LSU students look to move beyond “small-town” dream
LSU E. J. Ourso College of Business instructor Carol Carter knew in the spring of 2003 that her student Ben Labat was on the fast track to stardom.
Labat, who is currently an LSU senior and the lead singer/songwriter of the five-member, Baton Rouge-based rock band, The Terms, took Carter’s small business management class during his junior year.
In the class, students were required to pick a business they would be interested in starting and to create a comprehensive business plan that would help bring it to fruition. Labat wrote a business plan for his band, the Sidewalks, who would eventually become The Terms.
Carter, who is also assistant director of the Entrepreneurship Institute within LSU’s E. J. Ourso College, said she remembers the day Labat presented his business plan. “Ben had the class captivated. Not only did he present a grade ‘A’ business plan, he had us rocking in the classroom with his musical talent.”
Labat is not the only member of The Terms with an LSU background. Lead guitarist Clyde Hargrove received a mass communication degree from LSU in 2005, and bassist Brandon Young is continuing his academic pursuits at LSU this fall. Drummer Scott Lasseigne, a business management senior in the E. J. Ourso College, said he often uses lessons learned in his management classes when working with the various personalities he encounters in the music industry. Percussionist Blake Oliver said he draws on his 2005 LSU degree in agricultural economics when deciphering the band’s financial statements.
If we hadn’t been educated in the business field, I don’t think that we would have gotten this far so fast,” Oliver said.
Indeed, it was Labat’s 60-page business plan, along with great timing and the band’s unique talent that impressed local entrepreneur Dane Andreeff, chairman and founder of Baton Rouge-based Maple Jam Records.
Andreeff, who at the time was taking his first steps toward launching his record label, saw The Terms perform in February 2004. He brought them to his office the next day and shortly thereafter, called in Grammy-winning producer Greg Ladanyi. Ladanyi – best known for his work with musical greats such as Jackson Brown, Don Henley, and Fleetwood Mac – took the helm of the recording sessions for The Terms’ debut album, Small Town Computer Crash. Energized by the discovery of this musical gem, Andreeff launched Maple Jam Records with The Terms as its primary focus. Since signing with Maple Jam Records, The Terms have enjoyed local success and catapulted onto the national music scene, performing live in Los Angeles, Houston, New York, and other U.S. cities.
This month, the band’s education in the music industry continues as Small Town Computer Crash, is set to be released nationally on Tuesday, April 25, through Maple Jam Records / ICON MES.
The album includes Welcome to the Now ‘Evo Devo,’ which was written for LSU as an anthem in its national image and recruiting campaign. LSU has used Welcome to the Now as the campaign’s theme and has prominently displayed it in printed materials, on the Web and in 30-second national television spots. The song is the first single from the album and includes back-up music and vocals by the LSU Tiger Band and LSU Choirs. These LSU groups, along with the LSU Cheerleaders and a number of LSU students, appear in The Terms’ Welcome to the Now ‘Evo Devo’ music video, which was shot entirely on the LSU campus. Those familiar with the LSU campus will recognize shots of the LSU Law School, Parade Ground, Tiger Stadium, and the LSU Union Theater within the video. Free downloads of the Welcome to the Now ‘Evo Devo’ single and music video, as well as an interview with The Terms, can be found at www.lsu.edu/now.
Twelve other songs are included on the Small Town Computer Crash album. One of the songs, Ransom Groove, will be featured in the upcoming independent-film Mini’s First Time, which will premiere May 1 at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York City. Kevin Spacey is one of the producers of the film, which stars Alec Baldwin, Jeff Goldblum, Carrie Ann Moss, Niki Reed, and Luke Wilson.
Later this month, the band will visit Baton Rouge’s Episcopal High School to perform a live concert for students and speak to them about the importance of attending college. Labat said that the band’s message to students will be simple.
“You can apply what you learn at LSU to a dream you have,” Labat said.
Contact Michelle Spielman | LSU
Office of Public Affairs
Spring 2006
