Well, since I'm just starting out and nobody's really asked me any questions, this FAQ is Frequently Anticipated Questions, rather than Frequently Asked Questions.

Who are you?

My name is Jeff Inlay, I live in West Linn. I'm in The Alphabeticians and run Kid's Recording Studio. I was born in Hawaii, raised in Southern California, graduated from La Habra High School and Pomona College, lived in Seattle for 3 years, moved to Portland in 1992 and been here ever since. I'm a big fan of the Portland Trailblazers, in particular coach Nate McMillan and Brandon Roy. I love The Beatles, Miles Davis, Brian Eno, The Beastie Boys, The White Stripes and lots of other music. I love camping, hiking and playing with my boys.

What kind of experience do you have working with kids?

I have two boys of my own, Aidan (7) and Carter (5). I've been working with kids from Oregon City Preschool for the last year. I've coached boys baseball and girls softball teams. I've been teacher helper at John McLoughlin Elementary School (and been background checked for this). If necessary, I'm happy to provide references.

What kind of music experience do you have?

I've been playing the guitar, singing and performing in bands for 26 years. I was in the Portland band Hummingfish for many years, performing at most of the bigger clubs in the Portland area in the 90s, as well as touring all over the West Coast and recording 2 CDs.  Hummingfish got a mention in People magazine as an up and coming band.  I am currently in the kid's band, The Alphabeticians.  I have extensive studio experience, having been involved in the recording of several full length CDs, as well as many smaller projects.  I've had my own home recording studio for several years, and have recorded tracks for the upcoming CD from The Alphabeticians, as well as my own children's CD.

How should I prepare my child?

First and most important, have them practice singing the songs they want to record.  When they come into the studio, they will need to wear headphones (or your own earbuds if they just can't wear the headphones, but headphones are best) and stand in front of the microphone, so if they like to dance and/or move around a lot when they sing, they will need to practice standing still (and they should be standing, not sitting).  In the studio, they will be able to listen to the original vocal track while they sing, so they don't have to practice to the tracks that don't have vocals (but if they prefer to do it without vocals, they can do that too).  They should practice singing loud (but not shouting).  The other best thing they can do is to practice smiling while they sing.  This whole experience should be fun.

What happens when we get to you studio?

First of all, my studio is in my home, and it is very kid friendly, not at all like regular recording studio.  I suggest that you come 10 minutes early.  Your child can watch while I get set up, we can talk and joke around while your child gets comfortable.  It's also really helpful if you can prepare your child (see previous question).  We'll figure out what song to sing first, we'll put on headphones (parents too), do a quick level check and start singing.  Just wait until you see the smile on your child's face when they hear their voice coming over the speakers.  Make sure you have your camera ready!  (Don't worry, I'll take some pictures too.)

What if my child wants to sing his or her favorite songs from Taylor Swift, High School Musical, Hannah Montana, etc?

Many popular songs are easily available to license for recording purposes.  If they are available through the Harry Fox Agency's Songfile service, the cost is $17.28 for 25 CDs or less for a song that is 5 minutes or less.  However, this does not include backing tracks.  If it's a song I've created backing tracks for, then there is no additional charge (or they can sing a cappela).  I will create backing tracks for some songs, but there would be an additional fee for this service.  The other option is to license backing tracks from a karaoke company.  I've contacted several to see what they charge, and of the ones that have gotten back to me, the least expensive one is $75 per song. 

What about original songs?

You are free to come up with your own original words and sing them to the tune of one of the available songs.  Or if there's a song in the Public Domain* you 
want to record, or if you have your own original song, I'd be happy to work with you to record it. Of course, there would be an extra fee for that service.

*There are several resources for determining if a song is in the public domain. The rule of thumb is, if it existed before 1922, it's in the Public Domain (this is for the U.S. only, most other countries, the copywright extends for 75 years after the creator's death).  One good website for finding public domain songs is Public Domain Information Project.  However, it is not complete.  I have found several songs not listed on pdinfo that are in fact in the public domain.