Applications are open now for two new instructional workshops in music production for teenagers presented by the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation. One workshop will teach the fundamentals of audio engineering in a recording studio environment. The other will teach the basics of stage production and mixing sound in the context of a live event such as a concert or festival.

Both workshops will be monthly, on Saturday afternoons, and will take place simultaneously at the Jazz & Heritage Center starting Feb. 24. The workshops are open, free of charge, to students between the ages of 13 and 17. To participate, students and their parents or guardians must submit an application using this online form. A brief essay written by the student is required.

More details on the workshops are below, and check out full information at the Jazz & Heritage Foundation's website.

Studio Fundamentals: How to Record a Jazz Band
The class will be taught by Chris Finney, a Grammy-winning producer, engineer and mixer. He has more than 25 years of experience in the recording studio, and has done sessions with artists including Robert Plant, B.B. King, Herbie Hancock, Allen Toussaint, Fats Domino, Galactic and many others. He is a Pro Tools instructor, and is an active member of the Recording Academy, serving as co-chair of the Memphis Chapter’s Producers and Engineers wing.

Topics to be covered include:
Introduction to microphones: diaphragms, air flow and sound quality
Fundamentals of instrument and microphone placement
Introduction to Pro Tools and capturing audio
Introduction to pre-amps and effects
Setting up a Pro Tools session
Recording studio etiquette
Working with artists to capture a great performance
Isolation of sound
Introduction to audio editing
Introduction to audio mixing
Introduction to audio mastering

Live Event Sound: Microphones, Instruments and Fundamentals of Concert Audio Engineering
The class will be taught by Kailyn McCord, a highly accomplished A1 audio engineer who has run sound for many years and worked with a wide array of production companies, including the Solomon Group. She is also has extensive experience as a classroom teacher at the middle school and high school levels. And she holds a Master of Fine Arts degree in creative writing from the University of New Orleans.

Topics to be covered include:
Live sound vs. recording
Mapping how sound travels physically through an audio system
Basics of microphones and microphone selection
Signal flow
Gain structure
Feedback
Microphone placement
Introduction to P.A. systems
Introduction to the front-of-house mixing console
Introduction to the monitor mixing console
Mixing sound for small and large bands