The Taieri College music department released Sounds of Taieri 2024 last week, a 15-song compilation album featuring original music composed by senior pupils at the school.
The album has been released on streaming service Bandcamp and has been listened to more than 500 times since its release.
Head of the music department Brad Martin worked with students to bring the album together, giving them studio time to do so.
"[The album] opens up a whole new world and you start seeing it as a bit more of an artwork than just a performance," he said.
The idea for the album came from his time working at John McGlashan College, Mr Martin said.
Once he became head of music at Taieri College in 2022 he decided to bring the album to life.
Much of the music was recorded at the studio in the school’s music department.
"They’ve loved [the studio] so far.
"They know it’s here now and they know that if they take music they’ll be working in here."
He planned to release a compilation album yearly and encouraged his pupils to take part.
"It’s a whole different art than playing live, which most music departments are sort of restricted to."
Black Tomato Sauce, Valetta, Keira Wallace and other musical acts were all included in the tracklist.
In June, Black Tomato Sauce won the Otago regional finals of the Smokefreerockquest.
The album could be listened to for free, but a "name your price" option was there for anyone willing to support the music, he said.
"It’s accessible to people who can’t afford it because we’ve got all socioeconomic groups out here.
"So if the parents or grandparents can’t afford it, they can still download the album."
Any money earned would go directly towards the purchase of new recording studio equipment for the school.
The album cover was a homage to Abbey Road by The Beatles — an idea he came up with.
