Student-Run Record Label Provides Community for Music-Minded Longhorns
For as long as Austin has boasted the title of Live Music Capital of the World, Longhorns have taken advantage of the city’s musical infrastructure. This stately motto, however, can prove intimidating for students looking to land a career in the field: How do ambitious young music lovers break into the well-established scene?
Enter UTalent Records, a student organization providing Longhorns with real-world industry experience without needing to step foot off the Forty Acres. Since its formation in the fall of 2017, the group has served as a champion for student entertainers, providing performance opportunities, well-calculated promotion plans, and—perhaps most crucially—a community of like-minded peers.
Or, as president Theary Lloyd succinctly describes the organization: “If you’re a serious artist, there’s really no better place to be.”
Hand in hand with the group’s support to aspiring artists is its function as a springboard for business-minded students seeking a post-graduation career in the music industry. As a fully operational record label, the organization aids its signed artists in the production and release of their music. At weekly meetings, members plan live showcases, discuss marketing game plans, and, of course, network with their fellow music lovers.
Lloyd’s upward journey through the organization serves as an excellent case study: After joining the group as a freshman, the Pflugerville native quickly landed the title of production chair, where she assisted artists with advancing song ideas into polished, ready-to-release tracks. For the next two years, her responsibilities expanded as a project director, lending her talents to every aspect of the songwriting processes and establishing connections with local recording studios. Today, as president, she continues to perform these duties, with the added responsibility of overseeing the label’s various departments.
“We do have an executive structure that oversees everything,” Lloyd says, “but we [also] have members, of course, who just want to be part of the organization without having an official role.”
How do these general members factor into the equation? In some senses, UTalent acts as a traditional student organization: Members attend meetings, pay dues, and organize events. In other ways, their operations are completely unusual, tackling the same responsibilities as multimillion-dollar, big-name labels. From marketing to finance to event planning, students can explore whichever facet of the music industry they find most interesting and add real-life skills to their resume.
Guest speakers, too, serve as a major perk of membership. Representatives from local but influential industry staples such as South by Southwest and C3 Presents commonly speak to the group. Recently, Erinn Knight, self-proclaimed “artists’ advocate” and founder of educational podcast Music Entrepreneurship Club, stopped by a meeting. Of the wisdom imparted by these professionals, Lloyd says, teamwork and friendship stand as two of the most emphasized themes.
“Community is the biggest thing,” Lloyd says. “The music industry is all about who you know, and networking horizontally is super underrated.
“A lot of people try to network [upward], but you’ll look up one day and have no peers because all the people who are older than you will be retired—it’s something that not only we, but [also] our guest speakers emphasize.
Every year, the organization selects three artists to bring on to the label. Interested artists can maximize their odds of landing a spot on the label by getting involved and showing up to the organization’s events, says Lloyd—particularly their annual, beginning-of-year jam sessions. Many past performers, too, first joined the group as general members, eventually landing the status of signee.
“We really value artists being members first and don’t want there to be a stigma of artists being above people,” Lloyd says. “From managers to marketing chairs to general members, everybody is here to create the same outcome, and we always want there to be mutual respect and understanding.”
This year’s selected musicians constitute an exciting breadth of genre: Nicholas Challier, an exchange student from London peddling mellow, acoustic folk; Audrey Price, an ethereal, Virginia-born singer-songwriter; and Brooke Michelle, a self-proclaimed “girly” pop specialist from Houston.
According to Michelle, the sense of community fostered within the organization extends to its signed artists. On top of releasing music through the label, says Michelle, UTalent musicians can also take advantage of the organization’s networking and knowledge-building opportunities.
“It’s great for meeting people. I would love to be an artist, but either way, I just want to work in the music or entertainment industry,” Michelle says. “I feel like UTalent has prepared me for that because I’m getting to see every aspect as I try to figure out what I want to do.”
From an early age, Michelle knew music would play a massive role in her life. After a middle school guitar instructor noted her impressive voice, she began gigging with her peers and sharpened her live set throughout high school. Upon arriving in Austin, however, she remembers initially feeling disconnected from her lifelong passion.
“At UTalent, I feel like I finally have a community of people in Austin who do the same thing as me and want to be in the industry in some way,” Michelle says.
After graduation, Michelle hopes to begin her career in Austin, with a possible move to Nashville down the road. For now, though, she’s busy recording a nine-song album with the help of her UTalent team.
“As an independent artist, it’s really hard to do everything on your own,” Michelle says. “I find that I struggle with marketing and promotions, but I’m good at knowing who I want to be as an artist and knowing my style.
“What I need help with is the logistics, and that’s where UTalent comes in—there’s always somebody there that can do what you’re looking for.”
CREDITS: Chris Green; Natalia Vazquez; Meliezza Walker
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