartford on the map for music and performing arts.

Thank you to everyone who has been a part of this journey.”

Stephen Cusano

Studio Owner, Head Audio Engineer, Producer, Drummer

Stephen Cusano, from North Haven, CT has played a huge role in the Connecticut music community since age eighteen, when he curated “A Give Back Benefit Concert”, where all proceeds went to North Haven High School’s music department. He graduated from the Hartt School’s Jackie McLean Institute of Jazz with a focus in drums in Jazz Studies. After graduating from The Hartt School, Stephen immediately took a leadership role in multiple touring bands including Broca’s Area, Wise Old Moon, and The Meadows Brothers Band, and as a private music instructor. After realizing the need, he created a hub for artists, which is now known as Parkville Sounds. With this studio, Stephen has selflessly created an environment that many artists utilize. He produces video sessions, live performances, records demo sessions, voice overs, and provides rehearsal and creative space for thousands of local and internationally touring artists. Stephen created and produced the CPTV series, “The Parkville Sessions”, attracting audiences to the magnificent music and vibrant community of Hartford. He is heavily involved in the music community as a team member of Make Music Hartford, Greater Hartford Arts Council, and developing a live music series at Parkville Market. Stephen has been recognized by multiple news publications for his work, from the University of Hartford Alumni Association, as well as receiving the Outstanding Young Adult in Philanthropy Award from the Association of Fundraising Professionals.

Jillian Cusano

Director of Operations, Producer, Curator

Jillian Cusano, a versatile artist and entrepreneur, trained with Northeast Ballet Company and holds a BFA in Ballet Pedagogy from the Hartt School, where she minored in Psychology and Arts Management, and showcased her talent at the Julidans Festival in Amsterdam, NL. She has performed with Amy Marshall Dance Company, and performed and choreographed for Des Moines Metro Opera and Portland Opera, all while directing productions and instructing students as a professor at the Hartt School. As the Chief Operating Officer of Parkville Sounds, she's contributed to projects for Jazz at Lincoln Center, Amazon Prime, Lizzo’s dancers, American Ninja Warrior, The Hartford Symphony, Allen Stone, and more. Jillian is the Founder and President of the Hartford Dance Collective, promoting female leadership and exposing new audiences to dance. Her impact extends to curating hundreds of performances and multi-faceted arts festivals, hosting open adult classes with thousands of participants, and collaborating with renowned artists, including David Dorfman Dance, Pilobolus, the Radio City Rockettes, The Limon Company, Merce Cunningham Trust, and more; solidifying her role as a trailblazer in contemporary dance.