Music Technology

John Jay High School’s music lab delivers an experience that you can’t get anyplace else. It not only features MAC desktops loaded with Finale, Logic, Ableton Live, and FL Studio software plus keyboard controllers and studio headphones, all connected to a new JBL sound system for playback and performance – it includes Amy Geiger, a mentor and co-conspirator in the search for creative expression and technology mastery.

“John Jay is one of the very few high schools in the region that has a four-year music technology sequence,” said Geiger, who is head of the music technology program. John Jay High School offers approximately twenty sequences—ranging from Architecture and Pottery to Physics and Science Research—that allow students to nurture their interests and pursue their goals.

The heart of the music lab is the recording studio—a small soundproof room with a digital audio workstation and a sound booth in the back. That’s where you can often find Hunter KcKendry, a junior and third-year student in the Music Technology program.

“I spent every moment I could in here last year,” Hunter recalled. Making music is her thing. Her dedication paid off—she was one of three sophomores from John Jay High School whose composition resulted in a spot in New York University’s competitive Future Music Moguls program. “I always knew I wanted to do pursue music. I’m interested in movie scoring.”

Music Technology is a diverse community with its own traditions. The programs attracts students from every corner of the school, from athletes and computer science kids to theatre students and music lovers.

Friday class, freshman year, is Genius Hour. Students have time to experiment with the equipment and share tips with one another. Each unit throughout the program ends with Sharing Day—listening to classmates’ compositions on the lab’s impressive sound system and affirming each other’s work. 

Hunter remembers playing "Time," one of her songs at a recent Sharing Day. Everyone, including Geiger, was silent for a moment before breaking into applause. “It was very validating,” said Hunter. "I’ve gotten many things from the Music Tech program--most notably a confidence gain that carries into all aspects of life, a portfolio of work and many new long-lasting friendships!"