FAQs

  • Getting EMC at your school is easy! Schools, PTAs, and parents can contact us anytime at info@electronicmusicclub.net. We partner with public, private, and charter schools across multiple districts in the greater Portland area and Eugene.

    With enough lead time, we can usually launch a new site as soon as the next session.

    We handle the instructor, equipment, flyers, and registration—your school just helps us secure a classroom space.

  • Absolutely! Many of our students take EMC for multiple terms (and some for years), and they continue to grow every time.

    Each session includes a mix of repeatable core projects plus new lessons that we rotate in. Because we teach with a range of hardware and software, instructors can quickly gauge the group’s experience level and tailor the class to returning students as well as beginners.

    Even when a project repeats, returning students dive deeper:
    more advanced editing, stronger arrangements, more confident sound design!

  • We love when students want to keep making music outside of class. Here’s everything we use in EMC along with options families can explore at home.

    Ableton Live
    Our main program is Ableton Live, a professional music production software used worldwide. Ableton offers a generous education discount for families.
    Learn more here:
    https://www.ableton.com/en/shop/education/

    Novation Launchpad Mini
    In class, students use Novation Launchpad Mini controllers. If you decide to buy one for home, it comes bundled with Ableton Live Lite which is a great starter version of the software.
    You can see the Launchpad Mini here:
    https://novationmusic.com/en/launch/launchpad-mini

    Vital Synth (free)
    We use a free software synthesizer called Vital in many beginner and intermediate classes. It works in many music programs and is fantastic for sound design.
    Download here:
    https://vital.audio

    VCV Rack (free)
    Some intermediate groups use VCV Rack, a free modular synthesis program that lets students experiment with signal flow and synthesis concepts.
    Download here:
    https://vcvrack.com

    Minimum laptop specs for making music at home

    Students do not need a high end computer to get started. A laptop that meets the following is usually enough:

    • macOS or Windows 10

    • At least 8GB of RAM

    • At least 10GB of free storage

    • A reasonably recent processor (Intel i5 or Apple silicon recommended)

    • Headphone jack or USB audio capability

    Chromebooks unfortunately do not support most music production software.

  • Most EMC classes are capped at 12 students, with some summer camps allowing slightly higher numbers depending on the equipment setup. We keep our groups intentionally small so every student has their own workstation .

    Smaller groups help maintain a fun, calm, and creative environment where every student gets meaningful one-on-one support and can actually build songs, not just follow along.

  • When you register, you’ll automatically receive a confirmation email that includes your full receipt. We recommend saving that email for your records, especially if you plan to submit it for childcare credit, FSA reimbursement, or tax purposes.

    If you need us to resend a receipt, please email info@electronicmusicclub.net with your child’s name and the session they attended. Because this requires manually searching past records, it may take a few business days — especially for older sessions — and in some cases we may not be able to retrieve very old receipts.

    Our EIN is 87-3718225

  • We welcome students of all abilities, and our goal is to make every class a safe, focused, and positive space for creativity. To do that, we ask all students to follow basic expectations around safety, respectful behavior, and staying engaged with the class.

    If a student is struggling to meet those expectations, we’ll communicate with parents and may put a behavior plan in place. In some situations, a student may be asked to pause their enrollment or, if needed, be dismissed from the program to keep the learning environment safe for everyone.

    Refunds are not provided for classes missed due to behavioral concerns, pauses in enrollment, or removal from the program.

  • EMC follows each school’s decisions regarding weather and building safety. If a school cancels classes or after-school programs due to snow, high heat, power issues, burst pipes, or any other facility concern, EMC is also canceled for that day.

    When this happens, we’ll notify families by email and will attempt to schedule a make-up class if space and timing allow.

    Because instructors, equipment, and classroom space are booked for the full session, we do not offer refunds for isolated weather-related cancellations. However, if a session misses more than two weeks of classes due to weather or building closures, families will receive a prorated refund or credit.

  • We do not prorate for missed classes or late registrations. If a family joins after the session has already begun, we treat those earlier classes the same way we treat any absence (such as illness or appointments), which are not prorated.

    In every case, instructors will help late-joining students get caught up so they can jump right into the current project with the rest of the group.