Texas Bandmasters Association
Bandmasters Review • June 2014
27
expose students to opportunities and careers in the
music industry beyond performance. These courses
are arising across the country, and we have seen
immediate success and program growth.
Companies like PreSonus Audio Electronics are
making great strides in providing turnkey lab solutions
for schools. The PreSonus Music Creation Suite
and curriculum is the first complete school music-
lab package that makes this course affordable and
accessible by providing all hardware and software
needed to supplement a Mac or PC, as well as online
tutorials and videos.
Many other software and hardware options are
available for piecing together your lab. I recommend
starting right away. Do not wait for a grant for the
full lab; instead, create a single learning center or a
few stations. Let students explore music technology
during class and start a club. The popularity of
this opportunity and the amazing products students
produce will help you advocate for more technology
because stakeholders can see the benefits of the course.
The Big Picture
As music teachers, we educate not only future
performers but also future audiences and arts
supporters. Most students will not pursue careers as
musicians, just as many will not pursue careers as
mathematicians, scientist, or historians. The broader
goal is to expose as many students as
possible to the nuances and intricacies
of musical expression, composition,
theory, and timbre in order to gain a
better appreciation for the music that
surrounds them everyday.
A music-technology course, along
with recording and promoting the
traditional band, choir, and orchestra
ensembles, completes a well-
rounded music department. With this
approach, you can educate students
about the entire musical process from conception to
performance to distribution, as well as expose students
to the thousands of careers available in the $17 billion
worldwide music industry.
Using Technology to Enhance and Grow Music Programs
As Education Market Manager for PreSonus Audio Electronics, Inc., John Mlynczak provides music-education technology professional
development and training resources for educators. Mlynczak taught music and music technology at both the elementary and secondary levels,
is an active performer, maintains an extensive schedule of music-technology clinics, and is chairman of the Marketing and Communications
Committee for the Technology Institute for Music Educators. A resident of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, with his wife Nicole, he served as chairman
of the Creative Arts Assessment Committee for the Louisiana Department of Education from 2011 to 2013. For more information on PreSonus
music-education solutions, contact him at: musiced@presonus.com.