JOE LINTNER | COLUMBIA SPY
The Susquehanna River Creative Conspiracy (SRCC), a registered 501(c)(3) based at 156b Lancaster Ave., has spent the past few years quietly building what co-founder and CEO TJ Carrozza calls a "one stop shop to write, record, and perform": part rehearsal space, part recording studio, part music venue, and part community art and craft studio, all rolled into one.
"Bridging creatives to community," is how Carrozza sums up the mission. In practice, that means offering musicians and artists something often hard to find: an affordable, fully equipped place to actually make things.
SRCC's current home wasn't the group's first stop. The organization originally set up shop in a warehouse on Avenue H, right behind the historic Keystone hook and ladder building, where it lasted about eight months. "That warehouse didn't work out," Carrozza said. "We almost completely disbanded as an organization."
The group regrouped and has now spent three years at the Lancaster Avenue location, a stretch Carrozza describes as slow but steady.
"We've been here for three years, struggling financially and just slowly growing by word of mouth," he said. "It's been a really slow growth but it's a very strong foundation."
That foundation was solidified recently when SRCC signed a new three-year lease on the building, locking in its future at the space for the foreseeable term.
Walking through SRCC feels less like touring a single studio and more like navigating a labyrinth of rooms, each built around a different piece of the creative process. A stairway painted by local artist Eric Tonzola leads visitors between them.
At the core of SRCC's model is a low-cost rehearsal and practice space paired with a recording studio and a venue to perform in, a pipeline Carrozza describes functioning much like a "band incubator."
There's also equipment available for podcasting, mixing, and other digital needs.
Musicians can write material, record it, and then take it straight to a stage without ever leaving the building. A digital mixer helps handle the recording side, and SRCC has hosted concerts both downstairs and in the backyard, in addition to its regular stage shows.
The building also houses a dedicated podcast room, and there are plans to add a music lesson room as well.
For Carrozza, the art side of the operation is just as important as the music. He sees SRCC as a true community art studio: members get access to shared materials, and a key to the building, so they can come and go to work on projects. People also use the space to shoot music videos.
Carrozza has long wanted to add a community wood shop to SRCC's offerings, and for now he's testing that idea on a smaller scale: he rents basement space at Kettle Works, paying extra to run a wood shop there.
"My dream was always to offer a community wood shop where it's shared tools, shared experience; have workshops, have lessons, have education," Carrozza said. "We're doing that here now with the music."
An artist spray-painted this piano in less than three hours at a fundraiser.
In August, Carrozza was in talks to relocate SRCC into the larger Keystone Firehouse, a building that could have accommodated the wood shop alongside the music and art programs. Unfortunately, a tornado damaged the firehouse the same day, and it is now being demolished. Carrozza said the setback hasn't changed the underlying goal, and SRCC is still searching for a new home that can eventually house all three: music, art, and woodworking.
For now, Carrozza said it's the music side that has put SRCC on the map locally.
"We got really known for the music," he said. "We're bringing music to the Albatwitch [Harvest] Fest. We'll be known soon as the place that does music and art here in town."
SRCC's Tuesday night open mic regularly draws performers and audiences, and its popularity is prompting the group to expand the format. In the near future, SRCC plans to launch a second open mic aimed specifically at young performers, ages 20 and under. The new series will include a mentorship and education component, Carrozza said, designed in part to help kids work through stage fright before they perform.
The open mic nights have helped SRCC catch the attention of larger regional players in the arts world, including Music For Everyone, a well-known Lancaster County arts organization.
SRCC's presence in Columbia extends past its Lancaster Avenue walls. The nonprofit has installed several artist-painted pianos around Columbia and Marietta, and is planning a mini mural art installation at Columbia River Park in 2027, as Columbia Spy reported HERE.
The group is also looking to bring its programming into more public spaces closer to home. "We're going to start doing more music events outside at the visitors center [Columbia River Park] here in Columbia," Carrozza said.
Community good will has followed the organization as it's grown. At a recent fundraiser, bands played both inside the building and out in the backyard. That same event gave a glimpse of just how fast SRCC's creative community can move: Tonzola, the artist behind the painted stairway, completed a painting on-site in just two hours.
Artist Eric Tonzola created this painting in about two hours during a fundraiser.
"It's a community where everyone knows each other," Carrozza said, "and if you don't, you become friends with everybody who's here.”
The group is preparing to launch a new website in the near future that will showcase additional programs not yet listed online. In the meantime, the organization's regular schedule — including its Tuesday night open mics — continues at the Lancaster Avenue location.
That foundation was solidified recently when SRCC signed a new three-year lease on the building, locking in its future at the space for the foreseeable term.
The space also features a lounge for relaxing, listening and conversing.
At the core of SRCC's model is a low-cost rehearsal and practice space paired with a recording studio and a venue to perform in, a pipeline Carrozza describes functioning much like a "band incubator."
The building also houses a dedicated podcast room, and there are plans to add a music lesson room as well.
For Carrozza, the art side of the operation is just as important as the music. He sees SRCC as a true community art studio: members get access to shared materials, and a key to the building, so they can come and go to work on projects. People also use the space to shoot music videos.
Carrozza has long wanted to add a community wood shop to SRCC's offerings, and for now he's testing that idea on a smaller scale: he rents basement space at Kettle Works, paying extra to run a wood shop there.
"My dream was always to offer a community wood shop where it's shared tools, shared experience; have workshops, have lessons, have education," Carrozza said. "We're doing that here now with the music."
For now, Carrozza said it's the music side that has put SRCC on the map locally.
"We got really known for the music," he said. "We're bringing music to the Albatwitch [Harvest] Fest. We'll be known soon as the place that does music and art here in town."
Drummer Brant Jameson checks out the drum set.
Open mic nights are held every Tuesday at 7 p.m. Those wishing to participate must sign up.
Guitarists can choose from an array of guitars and amps.
SRCC's presence in Columbia extends past its Lancaster Avenue walls. The nonprofit has installed several artist-painted pianos around Columbia and Marietta, and is planning a mini mural art installation at Columbia River Park in 2027, as Columbia Spy reported HERE.
The group is also looking to bring its programming into more public spaces closer to home. "We're going to start doing more music events outside at the visitors center [Columbia River Park] here in Columbia," Carrozza said.
Community good will has followed the organization as it's grown. At a recent fundraiser, bands played both inside the building and out in the backyard. That same event gave a glimpse of just how fast SRCC's creative community can move: Tonzola, the artist behind the painted stairway, completed a painting on-site in just two hours.
Tonzola also painted the walls of this stairway.
The group is preparing to launch a new website in the near future that will showcase additional programs not yet listed online. In the meantime, the organization's regular schedule — including its Tuesday night open mics — continues at the Lancaster Avenue location.
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