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  • Class of 2025 begin senior projects on Apr. 28.
  • Sonia Kharbanda named Free Spirit Scholar. She will represent Minnesota at a Freedom Forum conference in Washington D.C. this summer.
  • Congratulations to Annie Zhang, the MN Journalist of the Year runner-up.
  • The Rubicon is named NSPA Pacemaker finalist. Winners will be announced Apr. 28.
  • Want more photos? Find them in the yearbook galleries on the Ibid Flickr.
The student news of St. Paul Academy and Summit School

The Rubicon

The student news of St. Paul Academy and Summit School

The Rubicon

The student news of St. Paul Academy and Summit School

The Rubicon

PLAYING IN HARMONY. Freshman Caleb Colton plays percussion in an improvised concert organized by Equity Arc Symphony and military band veterans. (Screencapture from 60 Minutes' full concert coverage).

From silence to song: Caleb Colton performs despite executive order

Nabeeha Qadri, RubicOnline April 19, 2025
An executive order tried to cancel their music. Instead, freshman Caleb Colton and other talented young musicians turned it into a national performance—and a quiet act of defiance.
HISTORIC SPOTS. Cheapo Records, First Avenue, Sound 80 Studios and The Armory remain some of Minnesota's most historic musical locations (Fair use images from Orfield Labs (bottom left), First Avenue X account (top right), The Armory official website (bottom right)).

Mapping Minnesota music

Yassin Mokbel, RubicOnline April 18, 2025
Explore some of the Twin Cities' most notable local record stores, concert venues and studios in an interactive map.
JUST DROPPED. The Lumineers release 11 songs on their album "Automatic". The album featured varying themes and tempos, with two songs being purely instrumental. (Source: @thelumineers on Instagram)

Automatically enthralled: The Lumineers drop fifth studio album

Nora McKoy, RubicOnline February 15, 2025
Read a song-by-song breakdown of The Lumineers new album that dropped Valentines Day.
GETTING JAZZY. Georgia Ross performs alongside the Juan Miguel Quartet.

Juan Miguel Quartet shows off passion for jazz

Greyson Sale, Production Manager February 5, 2025
The Juan Miguel Quartet performed with Georgia Ross at MetroNOME Brewery on Saturday night.
Naomi Glozman reignites musical passion with Minnesota Youth Symphonies

Naomi Glozman reignites musical passion with Minnesota Youth Symphonies

Thomas Chen, Beats Manager January 26, 2025
Her experience playing in the highest level of the orchestra has inspired her to find meaning in her violin journey.
(Screen capture from “First Love's Name” by Rock Melon on YouTube.)

[WHAT’S IN A NAME?] Elzie Bieganek explores the art and emotion behind naming her songs

Greyson Sale, Production Manager January 15, 2025
Junior Elzie Bieganek discusses what goes into naming songs and explains the stories behind songs she's created in her band, Rock Melon.
SPAtify explores a different genre of music in each episode.

[SPAtify] Ep. 1 Classical music with Winston Arvidson

Winston Arvidson, Staff Writer December 18, 2024
SPAtify explores a different genre of music in each episode.
MUSICAL HISTORY. The 2025 GRAMMYs will be the 67th ceremony, with the first having been held on May 4, 1959. The first Album of the Year award was given to Henry Mancini for his soundtrack to the TV series "Peter Gunn."

Ranking the 2025 GRAMMY album of the year nominees

Yassin Mokbel, RubicOnline December 6, 2024
From Taylor Swift's “The Tortured Poets Department” to Charli XCX's "BRAT," which GRAMMY albums fall short and which ones shine bright?
QUALITY OVER QUANTITY. For years, artists have used different tactics to ensure they reach the top of the charts. However, this has only seen the decline in the quality of the listening experience. "The way to fix this [problem] is for the artists themselves to focus more on making high-quality music and not being obsessed with the numbers," Mokbel said.

It’s time for artists to forget about the charts

Yassin Mokbel, RubicOnline September 19, 2024
In 2024, a new chart-topping tactic involving the sale of exclusive digital albums has plagued the listening experience and has taken the focus away from producing quality music.
MORE THAN MUSIC. Music videos and social media helped spread Brat culture past just the music scene.(Screenshot from "Charli xcx -360 Official Video" by Charli xcx on YouTube.)

Charli XCX’s Brat offers a way to embrace imperfections

Tamari Christopher, RubicOnline September 15, 2024
The British popstar's summer release had a cultural impact past the tracklist.
KARMA. JoJo Siwa emerges from an ocean in her infamous black face paint and sparkly body suit.  The music videos vivid and animated visuals keep up with the fast-paced and dramatic song. (Screen capture from “JoJo Siwa - Karma Official Video” by JoJo Siwa on YouTube.)

JoJo Siwa’s “Karma”: a chaotic rebrand, a cautionary tale for childhood fame

Thomas Chen, Beats Manager May 15, 2024
Following the release of JoJo Siwa's new song "Karma", the teenage pop star has suddenly switched her persona, to mixed feedback.
COWBOY CARTER. With the release of her latest album on March 29, Beyoncé has demonstrated that she can produce music across genres and proved that Black artists belong in country music just as much as white artists. (Fair use image: @beyonce on Instagram)

Beyoncé shows that Black artists can be cowboys, too

Eliana Mann, Production Manager April 11, 2024
Beyoncé breaks into the world of country with her latest album "Cowboy Carter". Her debut into the majority white genre means a lot for artists and listeners of color.
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