Unlocking Potential Through the MYP at Lahser

Robert Craig got so excited talking about electronic music, and his future in it, that he almost forgot the most important part of his Middle Years Project presentation.

After teasing them for roughly 20 minutes with photos and anecdotes about his three-month journey into the life of an aspiring D. J., the group of teachers and faculty advisors had to ask the Lahser High School sophomore to show them his talent.

Using $3,000 worth of computerized sound equipment housed on the makeshift stage table he designed and created out of his older brother's old aquariam stand, Craig mixed and matched a collection of sounds, thunderous beats and recorded lyrics to create music similar to what one might hear at local night club or show.

And the teachers — set to evaluate students not only on their project, but on their ingenuity and process — were blown away.

"You were playing that like it was an instrument, changing the tempo and pitch, and it was very impressive," marvelled one teacher in the Lahser choir room.

"You really have command up there," said another.

Not bad for a student who acknowledges his own academic shortcomings, yet found a way to channel his passion and challenge himself through the project.

"It's my dream to do this . . . but there's no class called 'chasing dreams' and I didn't think anything like this was possible," he explained. "This is something that's given me great hope for a future when I know that I'm not so academically strong."

Craig's journey, which included two live performances and multiple chances to interact with professional D.J.'s, epitomizes what the MYP Programme is all about, said Carrie James, Lahser's International Baccalaureate coordinator.

He was among 66 students who presented their projects to different faculty groups in school Friday, and will share them with the broader community tonight at 7 p.m. in the Lahser cafeteria.

"We really want them to come out of this process really owning the skill they explore and learning something from the experiences they might not have had otherwise," she said.