Michael Meroniuk wants to keep music programs alive in public school and empowering students to create for themselves.
The Salmon Arm Secondary (SAS) graduate and music teacher at Nootka Elementary School in Vancouver has developed a program to do just that. With The New Sound, his mission is to make sure kids have access to a music education, 含羞草研究社減roviding educators with tools and strategies needed to inspire, engage and empower their students.含羞草研究社�
含羞草研究社淭he New Sound focuses on making music education accessible to all students, emphasizing the ease of learning recording technology for both new and experienced music educators,含羞草研究社� reads a description of the program. 含羞草研究社淲e aim to empower educators with tools for guiding students in music production, including recording, beat-making and using Digital Audio Workstations. The program offers a hands-on learning experience that simplifies complex concepts for easy understanding and engagement, fostering creativity and confidence in students as they create original music.含羞草研究社�
Meroniuk said he含羞草研究社檚 working with school districts with the goal of introducing The New Sound in B.C. classrooms.
含羞草研究社淲hat I含羞草研究社檓 really hoping to do is help build the narrative for keeping music in schools,含羞草研究社� said Meroniuk. 含羞草研究社淭hat含羞草研究社檚 the number one important thing for me. Being a music educator, someone who had that when I was younger, I feel very grateful. So I含羞草研究社檓 trying to give that back.含羞草研究社�
A trained session guitarist and mandolinist, Meroniuk credits his former SAS music teacher Brian Pratt-Johnson as the person who inspired him and his career, and that desire to give back.
含羞草研究社淗e was just so accepting and welcoming and he made it a point to give us the space and the trust to be able to just sit and create in school,含羞草研究社� said Meroniuk. 含羞草研究社淭he room was always open含羞草研究社� he always gave up his lunch time. He created an environment where we could create and provided us guidance when we needed it. Obviously he is an amazing musician too so he含羞草研究社檚 very inspiring in that he can really practice what he preaches.
含羞草研究社淛ust in general he含羞草研究社檚 very giving, very talented, also very kind and funny. He made school fun, made it worth going to. I think that means a lot when you含羞草研究社檙e a kid含羞草研究社� I含羞草研究社檓 very much about trying to create the same environment.含羞草研究社�
Meroniuk explained The New Sound came about from incorporating technology in his classroom.
含羞草研究社淭his led me into this cycle of designing more work for my own class and as I was doing that I started realizing there含羞草研究社檚 actually a huge shortage of music teachers around the province and actually the country含羞草研究社�,含羞草研究社� said Meroniuk. 含羞草研究社淚 thought maybe there含羞草研究社檚 a way I could make it so other teachers could facilitate a similar class, even if they don含羞草研究社檛 have a music background. Two years ago I started building this music tech program that could be facilitated in any school by any type of person with basic computer literacy. My whole goal with this was to allow music to still be taught in schools without a music specialist.含羞草研究社�
Meroniuk said computer and media literacy are educational facets of The New Sound. As an example, he noted how through social media people are being continuously exposed to a lot of high-quality content that may appear to be 含羞草研究社渞aw含羞草研究社� or filmed organically.
含羞草研究社淭hat含羞草研究社檚 usually not the case 含羞草研究社� a lot of the time there is post production that goes into those and then they含羞草研究社檙e released,含羞草研究社� said Meroniuk. 含羞草研究社淪o by learning how audio works and the processes by which it can be edited or manipulated to get a desired effect, they realize含羞草研究社� there is a lot of work that goes into it. Often that allows them to not feel like, oh my God, I含羞草研究社檓 not amazing right away. There含羞草研究社檚 so much technology in editing.含羞草研究社�
Meroniuk said The New Sound isn含羞草研究社檛 intended to replace existing school music programs, but complement them where they exist and provide an option for where they do not. He suggested the program would work best for Grades 6 to 12.
For more information, visit thenewsound.org.
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