1) Germantown Academy, a private school in Philadelphia, has its own professionally equipped recording studio where songwriting, audio, and video production classes are held. 2) The classes involve small groups of 5-15 students engaging in discussions about lyrics, music, and performances while some practice recording in the studio booth. 3) At the end of each school year, the students in the course are required to contribute recordings to a compilation CD released by the school.

1. Classes in a recording studio
or
a recording studio in a classroom?
Whichever way you like to call it, in fact. The truth is that Germantown
Academy, a private school in Philadelphia US, 3 of our students and me
visited this February, has got its own recording studio on its premises.
Would you believe it? Since I had in mind the theme of our magazine
throughout our stay there, I decided to have a closer look at the place.
And this is what I discovered.
‘Songwriting, audio and video production’ classes are conducted
in a very professionally equipped ‘classroom’ by two teachers
at a time. Imagine a small group of students (about 5 but no more than
15) sitting all around the place engaging in a fruitful discussion about
their lyrics, music or performance. In the meantime, there
is one practising his rap song in the booth. I wish I had written
a song and been ready to play and sing along to have my first try.
Luckily for him, there was one of us who did that – what
an adventurous guy.
I bet he would also like to contribute to the cd released
at the end of every school year. As the name of the course suggests
it is the objective and requirement to record one together with all the
other students attending the classes.
Isn’t it a dream course for many teenagers? Perhaps.
For those who have chosen it as their subject in GA, apart from fun,
it is also hard work. The results, however, are professional and pride
winning. Oh, we envious... How many opportunities to do incredible
things in our lives do we waste?
Joanna Myszka