KANATA - The students at Earl of March Secondary School now have a
unique opportunity to create music on a whole new level.
With the construction of his recording studio complete,
Chris Kesner, a communication technology teacher, is giving his students the
chance to lay down music tracks, record voice-overs for original films, create
sound effects, and learn the production side of music.
“When I was in high school we didn’t have anything like
this,” said Kesner.
The project began when Kesner came across a professional
studio-quality Mackie mixer and speakers sitting unused in a closet at the
school. He asked senior staff if he’d be able to use the equipment to build a
small recording studio in a small office next to the communication technology
classroom.
Once he received the go ahead, he began assembling the mixer
and speakers with other bits and pieces of equipment, including a microphone, a
keyboard from the music department, a compressor that keeps the audio signals
tight, a guitar, and a computer.
“We sort of haphazardly assembled the recording studio,” he
said. “We were going to put some sound baffling up, but we haven’t got to it
yet.”
The small office that was once a dull white has now been
painted an edgy black with iconic posters such as the Beatles’ Abbey Road and Pink
Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon lining the walls.
“Every time (students) come in here, they’re reaction is
‘This is so cool,’” said Kesner.
Some of the students are taken aback when they see the
complexity of the equipment, said Kesner, but once they get started working on
it they really enjoy it.
“They really like it because it’s the first time they get to
do it,” he said. “The possibilities are endless.”
The whole process took over three months to complete and was
opened in December. With the new semester having just begun on Feb. 1, Kesner
is looking forward to incorporating the recording studio into class projects.
He would love to see students gain an interest in sound
engineering and even start recording their own original music.
As a musician himself and member of a cover band called The
Dream Pool, Kesner likes to share his passion with his students.
“That’s what I love about this job,” said Kesner. “You can
take things you’re generally interested in, and would do on your own time, and
share it with the students.”
jennifer.burden@metroland.com