York College launch record label 54 Records with single by student Daisy Summers
Daisy Summers has admitted it is “so exciting” to become the first recording artist to release a single on York College & University Centre’s new 54 Records label.
The label has been launched to showcase the best talent of our Music Performance & Production students and Daisy’s “Hearts on My Shoes” can now be heard on the 54 Records’ SoundCloud account.
More singles are due to be released in the coming months on a platform that will serve as a brilliant archive for student music and provide learners with a genuine working insight into the recording industry.
On the thrill of seeing her single released by 54 Records, Daisy said: “It’s so exciting and I feel really lucky to have been picked out from everyone to be the first and very appreciative for the opportunity. It’s a pop-punk song, which is something I’ve not really done before, but I did it as part of my FMP (Final Major Project) with a lot of influences from Olivia Rodrigo.
“I think the label will really prepare students for the real world, because they will have a great opportunity to record and release music and that’s obviously what most people are wanting to do when they do the course. It also means your name gets out there and you never know who will be listening to it. It’s really exciting for all the students who are on the course.”
The idea for the label came from tutor Gordon Train with the name influenced by the classroom number of the second-floor music studio with a nod to the legendary New York nightclub Studio 54.
Along with SoundCloud, an associated 54 Records Instagram account has also been created.
On the value of the label, Gordon pointed out: “We teach a course that shows the students how to work in a vocational setting within the music industry and part of that is management and production, so the idea of creating a record label makes real sense. We have an industry-standard studio and we always get compliments regarding our facilities, so we want to maximise what we can do with them.
“In the past, we’d burn a cheap CD with the students’ Final Major Project music on as a farewell present, but a record label gives the students more excitement and more ownership of their music. We have so many great artists that go on to university and then into the music industry and this is a great way of providing them with something nice and their own platform in a professional capacity.
“In terms of promoting their music, it’s also much better being on a record label than sending somebody a link or a CD. Hopefully, prospective students can have a look at the label and be excited about what they’re going to be doing before they even walk through the door, too.”
Artwork has also been created for Daisy’s single and, as well as releasing music online, 54 Records are considering producing CDs and vinyl, too.
There are also plans to revive the end-of-year FMP compilation album, along with releasing live concert recordings.
The label will be fully inclusive, meanwhile, embracing all musical tastes.
“We’re so diverse as a music department and it’s all about the quality of music you are producing, not the genre,” Gordon explained. “The label will be a real showcase of the diversity of everything that we do here.”
Having completed her course, Daisy has been offered a place at university, but is taking a gap year to concentrate on her song writing and recording more music, adding that she “will definitely keep listening to what is being released on the label”.
On the highlights of her two years at York College, she enthused: “I’ve enjoyed doing the gigs and working in bands but also having the opportunity to learn so much about song writing and having the facilities to record and mix my music. I feel like, now, if I go to a recording studio outside of college, I’m already set up whereas, before College, I would have had no idea, even with things like how to sing properly into a microphone for a recording, because it’s so different to singing live on a stage.”
To visit the 54 Records SoundCloud page, please click here
For more information about on our Music Performance & Production course, visit here
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