In the last few years here at Weedsport our music program has taken leaps and bounds forward in both the technology and resources available to students as well as some new and exciting classes that will be offered to Weedsport students in the upcoming 2015-16 school year.
These new classes are Electronic Music and Artist and Event Management and they will hopefully broaden the demographic for the who are students interested in music, but may not want to be the ones on stage performing.

I recently had to opportunity to present some questions to Weedsport music instructor Mr. Brian Franco about the new classes as well as what he hopes will come about with their addition to his curriculum. I asked him to give a brief rundown on the new classes you are offering and how they are different from the other classes such as Music Industry? ​According to Mr. Franco, next year’s classes, Electronic Music and Artist and Event Management, are “Finishing what I started, so to speak. My goal of the Music Industry program has always been to provide students insight and experience in all areas of the music industry. EM and A+EM allows students the opportunity to try out new roles… like DJ, remixer, artist manager, lighting designer and so on. Some people love music, but being up on a stage might not be their thing. I want to help them find their niche.”

When asked about what inspired him to decide to create these new classes, he stated that the more opportunities we can make for students to learn about a field they are passionate about, the better. That’s why I love the fact that classes like this, or Robotics, or Graphic Novels, can exist. It’s saying to the kids, “hey, you are passionate about this really cool thing, let’s learn more about it.” That’s what education is all about!

He then gave me some reasons why you think students should take these classes into consideration when deciding which classes to take: “Both classes were designed with student interest in mind. Electronic Music… the DJing, remixing side of our music culture, is really pretty amazing and fascinating… it’s this entire subculture of musicians sharing and altering each other’s work. It’s highly collaborative and incredibly creative. That appeals to me, and I know it appeals to students as well. Artist and Event Management, of all the classes offered, is the one I wish I could have taken in high school… I love the “behind the scenes” parts of a live performance… lighting design, sound design, managing and booking bands. I think in another life I would have loved to work at a small rock venue running lights and sound. You are a necessary part of the performance, but a good lighting and sound designer blends into the rest of the performance. I think a lot of kids want to learn about it, and enrollment for next year reflects that.”

“These classes will also be involved in some of the keynote music-related events around the school. ​Electronic Music will DJ a lot. If you want to get people moving and having a good time, you will have plenty of opportunities. As for Artist and Event Management, my goal is that you become an integral member of the Weedsport Music Industry staff at live events, making performances look like real professional, live shows.”

Do these classes have the potential to inspire many job (and/or post-high school) opportunities? When asked, Mr. Franco responded, “Tons. Sound engineer, DJ, electronic artist, lighting designer, producer, talent manager. The entertainment industry is enormous, and kids at Weedsport can get a head start on everyone else with these classes. Every year for the last three years we’ve had students go into Music Industry related fields after high school, so clearly once kids are in, they get hooked.”

Mr. Franco also mentioned the many new things that he is looking forward to in being able to teach in these new classes. He states, “​I’m just happy to expand the opportunities available to students, and to learn alongside them. I have been working on DJing and remixing in the last several months, and it’s incredibly fun. I’m hoping to get a lighting system installed in my classroom for students to work on during class. It would be so awesome to have handy anytime we needed it in the music program.”

These new classes available here at Weedsport are an exciting opportunity for students interested in music and pursuing music as a career. They offer a chance to see some modern applications of music and some jobs available in this field. These classes add diversity and a new level of excitement to Weedsport’s curriculum, which is a good way to keep students invested in their education.