CAMERON ZIEGENFUS, Special to The Denisonian—
This is record-breaking news. Literally.
Professor Adam Schlenker and Sydney Kistler ‘22 are leading a team of Denisonians composed of representatives from the Red Frame Lab, Denison’s General Counsel and even the University President, to create the University’s first record label.
Prioritizing student ownership, the record-label will utilize Denison University resources in order to professionally record student’s music while giving students first-hand insight into the world of music production. The company is being created with the vision of maintaining student autonomy and allowing it to be student-run, while utilizing faculty advice.
“We’ve run through what the record label is and how to build it into a sustainable business on Denison’s campus, bringing in people that can help us frame how it might serve the campus and the students,” Rick Coplin said.
Kistler, a Global Commerce major and a Music minor, was looking to unify the two sides of her education in a project that “intersects.” Kistler said that she’s used her Global Commerce education in order to support the business side of the record label.
This student-focused record label is a new resource to Denisonians that utilizes University resources. The studio, located in the Eisner Center, boasts amenities such as sound treated walls and glass, multitrack recording interfaces and software, microphones and Steinway pianos.
“The idea [of the record label] is to produce a compilation album, once a semester, with original songs written by students,” Shenkler said. “Any Denison student can submit songs for consideration.”
Once finished, the record label will have an application for students to submit their work through. The work will then be vetted through a board.
“If they’re work is chosen, they’ll record their music,” Kistler said. “There’s already a lot of student interest.”
According to Kistler, the costs will be minimal, since the studio is geared towards digital distribution and music publishing companies, and prices will be determined by what service is utilized. Along with the digital distribution and publishing, once the music is recorded, students will have their work played on The Doobie, Denison’s student run radio.
“I’m gathering input on how to make this record-label function, figuring out what artists want, what the university wants and how to make it run seamlessly,” Kistler said.
With start-up funds from Denison Enterprises, a group that “helps campus-centric businesses get started,” and entrepreneurial coaching from the Red Frame Lab’s Rick Coplin and Steve Kraak, Kistler and Schlenker have been creating their ideal record label.
Ownership of an artist’s work, access to a professional recording studio, experience working with a record label and an opportunity to produce music.
“It’s an exciting addition for Denison overall,” Coplin said. “This is an outlet for Denison to support arts on campus and off.”
So, Denisonians, play on.