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UOP Releases Album to Benefit Students Affected by Wildfires

STOCKTON (CBS SF) -- A Northern California university music program is not only churning out new artists but providing relief to other students affected by the Wine Country wildfires.

The University of Pacific in Stockton began teaching music clear back in 1878. Today, young people come here to study the music business. Because they're students, they don't mind performing a little popup concert for an on-campus webcast.

When they're not playing in office cubicles, Jennifer Morrow, Hunter Reusche and Felix Cole work on a yearly group project, producing an album for the school's music label, "Pac Ave Records."  The team was recording covers of Grammy-winning songs when, in October, the fires in Sonoma County changed the focus of the record.

"One, in particular, in our major lost their home so we decided that that was going to be a really good charity that we could give back to," UOP music industries major Jada Macias.

The album is titled, "Rose Gold, Songs for Sonoma."  The playlist didn't change; it's still a collection of familiar songs from artists like Adele, Amy Winehouse and Lorde. But Reusche, who experienced the Butte Fire in Calaveras County two years ago, says reflecting on the tragedy brought added emotion to his version of Cold Play's Viva La Vida.

"I connected it to the fires and how I also lost because of fires," said Reusche.

The money earned from sales of the album will be donated to help college students in the Santa Rosa area. It was unexpected, but everyone - from the business staff to the musicians themselves - say what began as a class assignment became a labor of love.

"I like that all the proceeds are going to people in need," said Jennifer Morrow, a vocalist on the album. "And so it's doing good. but it's also, it's connecting people through what we all love."

Usually, music is meant to bring feeling to our lives. But in this case, life brought feeling to the music.

All proceeds from the album will go directly to the Santa Rosa Junior College Fire Relief Fund.

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