Students from Brush High School and Memorial Junior High School had the special opportunity to demonstrate their musical creativity using new, innovative music technology at the Student Achievement Fair as part of the 2022 Ohio School Boards Association (OSBA) Capital Conference and Trade Show in Columbus on November 14th. The new musical technology included two different digital audio workstations, Ableton Live and BandLab, which are used to create digital music across all genres, M-Audio Oxygen Pro Mini Keyboards, and premium sound quality Sony ZX Series On-Ear Headphones. These exciting, state-of-the-art musical technologies are being utilized by students enrolled in the Music Technology I and II courses taught by Mr. Jon O’Brien, Music Technology Teacher at Brush and Memorial, as well as the Assistant Marching Band Director. Both courses are designed to introduce students to digital music production by applying digital audio workstations, keyboards, music theory, and music history.
The SEL Schools applied for and were selected to have a booth to celebrate student learning and accomplishments at the annual OSBA sponsored event. During the Student Achievement Fair, a group of five SEL students showcased their beats created using BandLab and Ableton Live, explaining their creative process, as well as highlighting key features of both programs and the M-Audio keyboards. Participating students also used the opportunity to create brand new songs!
Mr. O’Brien currently teaches the Music Technology I course to four 8th grade classes who can receive high school credit, and two high school classes (9-12). The Music Technology II course will begin next semester and is available to all students who have completed Music Technology I and focuses on developing a deeper understanding and fluency of the Ableton Live program. The availability of top-shelf musical technology used by producers and artists from around the world opens expanded learning opportunities for students and enables them to create professional sounding songs. Moving forward, Mr. O’Brien will seek to bring in more resources and collaborate with other music technology teachers.
These new musical technologies and related courses are a prime example of the commitment of the South Euclid Lyndhurst Schools to high quality instruction and curriculum that promotes student achievement and prepares them for successful futures.