by Laura Lane
That's because the classes taught there, Sound Production and Recording, Music Theory I, II and III, and General Music are considered to be totally hip classes.
If you enroll in these classes, you get to use a computer lab with state of the art recording facilities that are comparable to many professional recording studios.
The computer lab is a recent addition to Clarke's reputable music program, constructed last summer by Clarke music teacher Paul LaConti who redesigned the room which he referred to as "a labor of love."
LaConti is no novice to the medium, having owned his own recording studio for fifteen years. To build a computer lab that could act as a recording studio at Clarke, he installed an additional wall to soundproof the school's music room, converted a few smaller inner rooms into isolation centers for recording purposes, and purchased equipment which included 16 student Apple computers.
There's also a teacher station with a recording console, audio interface, studio monitors and a 30 inch screen for editing.
LaConti said the room functions as a teaching tool and as a recording studio. "What's great about this room is there are no limitations," said LaConti. "And students can work at their own pace with a project or work as a group. Getting an opportunity to work in this lab presents music in a different way."
What's different is an ability to learn by doing. Students in the sound production and recording class edit the video and audio from Clarke's concerts and drama productions that LaConti videotapes for class use. They also learn how to mix the footage and burn DVDs.
Theory and Sound Production and Recording are open to all high school students, but LaConti said that musicians in particular flourish in the recording studio, including those who don't always have an outlet to share their talent.
"The class gives a voice to piano and guitar players who don't have an opportunity to play in groups," explained LaConti. "They are digitally recorded, put into an application program and can be videotaped at the same time. Then we take both of the mediums and mix them together into a video program."
LaConti said he's able to use computer software in his music theory classes. That makes the class more interesting because "students can note-take music on the computer instead of by hand," he said. "We use public domain files for ear training and to learn to transcribe music. Students can write their own part too to learn about counterpoint for example."
He encourages students who have their sights set on a career as recording engineers to take these music theory classes first. "The best recording engineers are musicians; it's hard to be good at it if you're not a musician," said LaConti. "Anyone taking the recording class would have a distinct advantage if they took the theory class because they'd be better able to understand and work the programs."
Senior Kevin Polowski is one of Clarke's music students. He's planning to pursue a career in music education and will attend C.W. Post this fall. Polowski believes the recording lab will benefit the music program at Clarke as well as students like himself who are learning from the non-music students who sign up for the recording class.
"A lot of different personalities are brought in; different people gets a different feel for the music program," said Polowski. "Most of these people are in a band of their own and are looking to record their music. There are certain people I would have never talked to and this class gave me an opportunity to get to know these kids."
As one of the music students at Clarke, Polowski is able to compare the music program prior to the addition of the computer lab. "The software makes learning so simple now," said Polowski. "Last year we had 10 old keyboards and this year the new keyboards are plugged directly into the computer and they play any type of sound. And Mr. LaConti can send different media to us directly into our computers."
LaConti is also using the computer lab to teach middle school General Music classes. He said that students seem to enjoy the class, and he's able to meet interdisciplinary state curriculum requirements too.
"Music isn't created in a vacuum, it's created by history and current events," explained LaConti. "I emphasize relating English Language Arts into the music program too by using the computer lab to facilitate all kinds of projects."
LaConti had his sixth-graders in his General Music class view parts of the movie "Chronicles of Narnia" to coincide with their reading of it in the English Language Arts class. He said this reinforced the reading and vocabulary, and made reading the book a richer experience.
"The historical period in 'The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe' is the Blitz," said LaConti. "We searched the ¹Net for photographs from this period and created a slide show with them adding the music from the movie. This shows the kids how music can enhance the experience. If you played the slide show without the music, it wouldn't be as effective."
LaConti sees the General Music classes as a second chance to reach students who may be losing interest in music. "Getting a chance to work in this lab presents music in a different way, a way that they may be able to relate to," said LaConti. "The lab is visual, reaching out to the Internet, and the software programs we use aren't used in the traditional music programs."
LaConti said he's having some success in rekindling a love for music among these students. "In every class I end up influencing one to three kids who end up getting involved in the music program again," said LaConti. "You don't have to want to become a musician to become involved in the music program."
