About
Our Story
The Sound Wall, founded in 2017 by Rob and Jen Slocumb of the folk-rock duo Martha's Trouble, is a historic home studio and performance venue in Opelika, Alabama. Originally designed as a recording space, The Sound Wall quickly evolved into a cultural hub, hosting intimate concerts and fostering collaborations with both local and national musicians.
In 2019, the Slocumbs launched the Sound Wall Music Initiative (SWMI), a non-profit dedicated to promoting arts and music education within the community. Through workshops, artist residencies, and outreach programs, SWMI engages people of all ages and backgrounds. Signature events like the Opelika Songwriters Festival and the Sound Wall Jazz Series, which attract music lovers from across the region, reflect SWMI's mission to make the arts accessible and enrich the local cultural scene.
Together, The Sound Wall and SWMI have become pillars of Opelika's arts community, blending creativity with community outreach to create lasting connections through music.
Our Programs
Opelika Songwriters Festival
Founded in 2019, Opelika Songwriters Festival is a multi day festival featuring world-class artists in a small, southern, railroad town. Intimate listening rooms are created in restaurants, coffee shops, a distillery, pubs, and galleries — a custom-made setting for a unique small town multi-day music festival.
Live! at the Wall Concert Series
Music lovers can enjoy a true listening room experience as The Sound Wall Recording Studio is transformed into an intimate concert venue. This cozy, state-of-the-art facility offers guests an up-close-and-personal opportunity to engage with the artists in a warm, BYOB atmosphere.
Jazz Series
The Sound Wall Jazz Series presents throughout the year a collection of weekend jazz residencies where world-class artists come to share their music’s vibrant energy. Audiences experience sensitive and spontaneous performances in the listening room of The Sound Wall, an intimate music venue and former historic home repurposed in historic downtown Opelika, AL.
Sound Wall Supper Clubs
The Sound Wall Supper Club is a reservation-only Supper Club featuring an exquisite 4-course chef’s menu by Chef Chris Wilton. Twelve to fourteen guests at our Chef’s Table are seated around a large table in the open kitchen, where they can watch and interact with the Chef as dishes are being created — an ideal spot for epicures! The ever-changing menu is crafted to highlight seasonality and the chef’s culinary creativity.
Studio
The Sound Wall studio is a highly versatile studio space. The flexibility in configuration options makes it perfect for recording projects, overdubs, editing and mixing.
Our Initiative
The Sound Wall Music Initiative (SWMI) is a non-profit organization dedicated to expanding access to the arts through live music, education, and community outreach. SWMI's programs — including the Jazz Series, Live! at the Wall, the Opelika Songwriters Festival, and artist workshops and residencies — bring music education and world-class performances to people of all ages across East Alabama. Memberships and donations directly support SWMI's mission to keep the arts accessible to the community.