I first began teaching in the fall of 1988. It was at a high school in the Montreal suburb of St-Laurent. I was 18 years old at the time and was asked to be a substitute teacher for kids barely one year older than me! It's an experience I'll never forget, and as time went on it helped to start the beginnings of what would be Digital Media Camps today.
Although I loved music and teaching, academically I did not have the "diplomas" required to be a professional in those fields. So I chose Electrical Engineering Technology and Computer Science. Most of what I knew was self-taught or from work done as an apprentice in a technical department in a local TV station.
From 1998 to 2007 I held various positions in different areas of information technology, my LinkedIn profile shows a brief overview of my career. However, the call to teach and play music was always there.
A change of life situation in 2008 got me on the path to being a music teacher. Before long, I was providing elementary school kids with 30-minute lessons at lunch, in their after-school programs, and eventually into their homes in the neighboring areas of the schools I taught at.
The one thing that drew my attention to the need for better programs for kids was when I entered these classrooms was the lack of music, art, and technology programs that were in such high demand in my IT career. Much of the high-end computers in the classroom were just used for doing spreadsheets, presentations, and homework assignments. Very rare was there a program that showed a more advanced level of computer science. Much of the technology used to publish websites, create music, edit videos, and learn basic economics and business management was not being put to good use.
This concerned me greatly knowing that there are many kids with learning disabilities that could greatly benefit from programs and workshops that would engage and deliver a quality educational experience for their child. There are too many studies that show the benefits of learning music at an early age and how digital media can help kids learn to become better digital citizens.
From 2010 until 2020 I had the opportunity to run my Digital Media Camps in different forms; one of which was Digital Music Camps at Dawson College for a few summers, and privately with different families and students until the COVID-19 crisis hit and changed everything.
All of a sudden, everyone needs a better faster computer to work from home with, and for all that teleconferencing we do with Zoom and Google Meet.
We have now entered the world of reliable online lessons that can be done in the comfort of your home, school, or office.
I believe that it is now possible for virtually everyone to create their own music, art, or video projects with professional quality. Dreams do come true for everyone. It's important to teach others to never stop believing in themselves, in the potential that exists in them and other people around them.
Not only are Digital Media Camps focused on developing student's minds, but we are also committed to providing teachers and educators with second-to-none industry experience as they help shape the minds of our future. If you are one of these people, I hope that my efforts and those of the greater community can help you realize your projects with better peace of mind,
Music and art are essential to humanity. It helps us to be inspired and to inspire others to do more, be more, and live more. In an age where attention spans are short, it's important to make sure you make every moment count.
