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SUNY Potsdam Alumni Name Marc Schonbrun a Rising Star
07.22.10
The SUNY Potsdam Alumni Association Board of Trustees recently honored Marc Schonbrun, a member of the Class of 2000, with the 2010 Rising Star Award at the College’s annual Reunion Weekend.
The Rising Star Award is presented to an alum who has demonstrated outstanding professional achievement in the first decade following graduation. Schonbrun was recognized for his outstanding achievements as an innovator and his distinguished career in audio, video, multimedia technology integration and developing interactive software and hardware.
“Since graduating magna cum laude from SUNY Potsdam in 2000, Schonbrun has achieved more in his young career than most people achieve in a lifetime,” read the citation honoring him.
Schonbrun’s education prepared him well for his career in the music technology industry. At the Crane School of Music, he majored in Music/Musical Studies and minored in Jazz Studies with a concentration in Composition, Performance and Music Theory/History.
As a Software Development Engineer for the Apple corporation, Schonbrun is an integral part of an amazing team. In 2009, he was specifically recruited by Apple to work on the greatly anticipated and highly secretive tablet computer project, the iPad.
Prior to his work on the team that developed the iPad, Schonbrun was an Engineer for Apple’s “Final Cut Pro” software. Marc’s experience prior to Apple included consultant work for companies such as Korg/Soundtree and Sibelius. His work involved educating teachers, administrators and dealers on a wide-range of multimedia software.
Schonbrun is also very active outside of work. He has written and published 12 books and numerous print and online articles. He has produced two DVDs. His books on home recording and guitar synthesizers are considered the definitive texts on these topics. Schonbrun is a certified instructor for the Technology Institute for Music Educators. He is also an accomplished guitarist in both jazz and classical fields.
Founded in 1816, and located on the outskirts of the beautiful Adirondack Park, The State University of New York at Potsdam is one of America’s first 100 colleges. SUNY Potsdam currently enrolls approximately 4,350 undergraduate and graduate students. Home to the world-renowned Crane School of Music, SUNY Potsdam is known for its handcrafted education, challenging liberal arts and sciences core, excellence in teacher training, and leadership in the performing and visual arts.