UNIVERSITY NEWS - OCTOBER 2003

MEDIA CONTACTS: Stacia Smith
561-297-2971, ssmith@fau.edu
Polly Burks
561-297-2595, pburks@fau.edu
Photos available.

FAU Opens State-of-the-Art Studio for Student-Run Recording Label
First CD to be released in January 2004

BOCA RATON, FL (October 23, 2003) - In an historic moment for the music industry, Florida Atlantic University's School of The Arts in the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters launched one of the first full-service, student-run recording labels in the country. The label, which will release its first CD in January, will record in a new state-of-the-art recording studio, which opened its doors today.

The new studio, which includes cutting-edge technology developed by Yamaha, Neumann, Digidesign, Mark Of The Unicorn and Allen & Heath, will serve as home of Hoot Recordings. The student-run label will handle all aspects of commercial music production from songwriting to marketing.

"While there is a wealth of new career opportunities for talented musicians in performance and entertainment areas, it is a highly competitive business," said Michael Zager, music professor and Dorothy F. Schmidt Eminent Scholar in the Performing Arts. "We are able to give students the experience and exposure that will help them break into the field."

In addition to the opening of the studio, Zager announced that Hank and Ellie Stern made a $30,000 gift to purchase additional workstations for the music computer lab. This follows a $25,000 gift the Sterns donated last year to create the lab and purchase five workstations. In honor of their generosity, the lab will be named the "Henry and Ellie Stern Computer Music Lab."

"The new studio and enhancement of the music lab are further steps in the development of FAU's distinguished commercial music program and the development of the Hoot recording label," said William A. Covino, dean of the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters. Covino and FAU President Frank Brogan heralded the opening as an important step in giving students the opportunities to gain real-world experience in the commercial music field.

All students in FAU's commercial music program are required to work on the label, and they handle every aspect of the label including songwriting, choreography, production, engineering, recording services, video services, promotion and marketing, talent scouting, promotions and marketing, web site management, newsletter production, finance, legal issues and accounting. All of these aspects of the business will be important in production and marketing of the first CD produced under the Hoot label, which will include five student acts. To date three acts have been accepted by the Hoot Artists and Repertoire (A&R) Committee, and two are currently recording. These are "The People Upstairs," an alternative rock band, and "Denise," who performs R&B and Hip Hop.

Zager founded the commercial music program when he started at FAU in 2002. His professional experience brought much to his teaching career. He has produced, composed and arranged music for albums, motion pictures and commercials and is a grammy-nominee. His recordings include 13 gold or platinum records for such names as Cissy Houston, Peabo Bryson, Luther Vandross and Whitney Houston. Zager recently donated his recording and original score of Whitney Houston's first release "Life's a Party," and the original scores to The Spinners' hits "Working My Way Back to You/Forgive Me Girl," and "Cupid/I've Loved You for a Long Time" to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He is also donating additional original material to the FAU library.

Hoot also benefits from its 11-member advisory board, which includes Dick Asher, former president of CBS's recording and publishing divisions, Neil Crilly, executive director of the Florida chapter of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences and Michael Fagien, publisher of Jazziz magazine in Boca Raton.

The commercial music program is part of the School of the Arts' department of music in the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters at FAU. For further information on the commercial music program, call 561-297-0600.
- FAU -

Cutlines for photos attached.

Computer Music Lab. Brian Nunez works in the Florida Atlantic University computer music lab.

Zager_Michael. Michael Zager, music professor and Dorothy F. Schmidt Eminent Scholar in the Performing Arts.