Inspired by Muse Machine’s Funk Summer Institute in July, the teaching team at Butler Tech School of the Arts (SOA) kicked off the school year with an innovative project: Battle of the Bands. Students from all artistic disciplines were grouped into bands and tasked with creating every aspect of a musical act, including a song, album art, choreography, costumes, a band origin story, and even a budget for ticket sales.

This project exemplifies Muse Machine’s belief that teachers are vital to inspiring students. By providing educators with rich artistic resources and transformative experiences, Muse empowers them to bring creativity into their classrooms.

Butler Tech student Alex Salazar shared how this experience deeply impacted him, speaking to the lasting influence of this unique approach to learning.

Muse: How familiar were you with the music and history of Dayton funk before the course?

Alex: I was familiar with the music and sound of Dayton funk without even realizing it was Dayton funk. I had always heard the songs and the samples that came from them but had no idea that it came from an area so close to me. It was surprising that such influential music was so local, and it was inspiring to me. It made me think that if those musicians made it big from a local scene, then I can as well!

Muse: What has been the impact of the funkified student crash course on you as a student and artist?

Alex: As a student I try to remember how it felt to work with people around me those days at the start of the year. I remember how we made our project come together so well and how we were able to compromise as a group. I try to implement this in our daily lives at SOA, especially if it is a big show with many people from all different artistic backgrounds (like how our funk groups were divided).

Muse: How has SOA’s student community changed because of the crash course?

Alex: The student culture is less “cliquey” and has a more unified student community. What once was a school separated by arts, and had little diversity in friend groups, became a unified community of artists working together. I can definitely say that the performing arts students are much closer to the visual arts students now. They seemed like strangers to us last year.

Muse: Has this experience influenced or inspired any current or future projects for you?

Alex: It has inspired me to keep pursuing my own personal career. Knowing that coming from Ohio and making a name for yourself in the music industry is possible has allowed me to be more confident in myself and my own abilities. It has pushed me to take more risk and initiative to get my album fundraising done as soon as possible so that I can release more of my music for the world to hear.

Read more about Muse Machine’s Summer Institute for Educators

Pictured: Two teachers from Butler Tech, Alex Salazar (plaid shirt) and Muse teaching artist Deron Bell, far right.