Swan Spearheads Creation of
HHS Sound Room
Heather Swan is a take-charge kind of person. Some people think that in another life she might have been an army general. The Huntington High School video arts teacher recently spearheaded creation of a sound room that will enhance student learning opportunities.
"The new room is next to my green screen area," Mrs. Swan said. "The students and I were inspired after going on a field trip to the Museum of Moving Image in Astoria. They have an audio digital recording room."
Upon its return, the group asked high school chief custodian Lawrence DiMattei to build two walls to enclose the corner of the video arts room, one with a window and one with a door. That put the initiative in motion.
"Will Burton of Fat Nappa Productions and I were collaborating on some project ideas when he offered to contribute some Auralex (sound proofing foam) for the walls and a microphone," Mrs. Swan said. "The video club used some money to purchase the rest of the Auralex needed and the furniture for the room. In my spare time, I installed the soundproofing material, carpeting and furniture to complete the room."
Heather Swan is a real dynamo, relentless in her quest to better the video arts program and push her students to new heights. She began her undergraduate degree in fine art at the University of Southern California. She studied in London as a junior and then returned stateside and graduated from Long Island University-C.W. Post College.
"My love of technology and the arts began as a freshman in college when I received my first computer with Photoshop installed on it," Mrs. Swan said. After earning a masters degree in communication arts at New York Institute of Technology, she worked as a creative director at a web firm in Manhattan.
Mrs. Swan went on to attend the Vancouver Film School and later pursued a career in computer animation. "I came into the field of teaching after several years in the graphics design and animation industry," she said. The Huntington faculty member ultimately received a second graduate degree at Hofstra University in art education.
"When a position for a video arts teacher was presented to me, I was thrilled to be able to utilize all of my previous skills," Mrs. Swan said. She began working at Huntington High School in 2006 and has been teaching three levels of video, cartooning and animation and media arts classes as well as running the after-school video club that includes the production of the school's newscast.
"Our video students have excelled in program," Mrs. Swan said. Indeed they have as the teenagers have won dozens of awards in various film festivals. The teacher believes the courses she leads are an important part of the high school curriculum.
"These video arts classes keep our students on the cutting edge of modern technology and open up another realm of career opportunities to assist them in their future," Mrs. Swan said.