Nate Stein dreams of writing a symphony just like his grandfather once did. Yet he recently released a techno-pop-dance album, aptly titled ‘N8 St9.’

Stein’s album combines his appeal to college students and a synthesized beat to sound like a crossbreed of Asher Roth and T-Pain. Although a pop album is far from a symphony, there is a smooth rhythm to Stein’s actions.

‘N8 St9’ acquired 1,200 downloads within its first five release days in December. It is currently up to 1,752 downloads, making it clear that Stein’s decision to try out a pop album was smart one.

He credits his grandfather, Albert Hurwit, as his musical influence and for what he has learned about symphony instruments since he was 3 years old.

‘The people around me really have a lot of impact,’ said Stein, a junior in the Bandier Program for Music and the Entertainment Industries at Syracuse University.

Early this year, Stein set out to produce an acoustic album on which he was planning to include special violinists, vocalists and bongo players, but his Sigma Chi fraternity brothers influenced him to take a different route.

‘The people I’m surrounded by are loving dance and pop hits,’ Stein said. ‘And although I make music for myself, I also make it for the people around me.’

His first single, titled ‘Thank that Drank,’ was written last year, while Stein was procrastinating for an important accounting exam. He was playing around on his keyboard to avoid studying when he created some sounds that he enjoyed. He ended up neither sleeping nor studying, but instead stayed up the whole night writing the song.

His friends and fraternity brothers took a liking to this new dance single and started playing it at parties and Lucy’s Retired Surfers Bar.

‘It’s kinda cool,’ Stein said. ‘When they play my song at the fraternity, everyone knows the words. Even the girls are singing the lyrics.’

Brittany Hicks, a senior television, radio and film major, is one girl that knows all the lyrics, as she is the female singer featured on the hit track.

‘I was excited when he asked me to sing,’ Hicks said. ‘It was already a popular track, everyone knew it, and I think it’s really good.’ She also sings the female part in his song ‘I Dream for You.’

Olivia Varo, a sophomore in the Bandier Program for Music and the Entertainment Industries, also worked with Stein on two of the album’s tracks, ‘All I Want is You’ and the ‘N8 St9 Anthem.’

‘It was all really easy,’ Varo said. ‘He already knew what he wanted. I just kind of came in and performed for him, and I think he did a great job.’

Stein is pleased with the popularity of his new music. ‘The response has been much greater for this dance music album versus non-dance music,’ he said. ‘But I’ve always been doing acoustic stuff, so my future album will hopefully combine everything.’

Stein has engulfed his life in music since he was young. When he was 1 or 2 years old, he would drum on trees and make drum sets out of couches.

Just like his grandfather, Stein cannot read sheet music.

‘I don’t feel a need to learn to read it anymore,’ Stein said. ‘I’ve recorded over 500 songs. Reading music slows me down way too much. I’m so much more creative when I’m not worrying about it.’

Hicks, who has been a singer since almost as far back as Stein has been making makeshift drums, said that Stein is really talented and she is impressed with his musical background.

Stein said that his popular album was a way of experimentation. He is filming his journey for an independent-study class and hopes to turn the film into something special.

‘I’m still finding my sound,’ he said. ‘We’ll see what happens. I don’t think I’m necessarily ready to be on top of the world, but whenever I really find what it is I want to share musically, I will do just that.’

tpollock@syr.edu

Published on January 27, 2010 at 12:00 pm