Ottawa Hills High School unveils new ‘state-of-the-art’ recording studio

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Students are learning to produce their own songs at Ottawa Hills High School’s new state-of-the-art recording studio.

The new Music Production and Entrepreneurship class uses the space to teach students about the music recording industry and opportunities to turn a passion into a career.

“I just love music so much and I like to sing and dance so much and I want to learn more about music and how it’s made,” said freshman Atleigh Horn.

Students like Evee-Shanae Cooper say the class is showing them the amount of work involved in composing and producing music.

“There’s so many types of music we learn about and … you can actually make all of them on just a computer,” Cooper said.

The students were working to create tracks Tuesday using professional audio software.

“You can customize what sound you want to make on the beat, and you can play around with it to see which ones you really like,” said freshman Kenneth Brown.

The man who spearheaded making the studio a reality was Lucius B. Hoskins, an award-winning musician, songwriter and music producer who has worked with well-known names in the industry like Jill Scott.

“I’m born and raised here. This is actually my alma mater so I was ecstatic to have the opportunity to bring it home,” Hoskins said.

A 1997 graduate of Ottawa Hills High School, Hoskin’s company sets up recording studios and curriculum to help expand music education in schools.

“This is a state-of-the-art recording studio. Some of the stuff that they have in here is the same stuff that they have in one of the big studios in L.A. or New York or Miami. This is the stuff that I’m working on an everyday basis. I’ve created big records on the same equipment they’re using,” Hoskins said.

The program will grow in the coming years as additional classes are added.

Hoskins hopes the program leaves a lasting impact on every student. Some of those lessons he learned the hard way while getting his start in the industry.

“The third year of the curriculum they get music business and so they learn publishing, they learn copyright and how to own their masters and so they won’t be taken advantage of,” Hoskins said.

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