As one walks down the hall in the third floor of the Arts & Letters building, it’s impossible to ignore that the air is alive with music from operatic singing and a wide array of musical instruments. The commercial music program is incredible and, as the sounds of this hallway confirm, full of talent from both students and professors alike.

Michael Zager, eminent scholar in the performing arts, has created a music program unlike any other in the world. Israel Charles, a master’s degree alumnist in the program, recently hit the Billboard Top 10 with his thesis composition, “Let’s Fall in Love Again.”

Coupled with this amazing program is Hoot Records, a student-operated record label that gives students the opportunity to get real-world experience.

But since opening in 2000, Hoot Records has only managed to produce one album called Synchrofunkinicity in 2005 by a band called The People Upstairs.

Additionally, Hoot Records failed to promote the album to radio stations, retail stores and media outlets. In fact, The People Upstairs have sold most of the albums out of the back of their van after concerts.

The juxtaposition between the success of the commercial music program and Hoot Records is not only confusing but outrageous, especially when compared to the University of Miami’s Cane Records, which has managed to produce over 20 albums in the last seven years alone.

In this issue, the UP has taken an in-depth look at the commercial music program – with all its success – and Hoot Records – with a lack thereof – in order to try to make some sense of the dichotomy between the programs that should walk hand-and-hand in their successes.