Pac Ave Records
About us
Pac Ave Records is the student-run record label at the University of the Pacific, under the direction of COO Joshua Smotherman. The label is part of the Music Industry Studies and Music Management curriculums and gives students hands-on experiences while building their resumés.
This course initially began as a simple opportunity for students to create a label and release an album of their choice under the guidance of faculty in the MIS/MMGT program. The students were the label staff and learned through first-hand experience what it took to manage an independent label. At the end of the semester, the label would disband, making way for a new batch of students. However, in the Spring of 2012, something different occurred. Pac Ave Records was created and marked the first record label at Pacific to stay for more than one semester. At the end of the spring semester, the Pac Ave staff agreed that it was time for a permanent record label at the University of the Pacific.
From classical and jazz to pop and R&B, Pac Ave Records is proud to serve the Pacific community by commercially releasing music from artists within the UOP family, while giving students resume-building experience in the industry. Assisting with everything from recording and marketing our artists' music, Pac Ave Records serves as a controlled environment for Music Industry Students to grow and learn.
The label runs with a new set of students each year. They have pre-existing materials to work with and continue to grow, as well as a permanent faculty adviser and COO, a title currently held by Joshua Smotherman. Pac Ave’s first commercial release, Origins, allowed the label to gain connections and goodwill within the industry, allowing for many more releases and growth over the next 9+ years.
