Music Technology Program

Gwinnett County Public School’s Music Technology Program began at Brookwood High School in 1996. Ken Simpson, then assistant band director, started a music technology program at the high school with eight computers and electric keyboards. The first class of thirteen students began composing and recording using this equipment with an early music software program. This music technology lab class was an instant success. It provided musical training in theory and composition to students who were not involved in the school’s musical performing groups--band, chorus, and orchestra.

In order to accommodate the growing student enrollment at the high school, Brookwood’s Music Technology Lab was renovated and enlarged three different times from 1996 to 2000. Sixteen music workstations stations with keyboards and a small digital recording studio were added to the music technology lab during that time.

The Brookwood High School Music Technology Lab became a prototype for other high school music technology labs in the county. The AKS for music technology, first taught in the Brookwood music lab, is the standard curriculum for all GCPS high schools which now have music technology labs.

Grayson Technical located on the campus of Grayson High School opened in the fall of 2003 and offers music technology and recording programs for high school students countywide. Gwinnett County Public Schools has some of the best music technology programs and music technology labs in the state of Georgia.