Are you a music enthusiast who is also interested in technology? If so, Stoughton High School’s Audio Recording Mentorship class might be for you. The exclusive class offers personalized, one-on-one training sessions with Ryan Casey, a music teacher here at SHS for 23 years. The class aims to help students learn the art of music recording and offer an opportunity to develop production skills with the guidance of an expert. As of this year, this class is only available for two students at SHS: seniors Colton Patterson and Michael Anschutz.
If interested in joining the Audio Recording Mentorship class, students must fill out an application. Casey encourages students interested in music production to check out the class and see if it may be for them.
“I want them to have a vision and a goal of why they want to be on this end of recording people. So if there’s an interest in that—even in the slightest—we kind of plan on that,” Casey said. “I go with seniority first because I can only take two students at a time. So we kind of work from there.”
This class is designed to teach the basics of audio recording, regardless of prior experience. In the Audio Recording Mentorship class, students also learn about the equipment used in recording studios, from microphones to mixing boards and sound treatment. Additionally, they learn how to set up a recording session, mix different instruments, and use effects to enhance their recordings. Finally, students also learn how to edit, mix, and master recordings to create a finished product of professional quality.
Senior Colton Patterson joined the class at the beginning of the school year. Since then, he explained that he has learned a lot about the recording process, which he attributes to his experience in the class.
“[I have learned how to understand] the audio recording process musicians go through as well as how to physically wire some stuff up for recording and projecting sound, like at concerts,” Patterson said.
Many students find the most exciting aspect of the Audio Recording Mentorship class to be the opportunity to create their recordings. Much like Patterson and Anschutz, students interested in music view it as a chance to learn and a platform for self-discovery and personal growth where
they can experiment with various recording techniques, honing their skills and
developing a unique style.
It’s important to note that the Audio Recording Mentorship class can only accommodate two students at a time due to limited resources. However, Casey doesn’t want this to discourage students from signing up. Casey is working on ways to give more students access to this class.
“We are getting some new equipment this year,” Casey said. “I’m going to have a second station, so […] I’m going to have two in the class next year per semester.”
Senior Michael Anschutz, another, had several reasons behind his decision to join.
“I was interested in this class partially to avoid the huge study halls, but also because it was a really cool opportunity to work with the school’s recording equipment,” Anschutz said.
Students can discover a world of creativity with the unique Audio Recording Mentorship class that combines specialized equipment and artistic expression. If interested, Casey encourages students to try out for this opportunity in the music wing. Anschutz agrees with this sentiment.
“I would definitely recommend this class to others. The programs that the recording studio has are very accessible, and they make it easy to produce a good sound no matter your skill level. I think anyone interested in music would enjoy this class,” Anschutz said.