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ASU’s Split Rail Records Visits Charlotte Over Weekend For 11th Mid-Atlantic Music Conference

By Mark S. Kenna

Nov. 13, 2013. Split Rail Records, a student-run record label at ASU, visited Charlotte’s NoDa district over the weekend to lead in workshops and showcase local talent for the 11th Mid-Atlantic Music Conference.

This is the first year that ASU participated in the conference, Kim Wangler, director of music industry studies at ASU, said.

Wangler, with a host of professors from other schools in Massachusetts, Virginia and North Carolina, led a workshop focused on preparing and developing a career in the music industry.

On Saturday night, three different Split Rail bands performed at the Chop Shop in the NoDa district of Charlotte.

“It was really awesome to see the local talent from Boone perform,” Amanda Vollrath, a junior music industries major, said. “It was cool to introduce that talent to another market outside of Boone’s.”

Alexis Worthington a singer and songwriter and recent ASU graduate shared an hour-long set with The Fox Fire, a four-piece folk band made up of Aaron Aiken, junior management major; Clint Roberts, music industries studies major; J.T. Linville and Barrett Davis.  Ashton Lee & Hidden Still, a four-piece rock band, featuring Ashton Lee Smith, junior music industry studies major, Robert Leonard, junior music industry studies major, Michael Milligan, junior music industry studies major, Zack Barnes, sophomore finance and banking major, and Leland Dix, senior music industry studies major, also shared the hour-long set.  

ASU sent 10 students, along with the bands performing, to the conference as a way to network and learn more about the business, Wangler said.

“It was really great. We had a good turnout, and the bands played wonderfully,” Wangler added “It was really a great opportunity to showcase the band [Ashton Lee & Hidden Still] and our other bands.”

The conference gave Split Rail records more exposure to bring more talent to the label.

Split Rail Records is looking for demos and is looking forward to promoting local music and talent from ASU and the High Country, Wangler said.

Also in attendance for the showcase was Lane Caudell and ASU graduate Bob Crumley founders of Cauley Music Group. The two traveled from their headquarters in Nashville, Tenn., to watch recently signed artist Smith and the other ASU talent.