Mass. student record company has new sales goal

FRANKLIN (AP) - A group of Franklin High School students are setting out to accomplish what music teacher Mike Peacock calls the impossible.

They hope to sell 500,000 downloads in the month of February of Copathetic, an independent music album featuring Virginia singer-songwriter Kate Herndon and Jessi Fanuele, a Franklin High School history teacher who plays acoustic guitar.

The students are part of Sound in the Hall Records, a student-run record company launched five years ago to supplement music recording and performance classes at the high school. About 30 students participate in the group, which has recorded local bands and school concerts and broadcasts radio shows on the Internet.

If they are successful, they would earn a Gold record, awarded by the Recording Industry Association of America for albums that sell 500,000 copies, Peacock said, adding they would probably become the first independent record company to reach this goal.

While it is difficult for an independent musician to sell that many copies when the albums cost $10, the students are selling their albums in bundles of 500 and 1,000 downloads for $5 and $10 respectively, he said, noting a low price point is feasible because, as a student club, they are not trying to make a profit.

And, selling the albums in bundles allows listeners to share them legally with friends and helps more people experience independent music, Peacock said.

Herndon approached Peacock three months ago about partnering in the project and they have been planning since then. The students have already pre-sold more than 100,000 albums, Peacock said, adding they hope to donate some money from the sales to local charities.

The students also noted that helping sell a gold album would give the school an accomplishment many colleges do not have.