On Jan. 4, Hill students around the world resumed virtual learning, marking the start of H Term- a six-week program that lets students to study specialized topics through faculty-run courses or independent studies.  One course, run by Margaret Neiswender and Hill alum Brian McTear, focuses on music production, allowing students to learn how to mix, edit, and master recordings using professional ProTools software.  

The students meet synchronously two days a week for Masterclasses with McTear, during which he teaches mixing and editing music tracks, as well as how to use the ProTools software.  On the asynchronous days, students are expected to review material and familiarize themselves with the software.   Students are also able to work one-on-one with McTear outside of class. 

 “Mr. McTear is very understanding and willing to help,” said sixth-form student Cynthia Williams.  “Honestly, for anyone who loves music, this is a good class to take. It’s a really good experience.”

At the end of the course, students will edit and mix tracks from McTear’s recording studio’s library, allowing them to truly explore the depths and intricacy of music production while applying their newly learned knowledge from the course.   

“It’s not a seminar.  It’s a hands-on learning experience,” said Max Robertson, a sixth-former participating in the course. “There is so much more to music than just playing the instrument. It’s about the mixing, which is what this course is about. This is the next step towards really understanding music,” he said. 

Neiswender’s creation of this H-term course stemmed from several students’ interest in music production.

“I’ve always been disappointed that Hill has not had the time to offer a full music production class,” said Neiswender. Many students are interested in this area of music and H term provided the perfect vehicle to offer instruction in this software.  It’s kind of a happy accident of the pandemic. We get to offer something we have really been hoping our students could learn and the bonus is having Mr. McTear come.”

After creating the idea of this course, Neiswender reached out to Hill-alum and friend Brian McTear- a musician and record producer based in Philadelphia.

“Brian and I have stayed in touch since his graduation from Hill.  We’ve always been brainstorming how to get current students interested in music production and H term provided the opportunity.  I immediately called him and asked what he thought about the idea of the course.”

He was on board.

McTear started at Hill in 1987 with a passion for music and a dream of becoming a professional musician.  

“When he was a student, he was very committed to playing guitar.  He always thought of himself as a rock and roll musician,” said Neiswender.   

Although McTear did not participate in Hill’s musical groups, he found his own way to pursue music through support from Neiswender.

“She [Mrs. Neiswender] was really supportive of all my own ideas of what I wanted the school to give me.” 

In fact, McTear’s first concert he ever played was during a Hill dance. And it was with one of his high school bandmates that McTear toured the United States and released records for twelve years after graduation. And McTear dedicates his success in the music business to Mrs. Neiswender. 

“Truly she changed my life,” said McTear.  “She is one of the most important people in my life.  I make music every day all these years later.” 

Now McTear runs his own recording studio, Miner Street Recordings, in Philadelphia and, with William Robertson, has founded Weathervane Music- “a nonprofit whose mission is to connect people through the practice of supporting, engaging, and creating music.”  

“I had a vague idea of a nonprofit that would seek to make recording and creative experiences available to musicians,” he said.  “We did so by producing a documentary video series called Shaking Through.”

Weathervane Music’s Shaking Through supported aspiring musicians eager to share their story and their music.  

“We would find a really great artist whose music and whose story of why they make music was worthwhile to tell.  Then we would bring them into the studio and record a song with them,” explained McTear.

The non-profit continued to create this inspiring video series for eleven years.  You can view the last two episodes here and here. 

Weathervane Music continues to encourage artists to pursue their passion towards music through accessibility to recording and workshops.  McTear also teaches courses at The University of the Arts Philadelphia.  It is clear that he has left a lasting impact on the music business industry through his dedication towards aspiring musicians- some of which are members of our Hill community.

 “It’s always important to keep in mind the real reason anyone is involved in music and that is that music is a creative expression,” McTear said.  “You want to be involved because of the opportunity music provides to express yourself.  Never forget that.  You can do a lot of things wrong.  You can make a lot of mistakes, but if you are utilizing it as a way to boost your voice, then you can’t really go wrong.”