By Leanne Parks ’25
From the soothing lo-fi beats that power you through that American Studies paper at 3 a.m., to the Taylor Swift album you scream to with your friends before a Student Activities Center (SAC) dance, music is a vital aspect of work, culture, and life here at Choate. While the science behind the creation of music is often overlooked, Choate’s Music Production class, taught by Arts Department Head Mr. Matthew McLean, helps bring to light this fascinating topic.
The Music Production class covers a wide range of themes, from the intricacies of mic placement to envisioning the next hit song. Mr. McLean describes the curriculum of the course as having three pillars.
The first pillar involves understanding the basics of audio engineering, such as recording live instruments, mixing, and mastering microphone techniques. Farrah McQueen ’25, a student in the course, commented on music production’s complexity. “It’s almost like physics, the mic positioning … producing the sound, how to position the mics at a certain angle to catch the sound, reverb, and all that.” This mastery of acoustics allows music listeners to feel the thump of the bass, the crash of the hi-hat, the groove of the 808, and the flow of Jay-Z’s rap.
The second pillar of the class is understanding the creation of modern music using digital audio workstations, such as Logic Pro and Ableton Live. Miles Bronson ’26 was inspired to take Music Production due to his prior experience using the software Garageband to create various beats. With the resources of the studio Choate provides, Bronson was able to bring his work to the next level.
The third element of the Music Production class entails grasping the crux of music production. Mr. McLean emphasized the importance of understanding “what it means to be a music producer and either create your own original music or help another artist realize their vision for recording.”
The class actualized this aspect with their midterm project, where Mr. McLean only provided the students with the vocal track to Adele’s hit song “Easy On Me.” With this limited information, students were tasked with composing an entirely original song, including creating samples and live recordings from scratch.
Danny Yoon ’24 has had a lifelong passion for music, whether it was singing, playing the guitar, piano, or drums. However, Yoon was unfamiliar with recording and mixing music, which prompted him to enroll in the class. Throughout the course, Yoon’s perspective of music production shifted, as he realized how many hours of work sound engineers put into creating just one song. Yoon said, “I think my appreciation towards music has grown immensely.” This change in Yoon’s attitude gave him a deeper understanding of music and the pieces that come together to create it.
Unlike Yoon’s desire to learn how to record music, McQueen sought to better understand the inner workings of the studio to bring their compositions to life. By learning nuanced techniques such as the acoustics of each instrument, and how to effectively use the soundboard to mix, they were able to take their newfound expertise and passion to create new and exciting pieces.
The overlap in art forms also attracted other artists from different artistic backgrounds to take the Music Production class. One of these artists was Tristin Hurst ’24, a filmmaker, who took the class to expand their knowledge on music. With a greater understanding of the recording studio, they gained knowledge that would also serve as a nice addition to their films.
Even for students not currently enrolled in the Music Production class, numerous opportunities to produce music exist on campus. Audio suites, located in the Paul Mellon Arts Center (PMAC), can be used by any Choate student who wants to record or test an original song. Additionally, practice rooms in Colony Hall provide a welcoming and secure environment for music production, whether it’s just for enjoyment or to become the next pop sensation.
