We eliminate barriers to our Frederick county youth so they may experience hands-on, transformational, real-world learning experiences that are highly technical in nature. August 1 & 2 , 2026, in collaboration with the Asian-American Center of Frederick, Global Z delivered a 2-day Introduction to Audio Production workshop taught by Dr. Jonathan Cresci, Assistant Professor of Sound Recording Technology at Texas A&M University-Kingsville. This free event provided hands-on access to commercial-quality audio production equipment to a diverse group of Frederick County youth. The project places a priority on recruiting from marginalized, at-risk, and ALICE families while encouraging young women to consider a career in audio engineering – a field currently heavily dominated by males. We were incredibly excited that 50% of this year’s participants were female – that is an amazing accomplishment! Our post-event survey confirmed the training we deliver provides an exceptional opportunity that is highly appreciated, valued, and not available by any other means to Frederick youth. Students learned about the science, technologies, and processes of recording music and the treatment of recording spaces. The workshop serves as a springboard, allowing students to apply knowledge to personal projects, seek additional formal education, or seek out entry-level positions in the audio arts field.
Student comments include the following:
“The topics presented were very interesting”
“I thinkDr. Cresci explained many concepts like gain staging and compression in an intuitive and detailed manner”
“The workshop was very well designed and it helps young musicians a ton”
” It was a really good intro to those who really want to get into audio production as a career”
“I would say that Global Z made great use of grant money to create an effective learning environment and a two-day curriculum that was enjoyable and useful”
We look forward to delivering the workshop in 2027!
Thank you to our sponsors…
- Ausherman Family Foundation
- Delaplaine Foundation
- MSAC
- Frederick Arts Council
- The Harry Chapin Foundation
- The City of Frederick
- Asian-American Center of Frederick
- sE Electronics
- Sontronics
- Sweetwater
- Wegmans