Jeremiah Cleaver, UTA Records president and music industry studies senior, sings into a microphone inside a studio.
Courtesy of Jeremiah Cleaver
In UTA’s Studio 301, engineers can be seen testing mics, setting up stands, running cables and testing software and hardware.
Sometimes an artist warms up their vocals in a room of over 15 other students, reviewing lyrics or melodies and writing music out.
Everyone there has one goal in mind: to create a space where creativity and comfort flow.
“It’s not just us creating sound,” said Jeremiah Cleaver, president of UTA Records and music industry studies senior. “It’s us trying to create something that can help heal someone and ultimately give them guidance within whatever they’re experiencing in life.”
The student-run label allows students to release original music under their artist name for free, from recording to distribution.
Music business junior Faith Chipps is currently signed with the label and will be recording a song that is planned for release by the end of this year.
Chipps is a Christian artist and began writing the song, “AMAZING GRACE (thorns & thickets),” for her album two years ago. Now, as part of the UTA record label, she’s able to record the song in a studio and have it distributed on streaming platforms. She said it’s been a great educational experience.
“Even though I’m an artist with UTA Records, I’m getting to see how everything else is run, like in marketing and legal, and being able to apply that to my own career one day,” she said.
The process begins when the artists and repertoire team reach out to singers and instrumentalists to offer a chance to record with UTA Records.
Students can also contact the record label themselves to have their music reviewed by the artists and repertoire team and potentially become part of the label. Cleaver said the artists and repertoire team is one of the most vital departments of the music industry.
“What they’re doing is they’re finding talent, scouting, artist development, song selection and creative oversight,” he said.
Cleaver has been a part of the label since 2023 and said the process in the studio can be interesting.
“It’s not just say, you go into the studio and you record into a mic, and then you leave,” he said. “There’s a process that takes place within mixing and mastering your music to make sure that it sounds really nice.”
Arthur Ban, music industry studies junior, is a studio tech and part of the artists and repertoire team for the label. Ban sets up microphones and runs the mixing board, maintaining a quality recording experience.
“I just enjoy helping people set up their stuff and make good music,” Ban said. “It’s a lot of fun.”
Thomas Sourie, music industry studies junior, works in distribution for the label. Sourie said he makes sure the lease process goes smoothly and the artist signed to the label has their work released efficiently.
He said he enjoys working at the label, noting that many students may not know how to navigate the music industry the way those working at the label do.
“It gives us an opportunity to have that step outside of university, where we have experience working in record labels, publishing distribution of numerous songs and other music,” Sourie said.
Cleaver said it’s not just about sounding good or being the best at the label.
“It’s all about being a loving community and coming together and creating music, because this music is not just about a sound, music heals people and that’s what our goal is,” he said.
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