NORWAY – Musicians are tucked away in the woods and hills of the back country, and a new sound recording studio in Paris is hoping to help lure these people out.

Brad Holyoke has recently opened a music studio in Norway on the corner of Solon and Main streets.

Like many other entrepreneurs who begin their businesses in the close confines of basements, where start-up costs are low and the commute is short, Holyoke built the studio in his cellar. The computer and mixer is right next to a washing machine and dryer, and a scarlet curtain hides a bookshelf of movies.

“When I was in high school and playing in bands, we never had a decent system to cut anything on,” Holyoke said. The 24-year-old graduated from Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School in 2000. “That was discouraging. If you wanted to do something like that you had to go to Portland and pay $60 an hour.”

Holyoke said he will charge $20 an hour, which is relatively low because he has little expertise in producing albums and songs, and because he wants to attract high-schoolers and other musicians who can’t afford steeper prices.

Holyoke says he has been practicing using the computer software and the new mixer. Because he’s a carpenter, he built the studio himself. In total, he invested about $6,500 into his new part-time business, he said.

According to John J. Volanski, who has written a book called, “Sound Recording Advice,” it’s never been cheaper to set up a home recording studio with quality sound because of advances in technology.

Alan Bean, a Harrison doctor who co-owns Baked Beans Recording Studio in Harrison, said despite the sophisticated technology, producing a good sound is a talent that no amount of software can compensate for. “I’ve heard very good recordings come from very low-end digital audio setups, and awful ones from high-end, it’s more about the person doing it,” he said.

Bean echoed Volanski by saying that the technology has cracked open what used to be a specialized field. “What’s happened in the digital-audio world has revolutionized the recording business. It used to be a narrow niche and require huge investments of money. The financial investment is much less than it used to be,” he said.

Bean started Baked Beans Recording Studio with Rob Baker of Harrison 13 years ago, which was a lifelong dream the two men had had since they played in their first band together in the 1960s, Bean said. They grew up in this area, and then both of them toured the country for about a decade with different bands. Today Baker works as a code enforcement officer and Bean is a doctor.

Baker encouraged Holyoke when he was reached by phone at the Bridgton town office.

“There’s a lot of music and a lot of people hiding away in the hills who are really talented,” Baker said. “It’s all one big family. We’ll stay busy, they’ll stay busy.”

Bean wished Holyoke luck, but said, “There’s always room for healthy competition.”

Baker and Bean have produced about 60 compact discs, and more cassettes back when tapes were still prevalent, according to Baker. Musicians come from Western Maine and also Portland and Bangor come to his studio, Bean said.

“Some think they’re going to get fame and fortune, others come in for Christmas presents,” Baker said, describing some of the musicians he serves. “Other people come in and tell stories that they can pass on for years.”