Students at George Washington Preparatory High School in Los Angeles are learning how to compose their own music on computers, thanks to a program supported by a local music company.
M-Audio, a music-technology company based in Irwindale, Calif., started the program last year, when it began working with the Jack Elliot Music Project, a nonprofit organization that provides music and technology education to schools.
M-Audio has donated $20,000 worth of equipment to the school, including music keyboards, audio interfaces, speakers, and microphones.
Ken Johnson, the company’s director of education, said that the program had helped students not only learn to make music, but also gain computer skills, such as Web-page design and graphics development, that they can later apply in the work world.
Beyond those benefits, Mr. Johnson pointed out that the equipment needed to support this kind of school music program was beyond the reach of most schools in the country a few years ago.
But today, with advances in computer technology and with software replacing many hard components, it’s now a “viable option for schools to deliver music education through [computer] technology,” he argued.
