Because Oostburg High School and Oostburg Middle School share the same building, Michael Schnell, the Middle School Band Teacher, proposed starting a Music Production course for high school students. “One of my favorite classes when I was in high school was Music Theory. I also enjoy songwriting and incorporating technology in my classes,” he says. “I wanted a class that included these topics in a relatable way, so with some funds from our music department, we created a small music production lab.”
In the last few years, the class has grown and now the students release class albums on streaming services at the end of the year. “This class has allowed us to explore the creative process and the importance of creativity. It has become a major creative outlet for many students,” Schnell says proudly.
He introduces music production at the middle school level as well — in studio classes that each grade attends for one quarte. Schnell uses this class to teach his students piano, basic beats, music production with GarageBand, and performance skills. “Using popular music that students recognize and enjoy helps connect them with the music-making process,” he explains. “We also discuss how all these different skillsets build off of each other to help us grow as musicians.”
Under his direction, the middle school band program has grown with about 65% of the student population participating in band. Between band and choir, a whopping 90% of middle schoolers are enrolled in a music class. Schnell keeps recruitment numbers high by taking his middle school band to visit Oostburg Elementary, located across the street from the combined middle and high school.
The 8th-grade band plays holiday music during the elementary school lunch on the day before winter break. The 7th-grade band visits 5th-grade classrooms for one week in the spring, each day focusing on a different instrument section. The 6th-grade band performs for incoming 5th-graders when they come to tour the campus on move-up day. “We tell them that in one year they will be playing for the new incoming 5th graders themselves,” Schnell says. “With the size of our community, we are lucky to have the opportunity to really get to know the families of our students.”
The Oostburg School District and the community place a high value on the arts. In 2022, a referendum was passed that included remodeling the theater, doubling its capacity as well as providing state-of-the-art audio and video technology. In 2023, with funding from the Oostburg Community Education Foundation (OCEF), the Bruce Krier Charitable Foundation and community donations, “we purchased a Yamaha Grand Piano for our theater, which has increased the level of musicianship for students during concerts, events and lessons,” Schnell exclaims. “Everyone from our superintendent, building principals, staff and community are advocates for the importance of arts education.”
