York teacher, students created award-winning 'album project'

Taking raw talent, refining it and then letting it fly is what the award-winning York Album Project is all about.

The music produced through the York High School program in Elmhurst is an eclectic mix produced by students under the guidance of Chris Gemkow, the teacher who launched the collaborative project four years ago.

On Saturday, May 5, students, faculty and friends from York plan to be at Schuba's, a club on Chicago's North Side, to celebrate the project's fourth studio release.

In recognition of the achievement, Gemkow has been chosen as one of five music teachers nationwide to receive the Music Education Innovator Award from the Give A Note Foundation, a nonprofit, Virginia-based organization that encourages music education opportunities for all students.

The award includes a $4,000 grant to be used to enhance the music production program at York.

Gemkow plans to travel to Nashville next week to accept the award at the Country Music Association Foundation's Teachers of Excellence awards.

He'll also be honored in November at a Dallas awards presentation of the National Association for Music Education.

"It's just an incredible recognition of this rare opportunity I've been given," Gemkow said.

He said he's grateful that York has allowed him to expand the music program and bring in students who otherwise wouldn't be involved in the school's music education offerings.

Gemkow began teaching in 2001, starting with English and special education classes. Music was something he did on the side.

"I always was writing songs, playing with other people," he said. "I was just a hobbyist, really. I never thought I could turn it into a career."

He began teaching a few guitar lessons around 2009 and then formed a Wilco-style band with other teachers.

They needed a drummer, and teacher Bill Riddle, York's performing and visual arts division chair, stepped up.

"We played out in the community a bit and at school," Riddle said.

Gemkow, meanwhile, got involved with the school's Amateur Musicians Club, eventually becoming its faculty sponsor.

"It was through that experience, working with these kids, that I learned they were writing these incredible songs," he said.

Gemkow went back to school to get his master's degree in music education.

The York Album Project started as his final master's project, but his graduate adviser encouraged him to turn it into something more meaningful, not just for his graduate program, but for every day.

At first, students each produced an extended play recording of three to five songs. By the 2014-15 school year, the York Album Project had become a 15-song compilation by 15 different student artists.

"What I was going for was kind of a pathway, to take those original ideas, record them and meaningfully get them into the world," he said.

The first year, students used a borrowed recording space. In the second, a school music practice space was converted into a recording studio.

This year's album, "IV," has 28 songs by 28 different artists.

Students write, perform, mix and produce music and send it out into the public arena via online music companies and streaming services such as bandcamp.com and spotify.com.

The program is open to all students, freshmen through seniors, including those with special needs.

"It's helped them tap into an art form they wouldn't otherwise have available to them," Gemkow said. "It allows them to find a way to express themselves, cultivate their art work and bring their ideas to life."

Madds Buckley is a senior who got involved with music production and the York Album Project in her sophomore year.

"It's just become a really cool thing to do," she said. "Music has always been a part of my life. I play piano, guitar, ukulele, mandolin and a little bit of Native American flute."

Track 2 on the new album is her song "Waking Up." She said Gemkow's encouragement was key to her continued interest and led to her decision to pursue a degree in songwriting at the Berklee College of Music in Boston.

"He had me in his class freshman year for Music Production One. He kept giving me good, consistent feedback," she said. "It just takes a really motivated teacher."

A lot of York students want to get into the music production classes, Buckley said, but none are ever turned away.

"Mr. Gemkow will find a way to shoehorn them into his class," she said.

Gemkow said his students' experience and knowledge levels run the gamut.

"Some are self-contained artists and recording engineers all in one," he said.

Riddle said some students play in garage bands or experiment with music on their own.

"This gives them a place to connect at school," Riddle said.

Riddle said Gemkow is a valued member of the team.

"I think he's made a difference in a lot of students' lives. It's exactly where you want to get to as a teacher, where kids take ownership," Riddle said. "He's incredibly inclusive with students. He welcomes everyone into his classroom. It creates this wonderful vibe."

A father of two young daughters, Gemkow said he is invested in helping students find their passions and pursue them.

"What would I have wanted to do in high school? I try to make those things happen," he said. "Who knows which of these artists will continue on to make music?"