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Clayton Recording Arts Honors brings student music to the stage at Lucky Man Studio

Lucky Man Studio was full of energy on Friday, April 24, as Auburn University’s Clayton Recording Arts Honors capped off the year with a live showcase celebrating four student recording projects. The concert featured performances by Anna Colson, Walter Lloyd, Syler Stone, and Clayton Recording Arts Honors grand prize winner Jack Sears, giving audiences a first chance to hear newly released music recorded right on campus.

The evening began with welcome remarks from Department of Music Chair Doug Rosener, followed by insights from faculty producer Trammell Starks and comments from Jennifer Bohler, who works with Blue Wire Music—the student-run record label style initiative formed by Auburn Music Business minors to support the artists’ releases. Together, the remarks set the tone for a night focused on collaboration, creativity, and hands on learning.

Each artist took the stage to premiere work developed through the Clayton Recording Arts Honors program. Syler Stone opened the performances with “Emotions,” followed by Walter Lloyd’s “Music Saved My Life.” Anna Colson then shared “Bird Set Free,” before Jack Sears closed the program with selections from his Three States Away EP, including “Wrong Side of the River,” “Again and Again,” and “One Headlight.”

“The Clayton Project has allowed me to work with incredibly talented musicians and given me a new perspective into the music industry,” Stone said, reflecting on the impact of the program.

The recordings featured throughout the evening were produced by Trammell Starks at Auburn University’s Lucky Man Studio as part of an immersive, professional studio process. In addition to overseeing tracking and production, Starks brought in professional background vocalists from Atlanta to contribute to the recordings. These vocalists also worked directly with the finalists and grand prize winner through coaching sessions, offering guidance on vocal performance, artistry, and preparation for recording in a commercial studio environment.

“Opportunities like the Clayton Honors program are meaningful because they demand a professional standard,” Starks said. “Students aren’t just learning concepts—they’re participating in work that has to hold up in a hyper-competitive marketplace.”

Behind the scenes, the showcase reflected months of interdisciplinary collaboration. Music Business minors led marketing, branding, public relations, analytics, and video strategy through Blue Wire Music, gaining hands-on experience that mirrors the structure and expectations of the music industry.

“The Clayton Awards created an exciting opportunity for our senior-level music business minors to put their training into action,” Bohler said. “They launched Blue Wire Music and worked as a team to create a marketing plan that included artist development, publicity, digital marketing, analytics and more. The result is something they can all be proud of and illustrated to us that our young Music Business Minor program is training students who can seamlessly move from the academic world into the music industry.”

Graphic Design students, working under the direction of Professor David Smith, created custom cover art for each release, further emphasizing the program’s interdisciplinary reach.

Additional Auburn students and campus partners played key roles in shaping the projects’ visual identity. Bríain Seymour, a junior in Apparel Merchandising, Design and Production Management, designed the custom shirt worn by Sears for his photoshoot. Telfair Peet Theatre loaned all props used during the photo sessions, and all artist images were captured by Atlanta based photographer Jerry Siegel.

The April showcase followed the Clayton Recording Arts Honors Finals, held Jan. 24 at Lucky Man Studio, where student artists competed for professional recording support through a program named in honor of Don and Alexandra Clayton. The competition drew six semifinalists selected from campus wide demo submissions. The grand prize included three commercial song releases, while additional awards provided one release each. After a final round judged by nationally known music artists, Sears was selected as the competition’s grand prize winner, with Lloyd, Colson, and Stone named finalists.

Several of the featured projects have already been released on all streaming platforms this semester. Sears’ Three States Away EP was released April 24 and includes “One Headlight,” “Again and Again,” and “Wrong Side of the River.” Stone’s single “Emotions” will be released on May 16, Colson’s “Birds Set Free” on May 22, and Lloyd’s “Music Saved My Life” on May 29.

“The Clayton Recording Arts Honors Final Concert was a wonderful success,” Rosener said. “These students now have newly recorded music out in the world, and we look forward to watching them grow as professional artists. This unique program gives students the opportunity to make their mark on the music industry, and we’re excited to continue with a new group of contestants next year.”

The Clayton Recording Arts Honors continues to highlight Auburn University’s commitment to experiential learning, bringing together students, faculty, and campus partners to support original music from creation through release at Lucky Man Studio.

Tags: Students Arts and Culture Music