‘Science of Sound’

Young people are told they must crawl before they walk, but this adage does not apply to students in MUSB 2450, Commercial Music Project.

This semester they will be crawling, walking, strutting and running way before midterm.

These students in the music business program produce “The Science of Sound,” which airs on Channel 98 Fridays to a public audience.

That means that they will get to see the real world applications of their work as they are learning to produce the show.

The class records live bands on a set on Fridays in a television studio in Longwith Radio, Television and Film Building.

On Friday, students were scheduled to record Dawns, a band from Montana.

Music business Coordinator Donnie Meals teaches the course.

He said he has done media production since before most of his students were born.

He has taught at this college as an adjunct since 1984 and has owned Edit Point Studios since 1987.

He has also won an award from the Accolade Competition for “El Corrido,” a documentary he produced.

“As an instructor, I focus on reinforcing the technical theory involved with producing a TV studio production involving live music,” Meals said.

“The business side of music is the requirement, not just the entertainment value. I supervise all technical setups and during setup, focus on problem-solving, such as unique signal routing and stage troubleshooting.”

Meals started producing the show in spring of 2011 with a few volunteers and interns.

In those three semesters, “The Science of Sound” has produced 27 shows.

The show has featured local, regional and international talent, such as Denmark’s The Foreign Resort and New Jersey’s MK4.

This is the first semester that this college is offering college credit in this class for the show’s production.

But students in Commercial Music Project aren’t the only ones getting a piece of the public exposure.

“As program coordinator of the music business program, I combine the efforts of all the classes in that curriculum so that each student’s subject matter can put what they are learning to practice,” Meals said.

In MUSB 2309, The Record Industry, students find the live musical talent used on the show.

ARTC 2347, Digital Design 2, students created the logo used by “The Science of Sound” and KSYM 90.1.

COMM 1337, Television Production; COMM 2302 Audio/Radio Production; and the MUSB 2450, Commercial Music Project, students all contribute to the production.

For upcoming dates and show times of “The Science of Sound” visit intv.alamo.edu.

View “The Science of Sound” on Time Warner Channel 118-119 or Channel 98 on a set top box.

On Grande cable it can be seen on channel 21 or ATT U-verse Channel 99.

For additional information, call Meals at 210-486-1380 or visit the program’s website at www.alamo.edu/sac/music-business.