If you were saving your cash for Matt Feld’s new CD, go buy something else.
Matt Feld, winner of Cane Records’ UM Idol competition last November, declined the title after reading the contract Cane Records presented him.
“It had nothing to offer me,” Feld said of the contract.
The contract promised to organize, fund and market at least one
six-song CD for Feld in exchange for five percent of the profits of his next five albums.
Although five percent is a reasonable percentage for a record label to claim, Feld says that the number of albums Cane Records wanted to claim that particular percentage on worried him.
Cane Records has produced and marketed several bands and artists in the past, including Burk, a UM student rapper with a positive message.
No previous artists reported a problem with the contract Cane Records offered.
Although he looked forward to making a short recording of both original and cover songs when he originally entered the contest, Feld maintains that he would have gained nothing from a deal with Cane Records.
“When I looked at the contract, I looked at what it was offering me; [Then I thought], is signing this contract really to my benefit?” Feld said.
Feld also said that he is not willing to negotiate.
“The contract was so stupid and ridiculous that I didn’t even want to waste my time negotiating; it was that bad,” he said.
Cane Records could not be reached for comment.
Meanwhile, Feld plans to write more songs, to continue studying at the UM school of music vocal jazz program and to begin working on a solo project of his own in hopes of getting a bigger label to pick him up.
“I’m working on my own project and getting my own stuff together to present to the labels,” Feld said.
No plans have been made as yet to offer the contract to a UM Idol runner-up.
Cane Records had hoped to run the UM Idol competition every other year, but plans may change since the initial run wasn’t successful.
The Miami Hurricane will continue to follow-up on this issue throughout the course of the semester.
Jaclyn Lisenby can be contacted at jlisenby2001@yahoo.com