Groton resident’s musical vision comes true

Have you ever wished you could learn to play an instrument, wished you could teach music but didn’t have a place to do that or maybe you’re part of a band with nowhere to practice aside from someone’s basement or garage?

The latter was the case for Douglas (Doug) Houck and his “222” band members until the building at 115 Main St. was made available for them to practice in by its owner, Lee Shurtleff Jr., about eight years ago, and they have been utilizing it for that purpose ever since.

After a couple of years of practicing in the building, Houck took on the task of gutting, renovating and restoring the historical site to its former glory, but it was only recently that the vision for an even greater purpose came to him.

Houck was born and raised in Orange County, New York, and graduated in 2004 from Minisink Valley High School with his automotive technology (auto tech) certificate from Orange-Ulster BOCES. He followed that up with an associate in auto tech and a bachelor’s in technology from SUNY Morrisville in 2008.

“I was always a tinkerer growing up,” Houck said. “I would rather take things apart and find out why they worked than playing with friends. My interest in pursuing automotive was sparked by working on the small block engine of my dad’s 1967 Chevy Camaro that I still own today.”

While Houck enjoyed working on cars, his real passion was music ever since his mother, the late Pamela Houck, gave him his first guitar when he was seven.

“By the time I was 13 or 14, I started playing rhythm guitar in a band with friends,” Doug said. “I did do some wrestling in school and was in choir and jazz band, and jazz ensemble in college. I was in a band called Hill Rats, and we played at college parties and at a popular college bar a few times.”

After college, Doug worked at the Lincoln Mercury dealership in Goshen, New York, where he had done his internship, and moved to Groton in February 2010.

“I was just attracted to the Finger Lakes area,” Doug said. “And I thought Groton seemed like a good, wholesome community to live in.”

Doug has certainly made his home and his place here. He started out substitute teaching auto tech and building trades at OCM BOCES, and then began working at Borg-Warner, where he still works today.

When he was 16, Doug joined the volunteer fire system in Orange County, so it was a natural fit for him to join the Groton Fire Department, where he is a firefighter and ambulance driver and always pulls the hose cart in the Groton Olde Home Days parade. Have you seen the fireman who wears the red long johns? That’s Doug!

In 2015, Doug married Valerie (Senter) Houck, and they have three children: Hayden (6), Emmett (3) and Elliott (1).

With Doug playing rhythm guitar, Dave Butts playing drums, PJ Bryk playing lead guitar and Joe Young playing bass, the group actually has two distinct bands: 222 and Six String Shotgun.

Somewhere between the practice time with the bands and the work on the practice space was the birth of Doug’s vision for Leisure Studios, LLC, which is now the official name on the building at 115 Main St.

“I kept thinking back to my band as a teenager when we had to practice in a small Amish shed with a kerosene heater,” Doug said. “It just came to me that the studio could be made available to the whole community.”

And that is precisely the goal Doug now has for it — to have a safe space for musicians, performers and teachers to learn, listen, practice and teach.

The studio already has guitars, pianos, violins, a drum set, monitors and a PA system that can be used by patrons, and Doug hopes to expand to brass instruments and more. Donations of instruments are gladly received, and they will never be sold, only used for practice while in the studio.

“I especially want it to be a place that people can look forward to using,” Doug said. “I’d like to see more younger people involved in music and in the fire department, too.”

Leisure Studios is available to rent to practice in, use the instruments there or even teach music lessons by reserving two weeks in advance for a nominal fee — “just enough to keep the lights on,” Doug said.

Reservations may be made by emailing Doug at 115leisurestudio@gmail.com.

Doug’s good friend Mark Proper and others are holding a benefit fundraiser at Stonehedges Golf Course, 549 Stevens Rd., Oct. 23 to help raise funds to soundproof the studio and complete other final touches to make it fully ready for public use.

A $20 ticket provides dinner at 4 p.m. and live music beginning at 7 p.m. with Logan Wannall, Dana Twigg and 222. Basket raffles and 50/50 will also be available.

Tickets are available at Floristry in Cortland, Epic Auto on Route 90, Styles and Smiles in Lansing, Roman Village on Route 38 and Stonehedges Golf Course.

Proper may also be contacted for tickets, donations and volunteer opportunities at mjproper@gmail.com.

Groton on the Inside appears weekly. Submit news ideas to Linda Competillo, lmc10@cornell.edu or (607) 227-4922. 

In brief: 
 
McLean Cemetery meeting

The annual meeting of the McLean Cemetery Association will be held at McLean Community Church, 50 Church St., at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 12 with election of trustees and officers to follow.

Winner, winner — chicken dinner! 

The Groton American Legion Post 800 will be serving a take-out only chicken and biscuit dinner beginning at 5 p.m. Oct. 9. Dinners are $9 each and should be reserved ahead by calling (607) 898-3837.

Calling all Groton history buffs! 

The Groton Historical Association will hold its annual meeting Oct. 16 at noon, followed by a meal at 12:30 p.m. at the Masonic Temple, 301 Main St. All interested in Groton history are invited to attend. You do not need to be a member.

It is a dish-to-pass meal with meatloaf, ham loaf with mustard sauce and baked potatoes provided and prepared by Flo Allen, Betty Conger and Lucy Dates. Please also bring your own place setting.

Guest speaker Keith Randolph, Groton American Legion historian, will speak about the 100 years of the American Legion in Groton. Contact Flo Allen for further details. Call or text (607) 280-4233 or email nellaolf@gmail.com.

Fire cider class 

The Groton Public Library will host “Make and Take with Ruth” at 1 p.m. Oct. 16. Each person will leave with their own fire cider and a free book on fire cider, but class is limited to 12 participants. To register, email director@grotonpubliclibrary.org.