Bollinger County: A great place to make music

Dustin Bannister found his passion for music recording while working as a lead guitarist in Nashville, Tennessee.

After falling in love with the recording process, he decided to go to school for it in Los Angeles, and eventually ended up working part-time at Phat Buddha Productions in St. Louis.

Blue Creek Production in Bollinger County.Laura Simon

Eventually, he found that he wanted to run his own production company, and considering he had about 2,000 acres of land in Bollinger County, he decided to open his own ranch-style production studio in Patton, Missouri.

Bannister started Blue Creek Production three years ago in a business partnership with Thomas Walton.

Originally, he worked out of his home to see if people would be interested in the idea of a smaller, more laid back recording atmosphere. Since then, he has expanded to a new studio, which has been open for a little more than a year.

Dustin Bannister, owner of Blue Creek Production in Bollinger County, works with steel guitarist Jeff Wamble on recording for tracks on an upcoming album.Laura Simon

Blue Creek Production in Bollinger County.Laura Simon

He says most larger studios charge artists by the hour, which causes them to rush through their projects, spend a lot of money and leave unhappy with the final product. Blue Creek, on the other hand, charges artists on a more reasonable per-song basis, allowing for a more relaxed and welcoming atmosphere at a cheaper rate.

"It's just a place that people come out and be creative -- don't worry about time restraints," Bannister says.

Blue Creek Production in Bollinger County.Laura Simon

He says Blue Creek has been host to a number of local musicians, including Evan Webb and the Rural Route Ramblers and Paragon. They've also worked with the St. Louis-based band Seeing Seven, of which Walton is a member.

Walton manages the graphic design and visual aspects at Blue Creek, because the business not only helps recording artists develop tracks, but also helps them with their music videos, photography, digital distribution and more.

"We're not really trying to change the music industry; we're just trying to make it better for not only professionals, but for local people that want something commercial but normally couldn't afford it," Bannister says.