Letter to the Editor

In response to the article printed on February 11 titled UM Idol Winner Drops Cane Records, we would like to express Cane Records’ disappointment that our student-run record label was not represented accurately. We were sorry that the Hurricane rushed to print the article without giving Cane Records a reasonable amount of time to respond since we were not contacted directly through our telephone or E-mail address. Instead, E-mail was forwarded to us from an individual who has no association with Cane Records. To clarify, the UM Idol winner, Matt Feld, was offered a six month contract with Cane Records, and his only obligation would have been to record and promote a six-song CD. Cane Records commitment to the project would have been complete monetary funding, marketing, promotion, manufacturing, and distribution by a staff of over twenty dedicated University of Miami students. It is standard industry practice for a record label to incur the costs of production and recover expenses through product sales. Our goal of the UM Idol project was to promote the winner through an album that would have been beneficial, functional, and profitable for both parties. We also had the objective to promote the winner to other major industry contacts. The percentage mentioned in the article in regards to future albums would have served as a commission for Cane Records for securing an agreement with a major record company, which would have the means of taking his career beyond the capabilities of Cane Records. It is to our disappointment that negotiation was not an option and that no discussion about the agreement was made with Cane Records prior to the final decision. Since we are bound by an academic calendar, it would be difficult to produce and promote an album with the runner-up of the UM Idol competition before the end of the semester. It is unfortunate that we were unable to work with Matt Feld, but we look forward to future projects including another UM Idol.
Thank you,
Lisa Nishioka
President Cane Records

Editor’s Note: The Hurricane tried on numerous occasions to contact Cane Records, but received no response from the President or any other representative that could speak on the issue of Matt Feld’s contract. The article was held from print for over a week in order to get an official statement from Cane Records, but none was ever received until after the article was printed.