In the Classroom with Leo Sidran

Students in the Composition for Film & TV class are working with Leo Sidran, a Grammy winning multi-instrumentalist musician, producer, arranger, composer, recording artist, podcast host and creative coach. Sidran is helping students devise creative briefs before they write original songs that will accompany real commercials. Students are using Pro Tools and Logic to create their scores.

Ben Schlaich, a Visual Arts student, chose to take Composition for Film & TV, a class that is not in his major, because he has an innate interest in different artistic crafts. He enjoys working with Sidran and is grateful for the opportunity to try different electives. “I think Sonic Arts will help me in my artistic development,” says Schlaich. “Knowing different things can help you choose to do one aspect of the arts. You’re pulling in a variety of influences. Different electives allow me the opportunity to be flexible in what I choose to do in the future. It allows me to be prepared in case in I choose a different career path.”

“Leo is very experienced with sound, which allowed us to come up with our own ideas in a way that was influential,” says Schlaich of he and his peers. “One of the things I love about LIHSA is that I get to work with professionals. The opportunities are exciting and prepare me for my actual career.”