Students at Huntington Beach High School’s Academy for the Performing Arts are making a lasting impression with a recorded collection of original student-composed songs. The album, “Playlist 2017: The Originals,” features 15 songs written, performed and produced by music students in the music, media and entertainment technology program and is available for download online.

As the students reflected on their studio-produced album, they commented on its permanence, remarking that the assignment forced them to choose a direction and see it through to the end.

“It’s interesting to think that people who don’t know us might find and listen to these songs,” said junior Madi Switzer. “It makes it sink in that this is not just a project, but something we’re giving to the world.”

The MMET program at Huntington Beach Academy for the Performing Arts gives students the skills needed to pursue careers in the entertainment industry. The popular-music concentration in particular strives to help young artists understand the past and present role of popular music in our culture. The curriculum encourages creativity as well as practicality as the students learn how to use digital tools for music production and promotion.

“To have the technology to create an album by ourselves is awesome,” said junior Aaron Stafford. “The class has taught me a lot about producing, and I think that alone gives us an edge. Most high schools don’t have this advanced of a program.”

The “Playlist 2017” album corresponded with the department’s fifth annual Playlist concert, which incorporates performances of original songs as well as covers of current and trending artists. The entire show was run by the students. They selected the acts, called the show and presented student-created music videos.

“Our show is run by kids, but it turns out pretty professional,” said junior Ashley Paul. “My parents tell me that they forget it’s a bunch of teenagers doing everything, and I think that is the goal. When we do things like make an album and then perform a show, it makes us feel like we’re almost to that next step. It’s a taste of what it could be like if we do this for real.”

The 15 songs on the album range from indie rock to pop music and more, and the students say it is a true representation of the types of music they want to perform.

“I did theater at first,” said Paul, whose song “Are You Out There?” is an upbeat indie pop tune. “But my voice wasn’t really made for those types of songs and now I’m singing stuff that I really like.”

Like Paul, several other students entered the MMET program from a more traditional arts background, excited to have an outlet more in line with their interests.

“I joined the program because I was a classical keyboardist and I was feeling limited,” said sophomore Joseph Matveyenko. “I never thought I would have this opportunity. Covering songs is fun to do, but when we get to practice the writing part, it gets us into the field.”

Working on an album is a useful project because it allows the students to go through each step of the process on their own while still having the support of someone who has professional tools and professional experience, said Michael Simmons, the students’ teacher.

Junior Aidan Petersen said he used to make this kind of music on his own, but appreciates the group effort and opportunity to collaborate with other artists like himself.

“Everyone is working for a common goal,” Petersen said. “It’s nice to be using programs I didn’t have access to before and working with a collective of people who all together make the songs sound like what you hear on the radio.”

This “collective” Petersen describes is one of the biggest assets of the program, Simmons says, because it gives MMET students access to a large network of people they can reach out to when pursuing their musical projects.

“These connections should make (Huntington Beach Academy for the Performing Arts) a hotbed for awesome new bands,” said Simmons.

Meanwhile, the students featured on the “Playlist 2017” album are happy to have a place to experiment with new music and technology, and, more importantly, they said, express themselves.

“I think of (the album) as a little time capsule of our lives right now,” said junior Olivia Castagna. “When you do this, you expose yourself and your art to everyone because you’re putting it out in the world and that’s a great accomplishment as a teenager. It really has me forward-thinking and evaluating what I want to do in the future.”

To download “Playlist 2017: The Originals” visit michaelsimmons.bandcamp.com/album/playlist-2017-the-originals. For the URL to corresponding music videos, see this story online at ocregister.com.

Contact the writer: 714-796-2258 or varsityarts@ocregister.com