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.
(Submitted by Ryan Cornell)
The collaboration began before the studio officially opened during the fall 2025 semester. While the facility was still under construction, Dr. Benjamin Guerrero, EMU assistant professor of music, gave local students a tour. During the visit, he and J.R. Snow, coordinator of visual and performing arts for Harrisonburg City Public Schools, began discussing the possibility of recording an album there.
(Submitted by Ryan Cornell)
“We just looked at each other and said, ‘Let’s make that happen,'” Guerrero said.
Students wrote and rehearsed their original songs before spending a day recording at EMU.
“For many of our students, going into the studio and recording was definitely their favorite part of the project,” Snow said.
For senior Wren Hamner, who contributed both a rap song and a ballad, the experience was unlike anything the group had done before.
“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.”
Classmate Billy Perritt, who performed on three tracks, agreed.
“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 said the opportunity gave students access to professional equipment rarely available to high school musicians.
“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 guided students through the recording process, with the group spending about an hour recording each song. He said offering community access to the studio reflects EMU’s commitment to supporting local artists while introducing prospective students to the university.
“It’s not just, ‘Can they envision themselves in the studio being creative?'” Guerrero said.
“‘It’s also, Can they envision themselves at EMU?'”
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