Attendance Records is dedicated to bringing creativity back into schools by connecting teachers and students with local writers, artists and musicians. By providing students with the opportunity to design, write and produce their own album, students build confidence skills that result in discovering what makes them unique.

With budget cuts in full effect, arts programs are usually first to go. We provide a free, safe environment each school year where public school students are encouraged to find their own voice through the arts. Two local bands per school year work with students in the classroom to help turn ideas into actual song lyrics. The bands then take our student-written lyrics and record an original album for free at Estuary Recording Facility. The program is a whole community project, where people of all ages are learning something unique about themselves.

Our curriculum is catered to each class we work with. In the fall we focus on building community through a variety of creative enterprises, and dive into the songwriting aspect by exploring point of view through lyrics analysis, freewriting, and exposure to different musical genres. In the spring we focus on art by examining classic album covers and using them as inspiration for the students own album project. We also learn about the DIY aspects of creating an album from screenprinting to promotion.

As we begin our third program at Anderson High School this year, we are excited to expand to two classes instead of just one. This year we are working with a group of AVID (Advancement vid Individual Determination) students, who are first generation college students. These students are not only hard workers and excited to learn, they are appreciative for the opportunity to participate in the Attendance Records program, as many would not have an arts education experience otherwise.