John Lennon Tour Bus Stops at GISD Technology Center
Article Date: March 6, 2008
Due to his untimely death, John Lennon may not be a familiar figure with most high school students. But thanks to a mobile studio bearing his name, several GISD learners experienced the ins and outs of a state-of-the-art audio and video recording facility Wednesday afternoon at the district’s Technology Center.
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Garland High School students who were exempt from TAKS testing loaded onto the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus and created original compositions, recorded their songs and produced broadcast-quality music videos using HD equipment donated from Apple, Sony and other vendors.
Jacob Voelzke, who recently began his third year of touring with the bus, assisted the Garland HS students with their projects throughout the day. Included were lessons on film editing and recording sessions.
Voelzke said that the students he works with are as diverse in their talents as the landscapes he sees while traveling across America.
“It really is very interesting to see the different approaches these students take and how different they are from school to school,” he said. “There is a difference in students that attend schools with advanced technology programs and students who are getting their first exposure to some of this equipment. Some projects we create during our visits are more advanced than others but everyone really enjoys working with the program and benefits from the experience.”
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This year’s student participants are the first to operate in the program’s newest bus. Unveiled in September, the bus features two recording and video production studios, a green screen room and isolation booth, a presentation and demonstration room, and living quarters for three staffers.
The non-profit program, made possible through an agreement with Lennon’s widow – Yoko Ono Lennon – is in its 11th year of touring the country, giving young people hands-on experiences of the audio/visual industry.
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