Underwater Dinotour Recording Project

My name is Jeff Berkley. I’m a producer, songwriter, and artist. I live in San Diego, California.

I love to record in spaces where the natural ambiance enhances the sound and vibe of the music. This is the magical story of accidentally finding and planning a trip to record in such a place:

Most of my family are in southern Missouri and middle Georgia. I spent a lot of time, as a kid, on the road between California and those two places. In the winter, we would take the southern route across Interstate 10. In the summer and fall, we would go up over the Rockies along Highway 70 through Colorado and Kansas. Now that I’m older, I still go back every few years. Last time, something rad happened!

If you’re on I-70 east from Utah and western Colorado, you’ll see the most amazing mountain roads! The Rockies are stunning! Once you leave Denver and head east on Highway 70 there’s not much for a while. By the time you get to Hays, Kansas, you’re ready to get out of the car and maybe grab some coffee or just walk around a bit. During one of these excursions off the highway I passed by a sign that said Sternberg Museum.

Inside the Sternberg Museum.

I immediately remembered a story on NPR about a prehistoric “sea monster museum” in Kansas. It turns out that most of eastern Colorado and Kansas were once a gigantic sea, full of underwater dinosaurs. A ton of those fossils have settled on the prairie. They get collected and brought to the museum. It’s a really cool place. You gotta go!

Anyway, to the point! As I walked around this amazing museum, I wandered into a little room that was created to feel like you’re underwater. There’s a statue of a serpent in this cave-like room. The ceiling and the walls are all rounded with no hard corners or right angles anywhere.

I said “wow, a sea monster!” and immediately noticed the incredible reverb in this room. I couldn’t help myself and started to sing out loud. It was the most stunning and visceral reverberation I’ve ever felt. It’s not natural, but it is occurring naturally and on accident in this room. The room is all lit up to seem like you’re underwater! What a space!  I immediately started to dream of bringing artists into the room and recording them.

Well, it’s taken a couple years to develop the idea, find the right performers and a good time that might work for all of them.

I’ve settled on three different acts. A duo called Stucky Leigh, a trio called Please ask for Paul, and a solo artist named Veronica May. All are well known in their communities and travel around playing music and releasing records.

I chose these artists because they are rad! There are lots of rad artists, though. These artists were chosen for their soaring melodies and beautiful harmonies that will blossom and bloom in this amazing environment at the Sternberg Museum. I didn’t even choose myself because my stuff is more funky and rhythmic and raw. Reverb doesn’t really work as well with my thing. I think I got the right folks and hope to bring more in the future!

We will spend three days and three nights in April, in Hays, Kansas. Each artist will get their own evening after the museum closes at pm. We start on April 20, 2025!

The museum has agreed to let us do it at almost no charge. We might have to pay a small amount per night for a security guard to be around. What a gift!!! I’ve also contacted a couple professors at the school who are involved with audio and visual. I believe they and some of the students will be interested in being around and helping out! How cool!! There has been some talk of doing a show in Hays, Kansas and perhaps a few on the way out and on the way back to California.

This project is completely funded by us, our friends, and fans. There is a site for more info and for donations at www.jeffberkley.com. Anyone donating will be invited to the live stream and can tap in the whole time all three nights or just anytime they want. Also, anyone who donates will get copies of all the recordings for your enjoyment!

Projects like these have never been more attainable. The technology has gotten to the point where it doesn’t really take much equipment to pull something like this off. We’ll be able to record with all sorts of groovy old equipment and won’t need any headphones because everybody will just be standing right near each other playing instruments and singing together.

I feel like a kid who’s going to Disneyland in a couple months and just can’t possibly wait another second!

Please go to www.jeffberkley.com to donate! We need you! It’s expensive to travel!!!

San Diego is such an amazing place full of creative and open minded and openhearted artists! This is a great example of what can be done when folks like that put their hearts to something.

See you around town!

For more information about this project, click here: https://jeffberkley.com/the-paleoverb-project