BHR Releases Holiday Song to “Wrap Up” the Semester
All photography by Amanda Hayes.
On December 10th, Blue Hawk Records (BHR) is releasing their first ever Christmas song, “Wrap Me Up”. Despite this being a first for the University’s student-run record label, the project was able to come together in only a matter of days. The song consists of 11 vocalists, 2 saxophones, drums, piano, guitar, and many more instruments played by club members that were eager for the song’s release.
“I had the idea of writing a Christmas song but I thought it would’ve been too late to execute because it was already the week before Thanksgiving break,” said Blue Hawk Records President Abby Garcia. “However, I brought it up to the team that day and by the end of the meeting the foundation of our song was there.”
BHR member Jeff Mendez led the group’s writing session by jumping on the piano, taking inspiration from Professor and Department Chair, Joe Rapolla’s chord ideas, while E-Board members Mike Viani and Cam Bacon brainstormed ideas on the guitar. At the same time, others worked collaboratively to write lyrics that would get listeners in the holiday spirit.
Just a few days later, Blue Hawk Records took to the new studio in the Woods Theatre for an open-to-all studio session. Members were able to walk in when they were available throughout the day to contribute their vocals.
“This was one of my favorite projects to record,” said Blue Hawk Studio President Mike Viani, who produced the song. “I have never worked on a song with this many singers and collaborators before and I could not have done it without them. Making a Christmas song with laughter and joy certainly translated into the final product.”
Blue Hawk Records’ “Wrap Me Up” will be out everywhere on December 10th. Everyone who contributed to the project is eager for its release, and looks forward to many more firsts for the label.
You can help Blue Hawk Records celebrate this release by attending their Very Merry Classroom Concert on 12/11 in Plangere 235 at 9:30PM. They are collaborating with the Black Student Union, WMCX, Versatile Entertainment, and The Sound Initiative to bring students a night of great music, hot cocoa, and other festive activities to get them in the holiday spirit.
Blue Hawk Records is also releasing their 23rd compilation album, Chapter XXIII, on December 8th. The album release will be celebrated in Woods Theatre on 12/8 at 6:00 PM. The event will feature interviews with the featured artists, live performances, and more!
Written by Sam Jordan.