8th Grader Spearheads Soundtrack for High School Games
Marshfield, WI (OnFocus) Sports at Marshfield High School will have more of a big-game feel this season thanks to a new student production team.
The new jumbotron and sound system at the Marshfield High School stadium means opportunities to showcase photos and videos of players, do instant replay, and sing along to catchy tunes.
Behind the soundtrack is budding DJ Riley Arndorfer, an 8th grader at Marshfield Middle School, who will be overseeing music and sound effects at football and soccer games as a member of the Tiger Game Day Production Team spearheaded by high school business and information technology instructor Charles Treankler.
Though the club is for high schoolers, Riley was recommended for the post by a 7th grade teacher, making his debut as “DJ Riley” on Tuesday at a teacher’s meeting. The past week, he’s worked from the early morning to late afternoon on music, graphics, and setup for the show and will DJ during Friday’s debut games at the new stadium.
“We’re doing a lot with the jumbotron and a lot with the audio,” he said. “We’ve worked hard on getting stuff done for the game.”
Working with technology and as a DJ has been his passion from a young age. “I was really into electronics and also big into music, so it just started with getting little things for Christmas that I begged for, like speakers,” Riley said. “I’d use my parent’s old stuff to do my own little show.”
“We’ve had more DJ parties than I want to admit!” said Jennifer Wall, Riley’s mom.
He also put his growing expertise to work helping teachers with tech issues and handling electronics, which led to his current gig.
While Riley will be involved with planning the soundtrack, high school student Alissa Franks, plus any others who join the production team this fall, will head up the live video camera and oversee the software for the big screen.
“It’s brand new for all of us,” said Treankler. “The dream is to have at least a dozen, if not more, students trained in multiple roles so we always have the manpower we need to produce a quality experience.”
Though the technology is already familiar to those who turn on a Packers or Brewers game, it’s used increasingly in business settings as well, which makes the skills learned all the more valuable.
“There are very few high schools that can provide students with practical experience,” he said. “We’re excited because we’ve got all this state-of-the-art equipment available.”
While the stadium will serve athletes for decades to come, it’ll also be a resource for other tech-lovers and programmers who get to play a valuable part of the games without having to step on the field.
“The stadium isn’t just for the sports families,” said Jennifer. “It’s for people such as Riley and others that are doing the behind-the-scenes.”
Their hard work can be seen in action at the boys varsity soccer game against New Richmond at 4:30 p.m. followed by a football game against Oshkosh North at 7:30 p.m. Livestream coverage of local games is provided free at OnFocus.News/Sports.
Author: News Desk
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