El Camino School of Music, Repair, and Technologies recently launched in Orlando, Florida. The brainchild of John Theisen, founder and president, the school offers a practical and diversified curriculum aimed at gainful employment for students looking for steady work in the music industry. Germany’s Sommer Cable is used throughout the facility and in the school’s technical workshops.
“The primary objective at El Camino School is to create a true collaboration
with the community and local music industry in order to share knowledge
for those looking to further their understanding, careers, or hobbies,” Theisen explains. “We aim to educate current and aspiring musicians on how the music is created before an artist even strikes a string. This includes everything under the surface, from guitar circuitry to the inner workings of a guitar amplifier or effects pedal. Musicians that understand how it all works are more likely to succeed.”
Pictured is John Theisen, founder of El Camino.
El Camino School is one of only three retailers in the USA that sell packaged Sommer Cable directly to consumers. “We pride ourselves in providing quality products and experiences for our students and customers, and Sommer fits right into that equation,” says Theisen. “Sommer cables are exclusively used to wire up our studios; in the school to test out guitars, pedals and amps; to wire our sound systems throughout the schools; and for demo-ing equipment in the shop.
We also use Sommer cables and connectors in our repair and technology classes to teach students how to build and solder their own cables and connectors, as well as to fix cables and diagnose issues that they may see while on tour or working in the industry.”
All students that attend El Camino School get their own adjustable-height workbench, a set of tools, pull-down power on everything they need to learn how to build a guitar, build an amplifier, repair, diagnose and keep gear in top condition.
Guitar Tech – Program Overview
The backbone of any touring band is their road crew and techs. The guitar tech is one of the most needed and sought after pieces of the touring puzzle. The technician maintains the artist’s instruments, pedals, and amplifiers from gig to gig and troubleshoots real-world problems. In this program, the student learns to build, repair and diagnose issues with instruments, amps, pedals, the signal flow of the pedalboard, backline gear, cabling and more.
“We’re training the next generation of guitar techs,” says Theisen. “a role that is central to musical production and touring.” Every graduate of El Camino’s “Touring Tech Development” program leaves with Sommer cables they assembled during the 7-week course. “We are the only school in America that offers this program, which is focused on training and preparing the next generation of touring guitar techs and repair techs to work in the industry, as well as with major instrument manufacturers, retailers, and installers.”
The Guitar Tech classroom at El Camino.
“Sommer Cable is a pivotal piece of the equation,” explains Theisen, “because it bridges the gap between the guitar, the amp, the pedals, the sound system, and so on. Knowing how cables work and why they work, as well as how to troubleshoot issues, makes the tech that much more savvy and adaptable. Luckily Sommer cables rarely have issues.”
Learn more about El Camino: https://elcaminoschool.com/
Links to some of the Sommer Cable used at El Camino School:
Stage22 Microphone Cable:
https://usashop.sommercable.com/en/Cable/Microphone-Cable/Mikrofonkabel-Stage-22-Highflex-SGCE.html
Spirit XS Highflex Instrument Cable:
https://usashop.sommercable.com/en/Cable/Instrument-Cable/Instrumentenkabel-Spirit-XS-Highflex-XS8J.html
Patch Cables
https://usashop.sommercable.com/en/Cable/Patch-Adapter-Cable/Patch-Insertkabel-unsymmetrisch-Tiny-Patch-BVSJ2J2.html
ABOUT SOMMER CABLE
Sommer Cable Germany is an enterprising development and manufacturing company of innovative and unique cable, connector and electronic products for the Studio, A/V Installation, Live Sound, Broadcast, Video, Music, IT and HiFi markets, with business partners in over 50 countries. In 2015, Sommer Cable America, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Sommer Cable Germany, was established in Santa Rosa, CA. Jed Larson is COO of the new company, which supplies the North American markets with Sommer’s wide range of innovative and high quality products. 707.200.4020 http://sommercable.com/en
