[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6174455,"mediaKeyId","5370056-ee8099ceed47d6eb24780bb963d09f92","parentId",5370056,"title","South Plains College ensembles give students stage experience and original-song opportunities","audioSeconds",1636,"startMs",1160000,"endMs",2796000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5370056-ee8099ceed47d6eb24780bb963d09f92&start=1160&end=2796","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5370056-ee8099ceed47d6eb24780bb963d09f92/thumbnail_1160000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6174455/Lubbock/Lubbock-County/Texas/South-Plains-College-ensembles-give-students-stage-experience-and-original-song-opportunities","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6174455-f0b7976b3a139ca8c76f1e225c502e5c/orig.mp4?Expires=1770427536&Signature=hlV8fIKt4jRwZhmiLIGLUqBTUv9bJfQiDTljg6So7tqIPw-hL5hOSB~McF1Xy3x39yiz~Glgj~H2We2F3DdRHD6z3OiVA41a2ov6KOmNQMF4j6PjyCAnHvfRfZI6UV1ESdepIf1o~i5nc1diIx6FBYidcI5qQNKIEnaG0FMtwS6uMoqRE6Z2bj2DDbSbfY~iNhXpJ0bBfVbrQbcEcJQdr0trYArtUj-jmecL1vNwlXyt5nNCWfhcFdupAHZ6JuIQY3ZwR9JQfQ0oG2WUArDlBovlDiT3r66iodxXr3R9WCFPV52yiy7scmZvQCcv~FT988vnWMjZTJ8adw2XjXo8VA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of Lubbock TX","date","2025-07-12T03:23:02.503Z","article","South Plains College instructors and students described on-air how college ensembles, songwriter nights and course projects give students practical performance and professional-development experience.

Jerry Serrano, an instructor in voice, songwriting and piano, said he directs a Latin ensemble and a praise ensemble that perform during Fest Week and that the praise ensemble has begun accepting outside gigs at churches and local venues to give students real-world experience. “To see what it's like serving a church and serving your community,” Serrano said of taking the ensemble into community settings.

Serrano said most of his instruction is one-on-one lessons and that ensembles rehearse twice weekly: the Latin ensemble meets Mondays and Wednesdays and the praise ensemble meets Tuesdays and Thursdays. He also said at least one student is graduating into a full-time worship position this semester.

Serrano described encouraging original composition in class. “One of the songs that we'll be playing is an original song written by one of the members of the band,” he said, adding that he invites student input and treats students as collaborators in arranging and performance.

Student Cody Cashler described his ensemble No Ballads, a rock outfit that formed last semester. Cashler said the group is writing original material and plans to gig in the community once the semester workload eases: “We do have some now. I've got one that we may be working on here in the future.”

Serrano and Cashler highlighted campus performance opportunities that extend beyond classwork. Serrano hosts or directs performance pathways for students — including a songwriter night at Blue Light, which he described as a proving ground for careers. “Some of them are students from here that go pretty regularly,” Serrano said of the songwriter night, and he named several alumni who launched careers after early performances.

Practical outcomes: Serrano cited student career transitions (an ensemble member taking a full-time worship role), while Cashler described renewed motivation for a student returning to college after years away. Serrano and Cashler emphasized that ensemble work, touring experience and songwriter nights build performance skills and industry connections.

Less critical details: rehearsal schedules, examples of gig settings (churches, coffee shops, tattoo parlors), and ensemble names were provided. Serrano supplied contact options for the program coordinator (Brent Wheeler) and his own college email for prospective students seeking private instruction or ensemble placement.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","LBK Rhythm and Roots S3 E2: South Plains College Creative Arts Program, part 2","oneSentenceSummary","Instructors and students described ensemble programs, rehearsal schedules and songwriting initiatives that culminate in Fest Week performances.","taxTitle","Lubbock, Lubbock County, Texas","taxId",2806,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6174460,"Cinematography program at South Plains College adds AI tools and plans virtual-production studio",246,2165000,2411000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5370056-ee8099ceed47d6eb24780bb963d09f92&start=2165&end=2411","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5370056-ee8099ceed47d6eb24780bb963d09f92/thumbnail_2165000.jpg","/articles/6174460/Lubbock/Lubbock-County/Texas/Cinematography-program-at-South-Plains-College-adds-AI-tools-and-plans-virtual-production-studio","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6174460-313d2ecb6ff5603d10a24a25e6ff71a7/orig.mp4?Expires=1770427536&Signature=EzdhWZkCd-k4cBz6~ZXcCBLPBtp~Sui-Hy7QQdMS33kRCGjI8U2bFUYSYD2EldpK00bv7AniEn3Gt0dO86t24u4M3j401Z-3bIpP8olb0xrvR5w6PSiNI7b7zEFS-P6ePTSvjrBumBQWphKDdPAEXOYr8~A4mZCZ~~hZMFqiHOaQ0n0fRf5bCEnD~-uUjJVF96C9I8xCDqbeMo9y1~0KainNYDMLMUvUN1DeLwwARPXtkXkhuwvqYSTNk0A9gWFEqA7Ui8TntPQFLzMnBJJldgytaTpVRt9yuszy5WX~gZ9392ZVpswZWzvdVWDY4DPv0hWio-FPqeTB~nVw2dJCRg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","South Plains College’s School of Cinematography told listeners during Fest Week that the program offers multiple certificates and an associate degree, integrates AI-assisted tools for postproduction, and is working to add a virtual-production LED volume to give students experience with contemporary film-set workflows.

“Yeah. We talk a little bit about AI,” said Andrew Taylor, an instructor in the School of Cinematography. Taylor said students learn both the potential and the limits of those tools: AI can accelerate tasks such as rotoscoping, but students are taught to be “careful” because some generative tools may use copyrighted source material.

