Students make music

Attendance Records, a non- profit organization operating as a student-run record label, brings creativity back into classrooms where creative outlets have been severed by budget cuts.

"With budget cuts in full effect, arts programs are usually first to go. This frightened me that something so valuable in the education system could be so easily taken away," founder and Executive Director Jenna Carrens said.

Initially an effort to provide students with an academically stimulating outlet to practice their craft, Attendance Records became a full-fledged organization in June 2011.

Carrens said the planning process began long before that. "We began by establishing a solid board of directors and, from there, developed an initial fundraising campaign and engaging curriculum for our first program."

When Carrens pitched the program to a couple of teachers at Anderson High School, they instantly loved the idea, she said.

Wielding the talent and support of two local Austin bands, Mother Falcon and The Sour Notes, Attendance Records is currently cultivating its first installation since becoming an official organization.

"The students do almost everything themselves in the creation process — from coming up with a theme, designing the cover art, writing the lyrics, and writing poetry and short stories that will all go into the first installation," said Carrens.

The students involved have selected the theme "Mood Swings" for their forthcoming project, which will become a physical record.

In addition to the musical arrangements of the aforementioned bands, the student-written work will be mixed and mastered professionally for free in the recording studio of John Michael Landon, owner and audio engineer of Premium Recording.

"It's often difficult to assemble and organize scheduling for two bands at a time, and knowing what goes into writing and recording an album, I try and maintain a reasonable timeline for the project," Landon said regarding the amount of careful preparation that will precede the final CD-release show.

The process by which students become involved is supremely accessible. Students are instructed to submit an original creative piece that exemplifies their creative interests.

"The students strive to perform their best in class because they know their work will evolve to something more than a piece of paper they can put on the refrigerator," Carrens said.

Each semester, Attendance Records will consider a new group of prospective students with whom they will work closely.

"A few days ago we had a photo shoot get-together where we got to read and look through all the kids' journals. It was a blast. I am so happy that we get to bring to life the words of these students," Isaac Winburne, saxophonist, percussionist and pianist of orchestral-pop collective Mother Falcon said.

"It's far more than just collaboration," Winburne said. "It's the privilege of being able to share a love for music with the students, who will in turn pursue their own avenue of creative expression."

For information regarding internship opportunities contact Jenna Carrens at jennacarrens@ attendancerecords.com.