New music production school empowers Okanagan youth

Young artists stream music

In the high-speed digital blur of 2026, where melodies are often manufactured by algorithms rather than emotions, a sanctuary has emerged in the Okanagan where the “human frequency” still reigns supreme.

Primalux Institute of Music and Technology serves as a specialized music production school for ages eight and up, and a professional recording hub for local and international music talent.

Returning to his hometown of Kelowna, renowned Canadian music producer Darryl Neudorf wants to share his knowledge and love for music with everyone.

It is the main reason why he created a forward thinking music production school that focuses on mentorship for students as young as eight to unleash their songwriting and music production potential, offering weekly one-hour lessons. Tweens, teens or adults can learn a musical instrument in groups of two to four, or privately.

Spring Song Surge camps will be held during the upcoming spring break, giving tweens and teens a chance to experience the glorious wonders of music production. The intensive, five-day sessions allow tweens and teens to move from nothing to a professional master—recorded, mixed and released to the world via streaming platforms like Spotify or Apple Music—in just one week.

As a former drummer for 54/40, Neudorf in 1985 co-wrote the smash hit I Go Blind, which eventually led to his induction into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame. Since then, his music production, mixing achievements and prolific discography ring loud. The Grammy-nominated producer has worked with some of the music industry’s heaviest hitters, including Blue Rodeo, Neko Case, The Grapes of Wrath, Sarah McLachlan and The Weather Station. He received a Juno nomination for engineer of the year, and also received awards from industry groups like ASCAP and SOCAN. As Exclaim! Magazine once noted of his collaborative touch, Neudorf has a way of “polishing the diamond without losing the grit.”

In the early 2000s, Neudorf designed the curriculum for and taught as head instructor at The Audio Recording Academy, a post-secondary audio production school in Toronto. Now he wants to bring his passion for building music scenes through education to Kelowna along with his partner, Tracy Pillsworth.

Photo: Contributed

Primalux features a world-class, 12 speaker 7.1.4 Dolby Atmos immersive environment, and Neudorf says his goal is to bring a new approach to music education to a new generation while making professional-level mentorship accessible to local artists of all ages. He wants to empower young creators, starting as early as age eight, by teaching them the full music-making process—from songwriting and production to releasing tracks on streaming platforms. The curriculum is designed to empower creators to produce on their own. Parents have noted that the experience not only results in radio-quality music but also instills confidence in young participants.

“I’m really passionate about this, because I strongly believe in the power of music on the human brain,” Neudorf says. “Out of all age groups, teenagers have the highest levels of anxiety and depression. That’s messed up. There’s tons of recent science about how much music helps the brain with depression and anxiety, improves focus, memory and learning ability. I just think that music could be better served in our youth.

“Many music teachers tell you what to play, but I am more interested in what you have to say. So our focus is about creativity, about opening up those pathways in your mind, because that’s one thing that is going to be sought after as AI becomes more prevalent—your ability to think for yourself, unique creative thoughts, think outside the box and build something that wasn’t there before.

“There’re a lot of young people who are obsessed with music, but they don’t think they can make music. They wear headphones everywhere they go—they’re constantly listening to music, and they love it, and they would just love the idea that they could actually do the thing that they love so much. They just need the opportunity to express themselves.”

That authenticity from the kids, combined with Neudorf’s expertise and passion, makes Primalux camps like Spring Song Surge a can’t-miss event for just $395. Since spring break lasts two weeks in B.C., there will be two five-day camps for students 18 and under.

Primalux is also offering a discounted “Discovery Month,” for which you can sign up here for a month of weekly, one-hour lessons for half price to find out whether it is a good fit.

Neudorf and Primalux also offer a program called Adult Producer Foundations, which is a deep dive for older creators looking to master the modern music business and AI productivity tools. You don't have to live in the Okanagan, either, as Neudorf offers high-end remote mentorship, bringing world-class expertise to creators across the globe.

For more information about Primalux Institute and Studio, and its camps, visit its website here.

This article is written by or on behalf of the sponsoring client and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.