Solving Common Audio Issues in School Music Programs
Clinic Synopsis:
This panel addresses the most common audio challenges in music programs, from microphone issues and uneven sound to unclear recordings. Learn practical, educator-tested solutions for rehearsal rooms, performances, and events-plus how to build a sustainable audio setup with limited time, staff, and funding. Designed for all experience levels.
Erik Beyer
- Biographical Information
Erik Beyer is a District Manager with Yamaha Commercial Audio and NEXO, bringing decades of experience in professional audio systems and a passion for education. Prior to joining Yamaha in 2024, Erik spent five years at Sennheiser as an RF expert and business development specialist. His career spans over 20 years in the design and engineering of audio, video, and lighting systems for a wide range of commercial venues—including stadiums, houses of worship, and performing arts centers.
A lifelong musician, Erik proudly served for five years in the U.S. Army Band in the late 1990s. As a dedicated family man and former band parent, he brings a personal understanding of the needs and challenges music educators face today. He actively supports his local school district's high school programs through consulting and technical guidance.
Erik is passionate about making audio technology accessible and empowering educators with the tools and knowledge they need to succeed. Whether through training, system design, or hands-on support, he is committed to helping schools enhance their sound and better serve their students.
Barbara Freedman - Biographical Information
Barbara Freedman, 2012 TI:ME Teacher of the Year, teaches Electronic Music and Audio Engineering at Greenwich High School. Author of Teaching Music Through Composition, she's a national trainer, consultant, and Co-President of META/TI:ME CT. Her motto: "Teach music. The technology will follow."
Thomas Bough - Biographical Information
Dr. Thomas Bough joined the faculty of Northern Illinois University in the fall of 2005 as the Director of Athletic Bands. He also conducts the Wind Ensemble and the Wind Symphony and teaches graduate conducting. Bough holds MM and DMA degrees in Tuba Performance from Arizona State University, where he was a student of Sam Pilafian and Dan Perantoni. He is a Yamaha sponsored artist, and performs on the Yamaha 822 CC tuba and Yamaha 822 F tuba. Bough has contributed nearly twenty articles and hundreds of new music reviews to the Instrumentalist Magazine, ITEA Journal, School Band and Orchestra Magazine, and DCI Today, as well as articles to five volumes of the Teaching Music Through Performance series. He is also an ambassador for the Denis Wick company, and a lifetime performer on their mouthpieces and mutes.
His music is published by Alfred Publications, Cimarron Music and Thomas Bough Music. Bough has presented four times at the Midwest Clinic, twice at the U.S. Army Band Tuba-Euphonium Conference, and twice at the International Society for Music Education Conference. He has also presented at the International Horn Society Conference, the International Women’s Brass Conference, and the Midwest Regional Tuba Euphonium Conference, as well as two dozen Music Educators Association State Conventions around the United States, most recently, in Texas, Florida, and Illinois.
Matthew Black - Biographical Information
Matthew Black is Associate Director of Bands and Percussion Director at Carmel High School in Carmel, Indiana. He also serves as Sound Designer and leads the marching percussion section of the six-time BOA Grand National Champion Greyhound Marching Band. Under his direction, the Carmel High School Percussion Ensemble performed at The Midwest Clinic in 2023. Prior to joining Carmel, he served as Percussion Director at seven-time Grand National Champion Marian Catholic High School in Chicago Heights, Illinois.
An active sound designer and audio engineer at the highest levels of the marching arts, Matthew served as Audio Caption Manager and Sound Designer for The Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps through 2024 and sound design assistant for Rhythm-X Indoor Percussion Ensemble. His original compositions and arrangements have been performed at The Midwest Clinic, DCI World Championships, BOA Grand Nationals, WGI World Championships, and IPA.
Matthew is a sought-after clinician and educator, presenting nationwide on topics including percussion pedagogy, sound reinforcement, and electronic music production with Ableton Live. He serves as Division Coordinator for the Percussion Specialist Academy at the Music for All Summer Symposium and is a frequent contributor to MarchingArtsEducation.com and the Marching Round Table podcast. He holds a Bachelor of Music from Eastern Illinois University and is a Yamaha Performing Artist, Zildjian Artist, Innovative Percussion, and Evans drumheads.
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