Hillsborough High School has a variety of electives, all of which touch upon different subjects. Some are more popular than others, but one in particular is a hidden gem: music technology, which offers a great opportunity for students to explore the art of creating music.

In the spring of 2018, HHS invested heavily in Apple products, specifically iMacs and Logic Pro X. Logic is a professional level digital audio workstation program which was bought by Apple Inc. in 2011. The program functions on Apple devices and costs $199.99.

This technology has since been assimilated into the music technology course, providing professional level software for students to work with.

The course, taught Jonathan Klizas, takes place in rooms 123 and 313 C; 313 C is a smaller room which helps students focus on the craft of creating music with no distractions. Klizas is primarily the Guitar and Advanced Guitar teacher, but has also been teaching the course on and off since he was hired 13 years ago.

“I love seeing people being creative,” Klizas said. “It gives students a chance to create music on their own.”

Students who take the course rave about the opportunity of focusing on something other than normal coursework, and the ability use programs other than Google Chrome.

“This is the best course I’ve ever taken,” senior Christian Bone said. “I like the freedom of creating beats in the studio.”

The course has been around for around 15 years and counts as a fine art elective, which fulfills one of the two art graduation requirements. Students from all musical backgrounds are able to take music technology. As a matter of fact, it’s recommended.

“If you are technically minded and have a bursting interested in creating music, this would be a good class to take,” Klizas said.

Upon completion of the course, students are eligible to take Advanced Music Technology, taught by Nicholas Clipperton.