Students' talent in music, production shines at HHS
BY TOYNETT HALL Staff Writer
Julian "Jules" Drucker, 16, of Manalapan, gently stroked the strings on his red Ibanez electric guitar, alongside junior Isaac Rosenberg, who was operating the Digidesign interface mixing console, manipulating the sound of a potential song that the two students plan to create in the digital recording studio of Howell High School's Next 2Records, a student-operated recording label.

Jules Drucker

While neither teenager was certain of the genre of music he would create, the opportunity for them to experiment and produce music has been available to the entire Howell student body through this recording label and the Freehold Regional High School District's Fine and Performing Arts Academy's programs for about five years.

Howell High School is the home of the Fine and Performing Arts Academy, which draws students from throughout the FRHSD.

Next 2Records was brought to Howell by Joe Cantaffa, who teaches Entertainment Technology in the music production major.

According to Cantaffa, Next 2Records originated as an after-school club at the Eisenhower Middle School in Freehold Township as a way to engage and expose all of his students to the different aspects of the music industry.

PHOTOS BY ANDREW MILLER Terrance Stradford, 16, of Marlboro, works on a composition in the Next 2Records studio at Howell High School.

In the fall of 2002 Cantaffa moved to Howell High School and resurrected the program after students started to generate interest.

According to Dan Green, supervisor of the fine and performing arts program, "Next 2Records is an extracurricular program that Mr. Cantaffa volunteers his time for. It complements the Entertainment Technology program, but it is open to any student within Howell High School. It does not cost anything to run the program. The equipment provided is here because of the scholastic program."

Within the Entertainment Technology classes, "we usually have students working in the recording studio as class work for five or six periods out of the day," Green said. "The performing arts program and the extracurricular components are almost as valuable as the academic programs here. They complement each other."

Howell High School is one of six high schools in the FRHSD. Specialized learning centers and academies are open to the district's 12,000 students.

According to Green, there are presently 200 students enrolled in the fine and performing arts program.

Junior Terrance Stradford, 16, of Marlboro, has been a part of the recording label for about two years. He said he got involved with Next 2Records because he loves music and wanted to learn how to record.

So far, Terrance has learned how to work Protools, an audio editing software, and he has learned about aspects of advertising. This year, Terrance said, he hopes to do more producing.

Terrance currently makes music in different genres, including techno, rock, hip hop and rap. He said he dreams about becoming the next Kanye West.

Junior Amanda Luchento, 16, has also been part of the recording label for two years. She is more involved with the administrative tasks of the organization.

She participates in the human resources department, as well as video, arts and graphics.

"I really love being involved and having an upward managing position, working with so many talented people," Amanda said.

Since its inception, the organization has grown from about 10 individuals to more than 20 pupils. Freshman Erika Leone said she thought this would be the perfect place to help her hone her skills as a musician.

"I wanted to join Next 2Records because I love music. I thought this would be the perfect place to get into music and then bring it outside and use it to get toward my future career. This is what I want to do with my future, and it is really an awesome experience and learning environment," Erika said.

Cantaffa appreciates his students' enthusiasm about the recording label, but what he wants them to gain most from the activity is real-world experience.

According to Cantaffa, there are two kinds of students: "One is a student who is going to go and pursue a career in the music business whether it's performing, or administrative, or production, or otherwise.

"And then there is the student who is going to pursue something else and that's great. But for the student who looks toward the (recording) business, I would like to give them as much of a real world experience as possible to prepare them.

"For the student who is not (going on in the business), this is their major leagues. Let's make it as real as possible so that student has a true music industry experience before they go on to college and pursue something else," Cantaffa said.

Cantaffa said that without the support of Green, Howell Principal Zina Duerbig and FRHSD Superintendent of Schools James Wasser this extracurricular activity could not be possible.

"We wouldn't have half of what we have in these last five years if it wasn't for them. Without them we would be a regular high school with a music program, [but] because of our students' talent, we can be more than that," Cantaffa said.

Green added to that, saying, "We take an extra leap. There are solid programs throughout the entire district and next year will be the 25th anniversary for Howell's fine and performing arts program."