Sample of Student Work:
About Mr. McDonell:
Welcome to my teachers web page. This is my 15th year as a teacher for Mission Valley ROP. Prior to that I worked in the area of arts as a; composer, professional musician, multimedia author, interactive visual presenter, AV systems engineer and an electronics technician. I've performed in Big Bands, Jazz combo's and Top 40 bands, playing saxophone, clarinet, keyboards & Native American flute.
I have worked with recording artists such as: BJ Thomas, Brian Eno, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Thomas Dolby, Country Joe and the fish, and many local Bay Area performers.
A little over a year ago I started a record label called Blue430. Since then we've released 2 albums; "Gentle Winds" and an album of ceremonial music of the Lakota called "Sacred Songs - For the People".
My approach to teaching focuses on developing, enhancing & utilizing your unique talents. Instruction in this classroom is concentrated on; exploring, discovering, creating, collecting, presenting & sharing those talents.
If you desire to make a living in the Arts, Media & Entertainment field, you need to understand, not just how to use the creative tools, but how to organize, display & interact with others who can utilize your talents to fulfill their needs. I look forward to another year of fun, entertainment and a lot of content creation!
