OUR HISTORY
IN THE MID 1980s, in the middle of Indiana cornfields, our founder Darrell Powell and his wife, Cindy, found a mid 1800’s homestead that they deemed suitable as a place to not only call home, but a place suitable to raise children. Darrell, an already accomplished musician and audio engineer, not only saw the potential as a homestead, but had his eye on one of the outbuildings as a potential recording studio. It was from 1988 to 1989 when that, once upon time, dirt floored chicken coop and sheep barn transformed into what came to be known as Studio D Recording Studio.
Although it may seem unlikely, given the bucolic setting, thousands of projects came through Studio D. The work ranged from national label artists to weekend warrior musicians of every genre. It didn’t matter whether clients were leaving the studio to play Radio City Music Hall or to play a local church, Darrell gave everyone the same level of attention and same level of excellence.
Sadly, Darrell passed away suddenly in 2020. Although a major loss to his family, and the thousands of clients from his nearly 50 years in the music industry, the level of excellence he created with Studio D continues on in a new chapter as Studio D Media Group.
MEET THE TEAM
JOSH WAS JUST A TEENAGER the first time he set foot in Studio D. In fact, it was the newfound freedom of a driver’s license that caused the frequency of his visits to increase. This eventually led Josh to pursue an apprenticeship with owner/engineer Darrell Powell. It wasn’t long before Josh was promoted from making sandwich runs to engineering sessions.
When the opportunity arose to take an engineering position at, gospel legends, Bill and Gloria Gaither’s recording studio, Josh jumped at the opportunity. During this time, Josh worked on countless albums and many of the Gaither Homecoming videos. He often worked with some of the biggest names in the Christian music industry and garnered credit on many award-winning projects.
He then moved on to build "The Shire", a recording studio where he was engineering albums for "Lakeview Worship" on the Integrity Worship label. Josh has since gone on to consult for major sound installations, mix live sound for major national acts, and work in higher education. It’s entirely fitting that Josh has now come full circle and is back with Studio D Media Group where it all began.
GROWING UP, Jared was no stranger to Studio D. It might have to do with the fact that the studio was next to his house, or that it was his father Darrell’s business. With countless hours spent in the studio, it’s no wonder that he developed a love for music and production from a young age. It’s also no surprise that his dad had him editing audio from about age 10; a skill that has proven most valuable throughout the years.
It was when Jared attended college that he developed a passion for video. After graduating, Jared formed his own production company, Cabin 14 Films, where he got to work producing everything from award winning music videos to television programs. Jared also began working for the Church of God Movement, where he’s worked on radio programs in over 10 different languages, set up recording studios all around the world, helped produce large scale conventions, and produced video content ranging from full length documentaries to short promotional pieces.
Video and audio production have taken Jared to over 20 different countries and 6 continents, but it all started in the middle of Indiana. A start that was fostered by a father who sparked an interest in production from a young age that has come full circle to Studio D Media Group.