When students in the Harrisonburg High School Fine Arts Academy began looking for a studio to record their senior capstone project, they found one right in their own backyard.
The group of 10 HHS seniors wrote, performed, and produced Dis/connect, a nine-track, multi-genre album recorded at EMU’s Astral Recording Studio in March. Listen to Dis/connect on SoundCloud or by using the embedded player below.
Last year, while the Astral Recording Studio was still under construction (it opened during the fall 2025 semester), Dr. Benjamin Guerrero, assistant professor of music at EMU, led a tour of the space for high school students. During the visit, he and J.R. Snow, Coordinator of Visual and Performing Arts for Harrisonburg City Public Schools, began discussing the idea of bringing students in to record an album.
“We just looked at each other and said, ‘Let’s make that happen,’” Guerrero said.
After learning that students in the Fine Arts Academy were interested in creating an album, Snow reached back out to Guerrero, who consulted on the project. Together, they decided the students would write and rehearse their songs in advance so they would be ready to record during their studio visit.
“For many of our students, going into the studio and recording was definitely their favorite part of the project,” Snow said.
One of those students, Wren Hamner, who contributed a rap song and a murder ballad—a song that tells the story of a murder, like “No Body, No Crime” by Taylor Swift—to the album, described the anticipation leading up to the group’s trip to Astral Recording Studio.
“None of us had ever recorded in a legit studio before,” Hamner said. “When we got there, we had everything planned out. We were ready to go, and everything just came together.”
Billy Perritt, another student from the academy, sang on three songs, playing guitar on two and drums on one. He said it was also his first time in a professional recording setting.
“It was such a blast,” he said. “It was a really cool learning experience, and I’m so glad I was able to do it. I’m thankful to EMU for letting us use their facility.”
Snow, who served as capstone coordinator for the Fine Arts Academy, said he was impressed by the cutting-edge capabilities of the state-of-the-art space.
“I have just enough knowledge about music technology to know how high-quality the Dolby Atmos studio is and to see what a gift it is for our community,” he said. “It’s a game-changer for artists who are looking to do some high-quality work.”
Guerrero helped guide students through the recording process while they were at the studio, noting that they spent about an hour in the studio on each song. He added that the group received a discounted rate for their time, one way EMU and its recording studio are connecting with the local community.
“It’s almost like an exclusive admissions tour,” he said. “It’s not just, ‘Can they envision themselves in the studio being creative?’ but ‘Can they envision themselves at EMU?’”
About the Astral Recording Studio
Located in the former Astral Hall building atop the EMU Hill at 1304 Hillcrest Drive, the studio features acoustically treated rooms designed for crystal-clear sound. It provides students, faculty, staff, and community artists access to professional tools for recording and mixing music, video, podcasts, and other audio projects. Learn more at astralrecordingstudio.com.
About the HHS Fine Arts Academy
The interdisciplinary, collaborative, and experiential learning community prepares students for lifelong careers, passions, and appreciation of creativity through the arts. The Class of 2026 marked the final year of the academy. Learn more about the academy and their album at argibs54.wixsite.com/faacl26.
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