Oct. 13--In the world of music, typically, people are either creators or producers. Charles Allison is both.

Mr. Allison has long been a fixture on the local music scene as a solo artist and as front man of the experimental rock band Land Camera.

Earlier this summer, he used money from a MakeWork grant from CreateHere to purchase the inventory of a commercial recording company to pursue his dream of opening a studio to create music for web, film and television.

Q: Why does Spanner Sound focus on music for film, TV and Web?

A: It's something I've wanted to do for a long time but just didn't know how to get in to. My real interest is in really creative, custom music. I'll do all the other stuff, but my interest is in film music and scoring and doing custom music.

Q: What inroads have you made to getting contracts?

A: I have a friend who is tied in with Viacom, which is a parent company for a bunch of networks. When new programs come up, they'll put out a blanket e-mail that says, "Here's what we need," and you demo things for them. If they like what you send them, they'll move forward with it.

Q: What consideration did you give to the economic climate before opening Spanner Sound?

A: Having low overhead is big, whether you're a studio for band production or doing a custom agency. Basically, (we're) setting as many things in place to not have crazy overhead ... because that's one of the most likely reasons to go under, having this looming monthly payment to make.

Q: Do you have a favorite piece of equipment in the studio?

A: My (Korg) Kaosilator. It's basically a little, tiny synthesizer that can do beats. I've got it Velcroed to my guitar. It's usually a good starting point for me.

Q: What's your most indispensable piece of equipment?

A: Probably my Fender Precision bass (guitar). That's what I write from a lot of times. I like to start with rhythmic stuff and set up the foundation of the song.

Q: How is running the studio affecting your own musical projects like Land Camera?

A: It's not really. It's all tied into what I'm doing anyway. One of my models for this is Peter Gabriel. He had a regular rock 'n' roll career, and then he branched off on his own when he left Genesis to start Real World Studios, which is his label and his studio.

Basically, he's set up his own machinery that lets him do whatever he wants. That's a big part of what Spanner is, everything I need to do what I want to do on my terms.

FUN FACTS

--Birthday: Feb.