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Located in St. Paul, Minnesota, the High School for Recording Arts (HSRA) is a public charter school for students in grades 9-12. HSRA changes lives one student at a time by connecting mostly out of school youth - many of whom were expelled or pushed out from traditional schools - through hip hop culture (music, dance, art and entrepreneurialism)/pedagogical practices and other forms of creative expression. The school operates within and around two professional recording studios, where students develop life skills through relevant, hands-on learning tailored to their individual talents, strengths and passions. Enrollment at HSRA, which began with 15 learners, has stabilized at 250 students, which is the target enrollment.
Graduation Requirements and RatesTo earn a high school diploma, an HSRA student must master Minnesota’s content standards, complete all coursework required for graduation and accomplish the 6 HSRA validations.
HSRA Student ProfileOver the last five years, approximately 90% of HSRA seniors have graduated. Over the last 10 years, 100% of our graduates have been accepted into college with fully filled out FAFSAs (Free Application for Federal Financial Aid) applications.
A board of directors guide HSRA. The board consists of staff, parents and community members who are elected by staff and parents. Members serve three year terms. The current board chair is Darryl Young. Learn more about HSRA's Board of Directors.
HSRA Internal Relationships- Another Level Records (ALR) is the nation’s longest running student operated record and production company. ALR allows learners to explore the operations of the music industry firsthand as they discover and record new artists, provide promotional and media content for various clients, negotiate contracts and publish and copyright new music and engage with various music streaming platforms. They also design, market and oversee recording projects/campaigns and merchandise by HSRA students, other artists, businesses, community based organizations, governmental agencies and foundations.
- Studio 4 Tha Air is a weekly half-hour show produced, hosted and performed musically by students of the High School for Recording Arts and students worldwide. Past guests have included Ice Cube, Yasiin Bey (aka Mos Def), D. Smoke, Sickamore, Michael Eric Dyson and Lynn Whitfield as well as local community elders, leaders and activists. Podcasts of prior shows can currently be downloaded via iTunes or from Spotify.
Learning Partner Organizations