Florida Atlantic University students Daniel Arteaga and Patricia Jansheski are set to release individual songs at the end of this month with Hoot/Wisdom Recordings, a student-run record label based at FAU. 

Hoot/Wisdom Recordings is giving students like Arteaga and Jansheski a platform to develop and share their music.

Arteaga’s song, “Working Backwards” drops on March 1. and Jansheski’s “Ponder Sonder” on Feb. 28, marking their respective second releases with the label. 

Through Hoot/Wisdom Recordings, students gain hands-on experience in songwriting, production and collaboration — something both artists say has shaped their growth.

Founded in 2004 by Michael Zager, the label was created to help students apply classroom learning to real projects. 

“The record label is a core component part of the commercial music program here at FAU,” said Alejandro Sanchez-Samper, Hoot/Wisdom’s faculty advisor and professor of music.

When Zager started the program back in 2004, his vision was for there to be a record label and music publisher attached to the program. He hoped that students would be able to apply what they learned in the program to real-world projects. 

Each semester, selected artists collaborate with students to produce a song in various roles, including musicians, sound engineers and lyricists. This process fosters collaboration and prepares students for careers in the music industry.

Arteaga, also known by the stage name “Fillo,” a senior studying commercial music composition and an artist with the label, says the time and work in creating music with the label is worth it.

“It’s a really great experience. It’s open to all FAU students and alumni, and even staff,” Arteaga said. “I was an artist for two semesters, and that was great. It really teaches you a lot about collaborating.”

Whether making music with the record label or performing with his band, The Snake Lounge, Arteaga is all in on music and wants the world to heal with him through song. 

“Ultimately, my goal really is to heal and to allow my music to take people out of whatever they’re going through,” Arteaga said. “And really just let them enjoy the vibrations, both physically and metaphorically, of my music.” 

Arteaga explains the significance of “Working Backwards,” revealing how it ties into his own experiences.

“The song is mainly about the backs and forth of a relationship on thin ice,” Arteaga said. “But you know, sometimes, giving onto certain behaviors and stuff will ultimately make you work backward.”

Arteaga says he got into music through his high school’s marching band. Although it started as a hobby, Daniel started taking music seriously when he began making arrangements for the marching band. Soon, after making arrangements for other instruments, he realized his love for the art and started running with it.

“Eventually, I realized it was one of the only things I could really do for an extended period of time, like hours at a time, without getting really annoyed or bored,” said Arteaga.”And so, I started looking for music programs in my area, and I found FAU. The program and the curriculum really aligned with my goals, so now I’m here.”

Jansheski, a sophomore business major and vice president of Hoot/Wisdom Recordings, is also set to release her second song in collaboration with the label.

She says she learned about the label after seeing their table in Boca Raton’s Breezeway during her freshman year. After applying to be an artist, she was chosen to start her first semester. 

“It’s really, really cool. Honestly, all the time, I’m just amazed by all the talent around me,” Jansheski said. “I don’t know music as much as these other people because it’s kind of like their whole life and their major, too, so it’s really cool to be around those people. It’s honestly really inspiring.”

Jansheski uses her music to explore the intricacies of human experiences. Her goal is to connect people of all kinds with her lyrics. Through her songs, she aims to create moments of reflection and understanding that resonate beyond just the music itself. 

“I have a lot of fun writing songs that mean things and make you think, and it’s a really cool experience when someone goes, ‘Wow, that really connected with me,’ and ‘That really kind of changed the way I see things,’ and I think that’s what art is all about, and that’s what my music is about too,” she said.

Her song “Ponder Sonder,” set to release on Feb. 28., is about figuring out one’s place in the world and appreciating life’s bigger picture.

“[Ponder] Sonder is like the realization every individual in this life has a life that is as full and vibrant and meaningful as your own,” Jansheski says. “It’s kind of with that theme in mind and also… the curiosity of your existence and kind of questions your place in the universe while embracing the beauty of the unknown.”

Julius Demosthenes is a Staff Writer for the University Press. For more information on this or other stories, contact Demosthenes at jdemosthenes792@gmail.com or DM jay_dem0 on Instagram.