In a cramped practice room, music student Jonathan Paul Keller plays his standup bass to accompany classmate Alexei Moon Casselle's rap song. The Arts High School takes a unique approach to music. You won't find large bands or orchestras. Instead, students perform in small ensembles. Teacher Jonathan Howard says this pushes students' creativity while best accommodating the wide variety of musical backgrounds and skills.
Students come in with classical training, or sometimes very little training.
We get a nice blend of students that have had private teachers all their whole lives, and students who have learned in the garages and the basements throughout the state of Minnesota. Bass player Keller, an 11th grader from Minneapolis, says he likes the creative environment and freedom of the music program. He says it's a good way to explore his musical interests. If I would go to college, and I wanted to study music, I'd be spending all this money and going to college. Well, I get to go to high school and do that for free.