About
HSRA Mission Statement
The mission of HSRA is to provide youth the opportunity to achieve a high school diploma through the exploration and operation of the music business and other creative endeavors.
- Culturally Sensitive
- Alternative Educational Programming
- Personalized Project-Based Learning
- Diverse Population
- Drug-Free Learning Environment
- Adult-Supervised
- Positive Mentoring
- Safe Space
- Job Training
History of HSRA
HSRA began as a pilot program developed by Studio 4 Enterprises in December 1996. Youth in the community immediately exhibited interest in this program. Through word of mouth, enrollment in the program, which began with fifteen learners has stabilized at 200 students today. In March 1997, Studio 4 developed a relationship with St. Paul Family Learning Center, independent school district #4019 and Designs for Learning in order to build the program to a point where it could exist independently.
High School for Recording Arts was born in July 1998 with its approval as an independent charter school district by the Minnesota Department of Education. In 2001, HSRA was approved for a three year renewal of its charter by the St. Paul School District, HSRA’s sponsor. The charter was renewed again in 2004.
The Program
HSRA is a project-based, public charter school that operates within and around a professional recording studio. Students earn time in the studio by completing academic projects in the core learning areas of English, Mathematics, Science and Social Studies. HSRA encourages students who may have dropped out or been expelled from traditional schools to complete their diplomas through a love of music.
HSRA Music Production Facilities
HSRA provides state-of-the-art music production facilities to our students. Our school has two recording studios (Studio A and Studio B) and one pre-production area. Studio A is our largest room and has two isolation booths - one large enough for piano or drums, the other ideal for guitar, bass rigs, or vocals. Equipment includes:
- Mackie 32*8 Mixing Console
- Dual-Processor Macintosh G5 Computer
- ProTools Digi 002, Waves Diamond, Logic Pro, Reason, GarageBand
- Korg Triton, Roland XP-30, MoPhatt, XV-5050 Keyboards
- Mackie HR-824 Monitors
- Neumann, Blueberry, AKG 414 Microphones
Studio B is a slightly smaller version of Studio A, with one isolation booth and similar equipment.
The pre-production area consists of eight workstations–one Power Mac G5 with Digi 002, four eMacs and three iMac G5s with Digidesign Mboxes.
HSRA Student Compilations
The students of HSRA have produced several studio compilations that were published through the student-run label Another Level Records:
The Legacy
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Get Ready! My Education
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HSRA Student Compilation Vol.2
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U Have The Right
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HIV Still Ain’t No Joke Vol.2
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HSRA Student Compilation Vol.1
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HIV Ain’t No Joke
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Another Level Records
Another Level Records is a student operated record label that allows learners to explore the operations of the music industry firsthand as they discover and record new artists, negotiate contracts and publish and copyright new music. They also manufacture, market and distribute recording projects completed by HSRA students as well as other artists.
The Fo-Show
The Fo-Show is a half-hour weekly show produced, hosted and performed musically by students of the High School for Recording Arts. It airs Sunday mornings at 8 a.m. on the Minneapolis/St. Paul top rated urban radio station B96/FM. Past guests have included Chingy and Lynn Whitfield. Podcasts of prior shows can currently be downloaded via iTunes or from the Fo-Show website.
Our Partners
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
HSRA is a grant recipient of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation receiving funds to replicate the Edvisions project-based small schools model.
Black Alliance for Educational Options (BAEO)
BAEO is a national, nonprofit, membership organization whose mission is to actively support parental choice to empower families and increase quality educational options for Black children. BAEO has recently awarded HSRA a grant to replicate the school in New York City.
Coalition of Essential Schools (CES)
HSRA is one of 22 secondary schools across the United States designated as a CES Mentor High School.
North Central Association Commission on Accreditation & School Improvement (NCA CASI)
HSRA first earned accreditation in the 2004-05 school year from the NCA CASI. At its 2004 annual meeting, the Association recognized HSRA along with 9,000 schools across 19 states that were honored for attaining accreditation. To earn accreditation, schools must meet NCA CASI’s high standards, be evaluated by a team of professionals from outside the school and implement a continuous school improvement plan focused on increasing student performance. The accreditation process is voluntary and requires annual review.
How You Can Help
If you are interested in helping HSRA, please visit our Support HSRA page or contact development director Tony Simmons at (651) 717-5646 or program founder David Ellis at (612) 414-4730.
