Music producing: more and more on offer
Producing, music & computers, electronic music: more and more young people are taking lessons in subjects that don't just involve traditional instruments. Music teachers from all over Switzerland report on their experiences.
„Nowadays, it's practically impossible to produce music without a computer,“ says Mauro Fiero, music teacher at the Centro Studi Musicali (CSM) in Lugano. A fact that is increasingly reflected in the courses offered by VMS music schools. While some run regular one-day introductory courses in Ableton or other DAW (Digital Audio Workstations), others offer group or individual lessons.
Introduction to synthesis
On Dalcroze Institute in Geneva For example, Margaret Harmer has been teaching for ten years the subject „Current electronic music“ (musiques électroniques actuelles) in weekly group lessons for young people. „Electronic music has been around for fifty years,“ says the electronic artist and drummer, „so it's very important to teach it.“ She does sampling projects with the young people, teaches them about the history of hip hop and techno (among other things) and introduces them to synthesis. They work with GarageBand, Logic, Ableton or Maschine, depending on the students„ prior knowledge or wishes. At the end of the school year, the 12 to 17-year-olds produce their own projects, sometimes entire albums. What is particularly important to Margaret Harmer: “I want the young people to develop their very own musical taste."
The musical world of pupils
„It's a huge field - the computer is an instrument in itself,“ says Marc Scheidegger, Head of Division at the Sursee Region Music School. He has also been teaching producing to pupils from senior school age for some time, in addition to electric guitar. The offer at the music school came about because the mixing console in his classroom kept coming up - can I record with it? What effects are there? He went to the school management with the idea of teaching the subject of producing separately, developed a subject description with his colleague Mathias Droll and then put together material boxes for the lessons. They each contain a laptop, a tablet, a Zoom recorder and microphones and can now also be used by other music teachers on a low-threshold basis - and in class courses at the school as well as vacation offers. „The students are very interested in producing,“ he says, „It's their world of music. It was clear to me that we should offer this.“ He uses practical examples to address topics from harmony and rhythm. There are also plans to expand on live mixing in the future.
Courses with waiting list
Do the students practice at home? It's comparable to practicing any other instrument, says Marvin Trummer, keyboardist, producer and teacher at the Zurich Conservatory Music School - Some do a lot at home, others don't. He has been teaching a group course with two levels for five semesters, which is free of charge for students who take individual lessons on an instrument at the MKZ. The course has met with great interest and there is a waiting list. „I see the lessons as a door opener,“ he says, „I would have been very happy about it back then, I only had Chopin ...“. For example, he recreates the drumbeat of a song in class, from recording to editing, to train the ear, or he brings along an analog synthesizer or a tape machine to the delight of the students.
Producing in PreCollege
Since the 90s, producing has been practiced under different names at the Music School of the City of Basel offered. Tomek Kolczynski teaches the young people in individual lessons. Around three quarters of them work with Ableton, others with Logic or Fruity Loops. The students also have the opportunity to prepare for the audio design course at the university in the PreCollege. As part of this preparation, he teaches the basics of synthesis, sampling and live electronics. He also considers it important to show students influential artists from the history of electronic pop and dance music.
Learning competence
Artificial intelligence doesn't worry him: „It's not really usable musically yet,“ he says. „And when the time comes, I'll be looking forward to a new tool.“ Marvin Trummer also sees AI as an interesting tool, but it could also become a „creative killer“. That is why it is not currently an issue in lessons.
Mauro Fiero emphasizes that competent use of the available tools optimizes the music production process: „This allows you to concentrate fully on the artistic and creative side of music.“
_________________
Brief information on producing at music schools
- Courses, individual or group lessons
- Equipment: laptops, midi keyboards, DAW
- Prerequisite: sometimes parallel to solfège lessons, or lessons on an instrument (e.g. piano, guitar, drums), but not mandatory
- Age: usually from about 12 years