Taylor described the program’s credentialing: three certificates (basic, advanced and enhanced) and an associate of applied science. He said students gain experience in live video (concert and church production) and cinema work (short films, music videos and postproduction), and that a semester-long capstone requires students to develop a short film from concept to finished product.

On technology, Taylor said the program is “working on building our virtual production studio” using an LED “volume” similar to those used on professional sets such as the production for The Mandalorian. He said the college aims to give students hands-on experience with current industry workflows, from camera operation and lighting to postproduction and compositing.

Taylor noted students already obtain industry-relevant jobs while enrolled; he cited a student who was preparing to serve as director of photography on a true-crime project in Dallas. He encouraged prospective students to contact program staff or arrange a campus tour to see equipment and coursework in person.

Less critical details: Taylor described continuing efforts to keep equipment and techniques current and to teach students to work independently or as the lead in a small production team. He said faculty address ethical and legal questions around AI-assisted composites in classwork.

Contacts and program information are available on the college website; Taylor and program coordinator Greg Crook (named in the interview) served as on-air points of contact.","The School of Cinematography described certificate and associate-degree pathways, use of AI tools for rotoscoping and plans to build a virtual-production LED volume modeled on industry practice.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6174462,"South Plains College sound programs give students hands-on mixing and live-sound experience",3335,39000,3374000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5370056-ee8099ceed47d6eb24780bb963d09f92&start=39&end=3374","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5370056-ee8099ceed47d6eb24780bb963d09f92/thumbnail_39000.jpg","/articles/6174462/Lubbock/Lubbock-County/Texas/South-Plains-College-sound-programs-give-students-hands-on-mixing-and-live-sound-experience","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6174462-1f3e0524f4fbd5cb7a098494aefef4b0/orig.mp4?Expires=1770427536&Signature=brYxxLc1WK-HMHJS8OIf9frvc2g45tZVK2gzhjnoOAJkEc0X3UGMIF03fseTTXGnKbgVfLt5JM636BLfiGhF0qrqLv2ZdUq3pc-b7jYkD~OA4HZ5YF5nhVesIgWHZub43AEMT9JQ4mF9LWpu1WLWhCgHgMg1lrep3qsGCKbEfL0-TJOp49EqvyYeuc96gSfzEy1i89Duhl5O89CoCGgrPFQ3zfK~9fU5sQQfc5vL6jQmoEQ6uaAuiiHuVbyn5jDxEN-yXwiYRXjICaE97UV8G5sLtcqqA4uwXPhKirZKse3PGUArQeo-FBUIOKxyX5DUg9Id7qqUSJdS2L4CsuRFpg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","South Plains College instructors and students described how the college’s Sound Technology and Live Sound tracks prepare graduates for jobs in the audio industry, emphasizing semester-long lab work, on-campus performances and a mixture of studio and live-sound training.

The programs give students repeated, graded opportunities to mix live performances that are open to the public. “We do the throughout the semester the different music ensembles will have live performances,” said Dolph Guardiola, an instructor in the Sound Technology department. Guardiola said students mix lunchtime and Thursday-night shows and that many students mix multiple bands: “I think each one of my students is mixing three, three bands.”

The hands-on work is paired with classroom fundamentals. Guardiola said Audio Engineering I covers “the fundamentals” — “learning about the physics of sound, learning about how the microphones work” — and that students then move into studio routing and professional session workflows in Audio Engineering II. Live-sound coursework covers monitor and front-of-house engineering, system design and optimization, and practical assignments on campus systems.

Student Lizzy Corley, a live-sound major, described the program as a mix of “art and science.” Corley said students begin with Live Sound I (basic concepts and electricity) and progress through monitor engineering (what musicians hear) and front-of-house instruction (what the audience hears). “We have classes like sound system design and optimization,” she said, “how do we build systems? How do we make them look good with prediction softwares and the science and all of the nitty gritty stuff?”

Both instructor and student highlighted career mobility. Guardiola and Corley said many graduates find entry work immediately at churches, clubs, touring rigs or regional sound companies; Corley said graduates have pipelines into vendors and employers such as concert venues and larger service companies. Guardiola also noted students can earn Pro Tools certification as part of the studio-production path.

On-campus performances are presented to campus and the public. Guardiola said lunch shows are promoted campus-wide and Thursday evening shows are free and intended to attract community audiences. Corley said the creative-arts building is “never quiet” and that constant rehearsals and shows give students frequent real-world practice.

The program’s practical focus extends to grading and assessment: live mixing on campus systems during Fest Week is part of students’ coursework and evaluation. Guardiola and Corley both described the pre-tuned systems and structured assignments that let students concentrate on mixing and stage workflow rather than troubleshooting untested rigs.

Contacts for the Sound Technology program were provided on-air; Guardiola gave his email and said Chris Veil (program coordinator) is a departmental contact. Students and prospective applicants can also find program details on the college website.

Less critical details: Guardiola noted that studios and ensembles expose students to multiple genres — country, a cappella, rock — so students learn to mix styles they might not otherwise encounter. Corley said potential career paths include touring, working on cruise ships or taking school-district audio-support positions. The program combines classroom theory, industry-standard tools and repeated live practice to prepare students for hiring markets in audio and live production.","Instructors and students at South Plains College described semester-long training, on-campus performances and career paths in sound technology and live sound during Fest Week.","actionData","errors"]

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South Plains College ensembles give students stage experience and original-song opportunities

Cinematography program at South Plains College adds AI tools and plans virtual-production studio

South Plains College sound programs give students hands-on mixing and live-sound experience