Stepping stones in students’ careers arrive slowly but surely, with solid opportunities as payoffs from their tried-and-true commitments. But many will be hard-pressed to receive a helping hand from the music producers behind Wacka Flocka Flame, Mariah Carey, Chris Brown and Ludacris. For students Stephen Murphy and Ashley Fister, dedication has paid off. And they know that they better be able to keep up with the pace of what is ahead.

Under the title of Fister’s full name, the couple will travel to Nashville, Tenn., over spring break to record material at Tyler Ward Studios with additional members of their group. There, they will work with Jeremy McCoy, the touring bass player of The Fray, among other producers who will help the students prepare their first contract-signed EP and LP releases, scheduled to hit later this year.

This scenario appeared for Murphy and Fister after a lifetime of developing passion and a friendly relationship.

“We’ve known each other since we were 3, and music has always been an important part of our lives,” said Fister, sophomore in LAS. “I went from dance and voice lessons to piano, and Chris has played piano for 17 years.”

Fister and Murphy participated in music programs at their high school in Mokena, Ill., and started to practice together in their junior year. Murphy said he has written music and produced for the eight years and that working within the music industry has always been his dream.

“We started our work toward music early because it’s something we want to have as the main part of our future, not something we wanted to begin the day we graduate from college,” said Murphy, sophomore in Business. “We want to have a successful pathway paved so we can walk down it rather than start building it when you need to start making money and support yourself.”

Murphy formed his own company, Regime Production, with business partner and University alumus Evan Thompson in August. The two became friends last year when they shared a negotiations course, and Thompson said he helped Murphy develop a business plan to start the production company. Regime incorporates their music with a business approach for funding and promotions, which Thompson handles as chief financial officer while Murphy and Fister focus on producing music.

“I make sure everything we do is according to law and that our money’s going in the right places,” Thompson said. “I’m currently living in Las Vegas working for a production company, but Stephen and I stay in touch constantly so that everything’s operating well with the studio in Mokena.”

Back home, Murphy converted his room into a private studio with equipment individually costing more than $1,000 — a heavy investment he saw was necessary for Regime.

“We work with what’s more or less the best you can get, at least above a uniform home studio,” Murphy said. “We built a vocal isolation booth that’s 100 percent soundproof and record on a $3,500 microphone and use an even more expensive compressor. Not to boast, but we want to make our work sound like something that goes on the radio.”

One of Murphy’s focuses in business is entrepreneurial studies. In person, both Murphy and Fister were direct in their speech and presentation, never mincing words or flubbing an inflection.

Their careful, composed manner is the result of the mounting demands they face from their music and pressures elsewhere.

In addition to their coursework at the University, Murphy and Fister occupy executive positions within their fraternity and sorority houses and participate in philanthropic activities. But Murphy and Fister openly share jokes and make an affable presence.

“It’s easy for us to write a song one way or we can easily change it around into a completely different style with a new feeling,” Fister said. “I sing with a more pop, R&B feel, but we’re happy to try out whatever we think people would enjoy the most. Our style can be both from a creative and business standpoint.”

The artists’ working processes are fluid as well. Murphy added that his writing procedure changes constantly and he regularly improvises until he finds something that he likes. He stopped taking piano lessons because his teachers did not want to put up with his intuitive methods of playing.

“I hear something and I just play it — that’s how I write. I’ll sit down for an hour, two hours, however long, and then begin to layer sounds,” Murphy said. “Then we go into post-production … where you get into the nitty-gritty, technical process of it.”

Murphy and Fister’s goal is to spread their music to as many people as they can. Thompson operates the Regime website and their profiles on Facebook, Twitter, SoundCloud and Youtube, and Murphy establishes connections with those in the industry.

“I met with producer Chris Patton just in a store by showing him some work,” Murphy said. “He goes, ‘White boy’s got some style!’ … But even with lucky breaks like that, it’s diving in to the industry, meeting people, meeting the people those people know so you can work toward a center.”

Thompson said he is nervous for the trip to Nashville, where “the bar is exceptionally high,” and the December due date for the first album looms over every member of Regime.

But Murphy and Fister said they are happy to seize the opportunity.

“The emotions are all excitement. It’s not stressful at all because this is what we want to do for the rest of our lives,” Fister said. “We remain goal-oriented and know that the doors are open. Now, we just have to walk through it.”

Adlai can be reached at [email protected].