Jonathan Williams
\nSpecial to InMotion<\/p>\n
The Music Production Technology program at Daytona State College is changing the way veteran and novice musicians alike comprehend and produce sound. Entrepreneurially focused, students are learning the musical and technical sides of audio production.<\/p>\n
A team of five Daytona State Music Production Technology students will compete with peers from 10 colleges and universities across North America in the 10th annual Fantastic Scholastic Recording Competition sponsored by Shure Inc., one of the world\u2019s leading manufacturers of microphones and audio electronics.<\/p>\n
At stake is a prize package valued at more than $11,000, as well as exposure to some of the nation\u2019s top recording producers and engineers who will be judging the competition.<\/p>\n
Daytona State is the only institution that offers a two-year associate degree in Music Production Technology among those schools selected by Shure to compete. All other contending schools offer four-year programs. Among them are the Berklee College of Music in Boston and Ithaca College in New York, among others.<\/p>\n
The teams have three months to record, overdub, edit and mix an original piece of music, using equipment provided by Shure exclusively for the competition, according to DSC team advisor and audio engineering instructor Aaron Swihart. Shure will announce the winners on April 28.<\/p>\n
Kevin Leuzinger is a student at DSC and he has been a musician for most of his life. At age 7 he began playing the trumpet. He continued adding to his repertoire of instruments over the next 20 years. He furthered his interest by learning to compose music using musical instrument digital Interface files, or \u201cMIDI\u201d to write songs. As a result, when he was deciding on a college degree, a musical emphasis seemed paramount.<\/p>\n
\u201cBasically I decided to take music seriously. I actually dropped my major in nursing to switch to this program because this is what I really wanted to do. It\u2019s great because now I\u2019m going to school doing what I love as opposed to just getting a degree to make a pay check,\u201d says Leuzinger.<\/p>\n
Many of the students who find their way into the program carry some sort of musical knowledge or appreciation. It is the goal of the program to blend theories and practices together to create professional quality recordings that are on par with that of industry leaders. Daniel Mixer, an instructor for the program, discussed the importance of melding the two elements together.<\/p>\n
According to Mixer, \u201cThere is a lot of demand for people who want to be able to make their own music, and I think that there is often a little bit of disconnect. There are some people who tend to be more musical and less technical, and then there are people who tend to be way more technical and less musical. We try to bridge the gap between those two while deepening both.\u201d<\/p>\n
For those individuals who find themselves with prior musical knowledge, the Music Production Technology program is set up to provide a foundation of sound principles that they may not have known before.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe program has changed the way that I look at sound and how sound actually works. It has completely changed my outlook on how sound travels, how it hits our ears. What sounds good, what sounds bad, it has changed everything about the way I look at sound itself and how it relates to music,\u201d Leuzinger says.<\/p>\n
As with all students seeking an education, the end game is primarily to create a base of knowledge that will enable them to be employable in their desired field. It is the mission of the Music Production Technology program to not only create competent content producers, but also to create an environment in which the entrepreneurial spirit can thrive.<\/p>\n
Daniel Mixer went on to say that, \u201cThere is plenty of music in Daytona and the wider community where people want to get a good recording at an affordable rate and they can\u2019t. So you can strike out as a business owner and create the opportunity for yourself. That\u2019s one of the things we love about being a part of the music program and developing the musical talent here. We continue to grow the musical community and in turn the demand for the services these students provide increases. So it\u2019s kind of like this self sustaining thing that\u2019s growing together.\u201d<\/p>\n
Music is a diverse medium with unlimited possibilities, Mixer reminds students. The Music Production Technology program creates an opportunity for students to explore and cultivate a new perspective on sound and its components.<\/p>\n
Leuzinger says, \u201cMusic is something that everyone loves. It\u2019s something that we can share with one another and bring out our emotions. It\u2019s a rush when you\u2019re playing live or just listening, it\u2019s my passion, it\u2019s what I love to do. It\u2019s accessible to everyone and I encourage anyone who loves music and has a passion for it, to go for it.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Jonathan Williams Special to InMotion The Music Production Technology program at Daytona State College is changing the way veteran and novice musicians alike comprehend and produce sound. Entrepreneurially focused, students are learning the musical and technical sides of audio production. A team of five Daytona State Music Production Technology students Continue reading Music Tech Program competing nationally<\/span>