Bayside, NY — When the music program at Queensborough Community College (QCC) was launched over 40 years ago, the strains of classical piano and violin concertos floated through the hallways. These days, thumping hip-hop rhythms receive equal time in the college’s Music Electronics curriculum. Supported by computer labs that feature Power Mac computers running Mac OS X, QCC’s students are learning all of the skills needed for success in today’s music industry.
Music Department Chair Joseph Nagler is one of the visionaries behind the music curriculum at QCC. He says the program has shifted radically in recent years. From its roots as a traditional conservatory, QCC’s music department now endeavors to meet the needs of students who choose to explore digital tools to study, create and produce music.
“Our students come to us with an innate, nascent musicality,” says Nagler. “They may not be trained or have strong study skills when they start the program, but they live, breathe and dream music. Our role is to help these students learn to express their inner musicality and to speak the ‘language’ of music.”
Everything we do of a serious nature here, we do on the Mac.
— Joseph Nagler, Music Department Chair, Queensborough Community College
Mac Keeps the Beat
QCC’s two-year Music Electronics program includes tracks that encompass general education, technical training and musical training. All of the classes in the tracks utilize computer technology. Although QCC is a Windows-driven campus, Nagler says the music department’s two computer labs are outfitted almost exclusively with various Macintosh computers.
“We think it’s important that our students be conversant on both platforms, but everything we do of a serious nature here, we do on the Mac,” he confirms. “The simple reason is, the Mac platform just works better. The integration of the operating system and hardware is outstanding.
“Since we are not supported by our IT department,” continues Nagler, “having Mac OS X on the machines is a huge help. Mac OS X is probably the best operating system I’ve ever worked on. It has that core UNIX base that’s so reliable — it doesn’t crash and it’s very good with audio timing. Mac OS X has been an extremely good, solid operating system for us.”
Quick Conversions
Nagler and a sole technical support assistant now maintain over 40 Mac workstations in QCC’s music department, as well as the Xserve that keeps multiple media-rich applications on track. From Power Mac 7100 to Power Mac G5 computers, as well as a sprinkling of iBook and PowerBook laptops, the Mac systems ensure that the student musicians never miss a beat.
