By Katie Kierstead
Staff Writer
While many students were out shopping for last-minute Valentine’s Day gifts—or stocking up on cheap chocolate for themselves—several of Saint Rose’s Music Industry students were busy setting up for the biggest event of their college careers: the launch of the Rose Record Label Group.
After months of meticulous planning and promoting, the members of Saint Rose’s new student-run record label were astounded at the massive turnout of the Friday night launch party. Over 200 guests—including the President of the College and many Music Industry alumni—attended the event in Jack’s Place, the College’s intimate music performance venue located in the Hearst Center for Communications and Interactive Media. The event featured performances by the label’s artists, a music video premiere, displays of the label’s website, and plenty of socializing. “It was one of our most successful events and we are excited to keep going and show everyone what we can do,” said Anna Miceli, Vice President of Rose Records.
After a bit of mingling, guests were treated to musical performances and short speeches throughout the night, showcasing exactly what the group does. Rose Record Label’s first three artists—Immaculate Heart, Ryan Leddick, and Matt Dalton—gave a captivating and diverse collection of live performances.
Matt Dalton’s alternative-rock voice delivered intelligent ideas over intricately crafted guitar lines. Combining reggae, soul, and acoustic rock, Ryan Leddick’s music made the audience feel warm and jovial. He even invited two of the label’s songwriters, Mary-Beth Nardo and Maria Malafronte, on stage with him to perform a new song. Finally, Immaculate Heart’s haunting vocals and compelling instrumentation bent traditional genres but satisfied the masses all the same. The mastermind behind the 8-member group, Brandon Powers-Green, compares his project to the likes of Sigur Ros, Arcade Fire, and Damien Rice.
All of the record label’s major executives spoke about the different branches of the group. Anna Miceli summarized Rose Records’ mission and vision: to promote contemporary artists with a youthful spirit, embracing the fact that the record label is run entirely by college students. Vice President of SMAN Publishing Amelia Rossettie detailed the efforts of the songwriters and explained the other responsibilities, like creative licensing, of the publishing company. A&R Vice President Ellie Decker and producer Julia Crawford thanked the crowd for attending the event and articulated the overwhelming enthusiasm of everyone in the record label, saying that they are ready to collaborate with all the artists they have signed.
Guests at the event were intrigued and impressed by all the work the record label has accomplished so far. Stephanie Vaughan, a 2014 Saint Rose Music Industry graduate, said, “I think it was a huge success. There were more people in Jack’s Place than it could seat!” Some current students at the College said they had been “completely uninformed,” thinking that the whole thing was just a class or a club, and that they were “blown away” by the professionalism of the record label. The College of Saint Rose posted several pictures on its Instagram and Twitter accounts, congratulating all the students involved in the record label.
Members of the label were equally enthused. President of Rose Record Label Group Stacia Burns expressed her excitement in a Facebook post after the party ended: “The launch of Rose Record Label Group was more successful than I could have ever imagined!”
One of the main factors in the success of the launch party was the transformation of Jack’s Place and the lobby of CCIM. Students relocated chairs and clunky equipment from the spaces and scattered classy tables around the building. With black tablecloths, tea light centerpieces, and rose petals covering the tables, and black curtains draped around the area, the interior of CCIM was dressed to the nines. Giant banners with the logo of Rose Record Label Group were on display. In addition, guests had the opportunity to have their pictures taken red-carpet-style in front of a banner with the logos of all the label’s sub-groups, including SMAN Publishing and Thorn Productions.
Friday marked the launch of the record label’s new website, roserecordlabel.com. The website invites visitors to hear new music from up-and-coming local artists that have been signed to the label. There are also extensive profiles of the entire team, with biographies and professional pictures of all the executives, songwriters, and producers. Assistant professor of Music Industry Sean McClowry gives a welcome message on the website, detailing the history and the vision of the group.
Social media was also unveiled Friday night. Rose Record Label Group’s Facebook page showcases the College’s state-of-the-art studios as well as highlights from the launch party, with more material to come as new music is released. The Twitter and Instagram have yet to be populated with many posts, but the accounts are expected to be active, as the record label had such a successful launch and will continue to gain exposure in the Saint Rose community.
