Press

03.02.04 | Southeast Ohio Magazine
Brick City Records: Laying the Bricks for Aspiring Local Musicians

The show is standing room only. Unexpectedly, the crowd is shoulder-to-shoulder from the foot of the stage all the way back to the windows of the top floor of Athens’ Blue Gator. On stage, a timid blond stands between his two dark-haired and equally anxious partners. In their deep voices, the three begin to introduce what they had all worked so hard for.

“We’d like to welcome everyone here tonight to the first of many future Brick City Records nights. Thank you all for coming and supporting local Athens music. And now Brick City Records presents you Brent Mulgrew. Let’s bring him on!”

As the three walk offstage, the intensity of the crowd fills the room. They look out at everyone in amazement, for little did they expect that their hard work, dedication and love of music would ever pay off this well.

Brick City Records was born in the fall of 2002, fathered by Ohio University seniors Nate Levin, Scott Rosenblatt and Matt Gerst, who wanted to find out more about their future careers in the music business. They blindly started from scratch, attempting to operate their own small business, a fully functioning record label on campus.

All they knew was music, but each accepted the responsibility of learning how to create and execute business and marketing plans, as well as the process of signing and recording an artist.

Bringing different tastes of music to the table, the trio met as fraternity brothers of Alpha Epsilon Pi. For Levin, a native of Shaker Heights, Ohio, music has always been a huge part of his life. Whether jamming on his bass or simply buying every album he can get his hands on, Levin simply can’t get enough. This insatiable passion for musical knowledge makes his job as Brick City’s vice president of production a natural fit.

Hailing from Livingston, N.J., Rosenblatt is another musician with a passion for music. For as long as he can remember, he has always kept his collection up-to-date and could never resist strumming any guitar sitting in front of him.

He was looking for a way to incorporate his life-long passion into his career, which led to Brick City. His current position, vice president of artist and repertoire, allows him to explore his future career by overseeing promotions, booking, marketing and sales campaigns.

Born into an artistic family, Gerst, a native of Rockville, Md., was also introduced to music at an early age, but in a different light. While growing up in a theater family, he was surrounded by music and entertainment. As a kid, he worked on the technical side of community theater, so his current role supporting entertainers comes naturally. As head of administration for Brick City, he oversees legal matters to keep the organization afloat and protect its interests.

It is the combination of Levin’s plethora of musical knowledge, Rosenblatt’s enthusiasm and behind-the-scenes cues from Gerst that harmonizes as one sweet team. Working together, Levin, Rosenblatt and Gerst laid the bricks for Ohio University’s first student-run record label. Brick City Records is one of only ten student-run record labels in the nation. Once the label chooses an artist, he or she is given the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of recording their own album, earning radio airtime and publicity.

Although Brick City quickly gained support from the university’s faculty and staff, budget cuts threatened its survival, says Jeff Redefer, the label’s advisor. After almost a year of business proposals, event planning and meetings with university deans, professors, alumni and lawyers, Brick City received such limited funding that they began questioning whether they would even be able to produce one full album.

And so the battle began. The trio met with several faculty members to discuss the future of their newborn company. They were told there was not enough money to start a new student organization.

So they changed their tactics. With the help of other student members, the group keeps its dream alive by raising money by auditioning artists live at “Brick City Nights.” Events during the fall of 2003 alone raised over $1,100, and attracted the attention of alumni from major record labels, such as Bob Weil, a 1981 graduate of Ohio University who currently works for Warner/Reprise Records in Los Angeles.

Karen Riggs, director of the School of Telecommunications, says that the guys’ all-around enthusiasm and energy is astonishing.

“The university had every intention of creating more outlets for the overwhelming student interest in the music industry, but it took three ambitious students to make it happen,” Riggs says.

Academic guidance and support for the label came from the Ohio University community, including President Robert Glidden, Kathy Krendl, dean of the College of Communication and other faculty members.

But this is just the beginning. Brick City could eventually become part of university coursework, giving students hands-on experience and a more in-depth study of the music industry. Other student organizations are looking to become involved in various aspects of the business, including event planning, advertising, design and promotions.

“The organization can give so much experience to its participants, but they have to be willing to put in everything to get anything out of it,” Gerst says.

“All or nothing” has been Brick City’s slogan from the get-go. And its hard work hasn’t gone unnoticed — just ask the fans who packed into the Blue Gator the night of Brick City’s first audition. Judging from their response, it won’t be the last.

(Kelly Bucher is the publicist for Brick City Records.)