The Audio Production room is filled with equipment that provides a new experience for TJ students. photo by Shane Junkermeier
A new program has students becoming acquainted with everything audio.
Over the years TJ has offered many different pathways for students. With an already diverse selection of classes, there is a fit for everyone. This year, old and new students are able to dive into the new avenue of Audio Production, a class that touches on music, podcasts, and recording. This class is a gateway to a future career in anything related to the creation and mixing of audio.
The debut of the new class comes with the reappearance of Mark Mallaney, who first came to Thomas Jefferson High School as a Spanish teacher in 2008, but now returns to be a part of the new wave that TJ is offering . “The main thing that made me interested in coming back to TJ was the ability to build this program. This program I think is going to be a really great addition to the CCTM and it’s going to be really attractive to a diverse group of students” said Mallaney. The class centers around getting familiar with a number of programs, one being Logic Pro. It is a digital audio workstation that has a musical instrument digital interface just like garageband. Logic Pro, also known as a DAW, is essential to really get into mixing and production.
The class originated last fall, where there were discussions about getting more students interested in the CCTM/STEM pathways. Audio Production in particular is considered to be a STEM course, which makes it more accessible for students who are not a part of the CCTM program. Mike Christoff mentioned that “an idea came up, during a Black Parent Alliance meeting in fall of 2021, of offering some different courses – some high engagement courses and one of them being an audio engineering class.” Due to the class being approved late spring, students weren’t given the chance to see it on their choice of studies. However, the class is open to every student who is interested. The beneficial thing about providing a class like audio production, is that it resolves any financial implications students might face when trying to get started outside of school.
Unfortunately, the price of Logic Pro and the computers needed to run the program creates a big roadblock for students who are not in a place to make such a big financial investment. “The honest truth is that in a big urban high school like Thomas Jefferson, not every kid has a Mac at home,” stated Mallaney. Having a machine that is powerful enough to run the programs that are needed can be steep, so having a class that provides the bare tools to get started is amazing. It can really get the foot in the door for a lot of students who are interested in audio production but are limited due to the financial costs of getting started.
Nowadays, with the rising popularity of music being made from one’s bedroom, it is a surreal opportunity for students to be able to learn how to do it themselves, especially in a space that is readily available. Being able to learn the basics of these programs can help many kids get their ideas out there and create amazing things. The creation of music isn’t the only type of audio creation that exists. Even though music is a big part of audio, it is not the only focus of the class. Mallaney added, “I don’t want to give the misimpression that audio production is music. Music is a big part of audio, it’s the largest pillar, but mixing and mastering for television and film is another huge part.” The field of audio has multiple different branches. From recording the sound of walking on snow to the mixing of a song, audio is everywhere and it can be a great field to explore. Additionally, Mallaney explained, “For me the main thing is I write music. I write and record music. I also love recording bands. That is my main interaction with audio, it’s through music,” continuing, “There are lots of folks I know, I have a good friend who runs his own studio and he only does foley work, he does sound effects for video games.”
The addition of this class emphasizes the amount of opportunities and pathways that a career in audio can hold. Audio Production is not a class for a certain selection of students. The class is for anyone and everyone who has, or could have, an interest in anything related to audio. Whether it be with music, film making, or even creating a podcast, this new class will help students get there. With plans to one day incorporate student creations on the Spartan Edition and plans to venture out into Audio Production 2, Mallaney and his years of audio experience and music background will help many students on their journey. As it is still a brand new class at TJ, there are many more good things to come in the future from this new course.
