Student-run record label founded at Stevens Institute of Technology

HOBOKEN, N.J. — A group of six students at Stevens Institute of Technology has created an innovative, student-run record label called Castle Point™ Records. Intended as a way for students to get directly and intimately involved in the music industry, the staff of Castle Point Records has assembled for its first release a compilation album featuring popular local cutting-edge rock bands.

For its first project, the label is recording and producing original music at HarariVille Studios. Carlos Alomar, long-time David Bowie guitarist (who also worked with Duran Duran, Iggy Pop, Luther Vandros and John Lennon) who is the president of the New York chapter of the National Association of Recording Arts & Science, (NARAS), (http://naras.org/newyork.aspx), has produced two songs for the release and assisted on a third.

Unlike most academic record labels, Castle Point Records will reach out beyond the limits of its school’s own musical groups. Distributing exceptional quality music that is relevant to today’scollege student is of the utmost importance to the organization. Located in the center of the popular Hoboken music scene and minutes from Manhattan, Castle Point Records is poised to take advantage of its access to two music communities in a way that most other collegiate labels can’t claim while teaching lessons that can’t be learned in the classroom.

“The whole experience been unbelievable,” says label president Ian Wolf, “It’s a new approach to the traditional college record label. We’ve all learned so much and produced an album that rock fans will actually like.”

Under the guidance of Stevens’ Music and Technology director, David Musial, the students started with no more than an idea. Meeting often late into the night, they managed virtually everything including procuring funding, artist scouting and recruitment and the creation of the overall businessplan document. Mr. Musial, himself the owner and founder of One World Artists Group, says, “College students often predict the future of pop music, and our students are not just on the cutting edge, they are making it happen!”

Sponsored by a Technogenesis start-up grant from Stevens' Office of Institute Technology Initiatives, Castle Point Records will function as a student organization at the Institute. The label will be releasing its first album in the fall of 2005. Plans for future releases are already in the works.

Stevens' VP for Institute Technology Initiatives, Dr. Helena S. Wisniewski, applauded the new effort, saying, "This is what Stevens' learning environment of Technogenesis is all about - students collaborating with faculty and professionals in industry to create new market-based initiatives that are self-sustaining, and that enrich the learning environment for current and future students."

For information visit stevensmultimedia.com

What: Castle Point Records, a division of StevensMultimedia.com, formed at Stevens Institute of Technology
Who: Stevens Institute of Technology students
When: Compilation record release fall 2005

About Stevens Institute of Technology

Founded in 1870, Stevens Institute of Technology is one of the leading technological universities in the world dedicated to learning and research. Through its broad-based curricula, nurturing of creative inventiveness, and cross disciplinary research, the Institute is at the forefront of global challenges in engineering, science, and technology management. Partnerships and collaboration between, and among, business, industry, government and other universities contribute to the enriched environment of the Institute. A new model for technology commercialization in academe, known as Technogenesis®, involves external partners in launching business enterprises to create broad opportunities and shared value.

Stevens offers baccalaureates, master’s and doctoral degrees in engineering, science, computer science and management, in addition to a baccalaureate degree in the humanities and liberal arts, and in business and technology. The university has a total enrollment of 2,150 undergraduate and 3,500 graduate students, with about 250 full-time faculty. Stevens’ graduate programs have attracted international participation from China, India, Southeast Asia, Europe and Latin America. Additional information may be obtained from its web page at www.stevens.edu.  

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