A photo-filled oral history of the DC-area music studio that brought us some of the most iconic recordings by Bad Brains, Bikini Kill, Fugazi, and so many more.

“If Memphis rock and roll had Sun Studio, and the Beatles had London’s Abbey Road, DC punk had Inner Ear.” ―Washington Post

In the late 1970s, Don Zientara―a conscientious objector to the Vietnam War―founded Inner Ear Studio in the basement of his home in Arlington, VA, using the electronics training he received from the army. Inner Ear remained in Don's basement until its 1990 relocation to a larger space on South Oakland Street. Along the way, Inner Ear became best known for recording iconic DC punk musicians including Bad Brains, Minor Threat, Bikini Kill, Rites of Spring, Mary Timony, and Fugazi.

Composed by photographer Antonia Tricarico, The Inner Ear of Don Zientara is an oral history of not just Inner Ear's recordings, but the role that Don played in creating one of the most welcoming and nurturing recording studios the world over. Alongside 250 photographs, this volume includes testimonials from members of Fugazi, Scream, Fire Party, Shudder to Think, Jawbox, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Dismemberment Plan, as well as musicians like Kathleen Hanna and Henry Rollins, among other notables.

In addition to DC punk bands, Don also recorded many other styles and genres, including Celtic folk tunes, harp music, Russian balalaika groups, political advertisers, and choral singers. The studio was also featured on Dave Grohl’s Sonic Highways television mini-series. The Inner Ear of Don Zientara pays tribute to this iconic studio, celebrating the man at the heart of this remarkable space.

About the Author

Antonia Tricarico has been taking photos since 1997. In the past years, she worked for Lucian Perkins ( Pulitzer Price-winning photographer for the Washington Post) and collaborated with Tolotta Records, Dischord Records, Kill Rock Stars, and Youth Action Research Group.
Her work can be found in private collections, in the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History, and in the permanent exhibit and archive of the Special Collections Division of the District of Columbia, Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, Punk and Go Go music archive, in the Special Collections of the Michelle Smith Performing Arts Library, University of Maryland, and in the Collections of DC History Center in Washington, DC.
Her first book Frame of Mind: Punk Photos and Essays from Washington, DC, and Beyond, 1997-2017 was published by Akashic Books in 2019. Her second book: The Inner Ear of Don Zientara: a half century of recording through the voices of musicians, engineers, and producers from one of America's most innovative studios was published by Akashic Books in 2023.
Her work has apparead in Photo Review, Guitar World, Kerrang, Razorcake, and Fretboard Journal.

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