A new recording label created by professors with The South Carolina School of the Arts at Anderson University is giving students hands-on experience in professional production and promotion of original music.
The recording label is called Audio 316 Records. The initiative represents an entrepreneurial effort to launch AU students’ careers in the music business.
“Our students are very talented musicians and quickly understand the need to practice and cultivate their talent, but many do not know about the hundreds of other jobs related to the field,” said Professor Joe Wehunt, assistant professor of music and director of worship leadership at The South Carolina School of the Arts at Anderson University.
Audio 316 Records aims to close that gap in understanding. Its inaugural artists—AU students MaCayla Edwards (Worship Leadership major), Sydney Wells (Commercial Music major) and Audrey Adams (Theater major) are releasing their original music through Audio 316 Records on Friday, April 11 on all streaming platforms.
“We hope to shine a spotlight on the students’ vocal, instrumental, songwriting, and producing talents,” said Dr. Derick Cordoba, director of the Johnny Mann Center for Commercial Music and assistant professor of music at The South Carolina School of the Arts at Anderson University. “Our inaugural artists are composing and performing at a very high level. This will give them a platform to understand how to release their music and will help launch their professional careers.”
In addition to the release of Audio 316 Records’ inaugural music on April 11, selections will be performed as part of Anderson University’s annual President’s Gala. The two-night performance takes place on Friday, April 11 and Saturday, April 12. Shows start at 8 p.m. Tickets are on sale now.
“Audio 316 Records is a fantastic place to showcase how talented our students are both on recordings as well as behind the scenes,” said Dr. Cordoba. “The label puts into practice many of the concepts they learned in their Entrepreneurship for Musicians class. Reading about recording, producing, marketing, social media campaigns, visual content creation and a release campaign is very different from doing it in ‘the real world.’ All these students have now experienced firsthand all the things that are involved in releasing and promoting music in today’s musical landscape.”
