University of New Haven Photo
Murray Krugman
A student-run record label at the University of New Haven seems poised to become an invaluable resource for aspiring record producers and local musicians hoping to introduce themselves to wider audiences.
“The label, Purebred Records, will initially be funded by the UNH College of Arts and Sciences,” according to a university news release, which explained that “the idea of establishing a student-run record label was started by Douglas Foley, a junior from Washington, N.J., who saw it as a way to take advantage of the expertise of UNH faculty members who have extensive experience as professional musicians and music producers.”
University of New Haven professor and Silverwolf Records founder Murray Krugman, who’s produced music by such notable artists as Blue Oyster Cult, Mahavishnu Orchestra, and Johnny Winter, talked about the project’s inception.
“People knew that I had a long history in the music business and in fact run my own independent record label,” Krugman said. “I was really interested in running a student-run label.”
When Foley and others “pushed for a label,” Krugman said, “I was happy to become the adviser for it.”
According to its Soundcloud profile, “Purebred Records is a fully functioning, student run record label at the disposal of the University of New Haven … and the community at large. Our organization’s purpose is to provide students with a variety of experiences that emphasize their education and promote creativity in applying themselves to real-world issues and topics.”
The university’s news release indicated that “the label … will initially be funded by the UNH College of Arts and Sciences.”
The label is an extension of a course taught by Krugman, who said he believes in experiential education but also recognized a need to ensure that the project would be equitable for all involved.
“The idea is to really ignite the kids’ passion and not create another basket-weaving class at the same time,” Krugman said.
For the students who took his course last semester, when it was first offered, it was a “very, very intense, profound learning experience,” Krugman said.
And that’s because it’s not only about the music itself. It’s about learning what to do, for example, “when trademark issues stop you in your tracks,” and other ethical, legal, and production considerations.
The school’s news release, which was issued in May, quoted university senior Robert Bellach as saying, “In the future, we hope to work with the sound recording faculty and sound recording majors, and produce the work in our on-campus recording studios … We are hoping to work with bands that already have a fan base so we can tap into their network to promote new work … If you are an un-signed musician in the New Haven area that has a growing fan base and wants to move to the next level, we can help. If you are a listener and lover of music, we can provide you with some great local music.”
For more information about Purebred Records, email.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).