The MAD Dragon has been "unleashed" at Drexel University.
During the spring term of 2003, Drexel University's Industry Music Program launched MAD Dragon Records, a student-run label with all the facets of a real, working music business.
Students in Drexel's Recording Industry Operations class facilitate all operations of the label, from attaining mechanical licenses to CD design.
"It's now one of the most popular programs in the university, and probably in the country," says Drexel College of Media Arts & Design Dean Jonathan Estrin. "To be a valuable person in the music or entertainment industry, you need both the creative and the academic aspects," which this label provides for RIO students.
Marcy Wagman, Music Industry Program assistant professor and MAD Dragon faculty adviser, agreed.
"I think it's made a huge impact on our music industry students," Wagman says. "It has brought their program into the fore."
After less than a year in existence, MAD Dragon has already released its first CD, which premiered Feb. 25, 2004. Titled Unleashed, the production is a compilation of various Drexel artists.
"It was cool with both faculty and student members working on it," says Justin MacNair, a Music Industry Program graduate who helped contribute to the label's development during his time at Drexel. "Hopefully, this is the first of many CDs that comes out of MAD," he adds.
MacNair cites the hands-on nature of the project as a successful student motivator.
"Drexel is very big on the co-op system, where you just sort of learn on the job," MacNair says. "It's almost like you're holding stock in" the label and Unleashed.
Estrin agrees, emphasizing the need for a balance between creativity and practical business skills.
"We have a focus on creative, hands-on majors," Estrin says. "By marrying them to business coursework, these young professionals will be even better entrepreneurs and leaders in their respective fields."
Development of the MAD Dragon's Unleashed first began in January of 2003. At that time, the RIO class announced to Drexel student ranks that it would begin accepting song submissions for consideration.
"We didn't care what genre [the works] were, just as long as the bands featured at least one Drexel student each," Wagman says.
With submissions then flooding in, MAD Dragon departments -- composed entirely of RIO students -- began to wade through the legal and operational procedures involved in creating their first CD.
Tasks included the securing of mechanical licenses, the narrowing of song submissions and the creation of artist contracts.
Once MAD Dragon had pared 80 song submissions down to nine final selections, recording commenced in the label's state-of-the-art studio, beginning in the 2003 spring semester and continuing into the summer.
MacNair, whose band Far From Even is featured on Unleashed, speaks favorably of the signing and recording process.
"For the first time, my band signed an agreement with a record label," MacNair says. "As an artist, you're always hoping that something like that is going to happen, even if it's on a small scale."
With the first compilation now officially released, MAD Dragon Records has turned its focus to marketing Unleashed.
"We want to explore the possibility of using non-music outlets," Wagman says. "We're also looking for airplay at the college radio level, which would be fantastic."
Currently, only the Drexel Bookstore and both the Center City and University City Urban Outfitters stores are retailing Unleashed.
Through RIO, music students have gained invaluable music industry experience. For them, the success of Unleashed is simply icing on the cake.
"There were so many legal aspects we were learning about," MacNair says. "It was just a lot of very useful experiences for starting any business."
Wagman agrees.
"This is always first and foremost a teaching tool. They have to know what works and what doesn't work, so they don't make the same mistakes again," Wagman says. "That's really the main thrust of the entire class."
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