U of M Student Forms Record Label Before Graduation

"He’s working hard to get exposure for artists that usually don’t," said Jackson. "He records with all kinds of acts, and when he does hip hop it isn’t the same Three Six Mafia kind of rapping that Memphis is used to hearing. If it comes from Wishful Thinking then it’s something you haven’t heard before." - DeAndre Jackson
: Robert Moore
November 11, 2011

When J.M. Byrd went to listen to a "friend of a friend’s" new band last spring, he had no idea that he would soon be starting his crucial senior project with the band, as well starting his own independent record label.
Since childhood, senior University of Memphis music business major Byrd knew that he wanted to do something with music.

"I had no idea until I got to college that it would be on the business end, but I always knew music was what I was supposed to be doing," said Byrd.

Enter Walks of Life,the band that changed Byrd’s life, consist of two performers; DeAndre Jackson who raps and Nathan Woloshin, who sings and plays guitar. Woloshin is the oldest son of Dave Woloshin, The Voice of the Tigers.

"Such astounding results from very minimalistic production standards are what first caught my eye," said Byrd about the band. "I was drawn to Life because they are hip hop, but different. When I heard them I knew I wanted to create a label that could house different artists."

Byrd set out to create the label, and after finding out that doing so could also count as a major requirement for graduation, Wishful Thinking was born. Byrd’s goal was to create a label that would create alternative music, and give Memphis the chance to listen to some local artists that don’t get much attention.

"He’s working hard to get exposure for artists that usually don’t," said Jackson. "He records with all kinds of acts, and when he does hip hop it isn’t the same Three Six Mafia kind of rapping that Memphis is used to hearing. If it comes from Wishful Thinking then it’s something you haven’t heard before."

Once his project was approved for his grade, Byrd hired fellow senior music business major Brittney Free to the label as co-president and from there the two began to market the next album from Walks of Life.

"We don’t just record music at Wishful Thinking," said Free. "We also produce and distribute the material as well."

In September Walks released their second record and the first with Byrd, titled Show Some Love. To celebrate the release the band performed for a sold out gig at Sky Grill, and was able to sell nearly one hundred copies of their record in one night.

"All of the marketing, and planning, and publicity, that was all J.M.," said Free. "He really thinks like a music industry insider."

Spinme.com first reported in 2008 that Drexel University had joined in the new trend of colleges turning their music business majors into authentic, fully functional record labels. Usually the head of that department acts as the C.E.O with students auditioning for positions from every aspect to marketing to production to performing.

"They’re actually giving students a working lab where they can sing acts," Joe Taylor wrote on Spinme.com about Drexel’s program.

University of Memphis’ Rudie E Scheidt’s school of music now follows this model, and it was working in this model last year that gave J.M. the idea to strike out on his own.

"I worked at the head of Blue TOM last year with school," said Byrd. "After seeing how I can do that, I thought I was ready for my own label." Byrd says that he received the high position with Blue TOM last year because of his ability to relate to artists, and his way of helping the artist create what the artist wants to create".

"J.M. was in the same place as us," says Woloshin. "We both had an underlying blueprint for what we wanted to achieve, and it just so happened that our goals fit hand and glove. We're all extremely driven, and I don't think J.M. was seeing that in the artist that he was managing at the time we met."

In the future, Byrd said he hopes to continue to sign more acts to his label, and he also plans to continue working with Walks of Life to further their musical career. The band is now looking to play more gigs, so that their body of work can become more accessible to more listeners.

"JM knows music," said Jackson. "He’s the guy that knows what you’re going to play next or at least what you should be playing next."

The following link is to the spinme.com story that discusses the rise in college music industry programs:
http://spinme.com/2008/03/drexels-student-run-record-label-reshaping-music-business-education/

The following link is to the Facebook page for Wishful Thinking:
http://www.facebook.com/#!/wtrllc

News Video with Wishful Thinking's Newest Member

Following is a video with the newest member of Wishful Thinking.

Photo Slide Show of Walks of Life Performing and Practicing

Below is a photo slide show of Wishful Thinking band Walks of Life during a performance last month at Sky Grill and then later that night at a jam session.

Interview With Prospect

Here I interviewed a U of M music industry major minutes before he was set to perfrom for the Wishful Thinking Panel.