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Contrary to common music industry practices, exploiting musicians for profit was not high on Eric Schoen's priority list when he started his production company a year ago.

"I thought I wanted to be a record executive. Then I found out what a sleazy business it is," said Schoen, who teaches music at Temple Sinai in Oakland and studied it at the University of the Pacific.

At the mercy of record executives, many professional musicians earn very little money, he said. Unworldly artists might be coerced into sharing their publishing rights with the label or producing another five albums after signing on for the first.

After the contract is signed, the production company may never release the artist's works.

More concerned with making music and mitzvah than moolah, the idealistic teacher decided that cutting a CD of his students' best singing would be a good family project.

"I came up with the idea based on an album at Camp Swig that I took part in when I was 7 or 8 years old. It was live with [noted singer-songwriter] Debbie Friedman," said Schoen, whose Oakland-based company, Rolling Green Productions, had never produced a CD before.

The 29-year-old recalls "the joy of producing that record and hearing other kids singing."

Temple Sinai is currently engaged in a mission to strengthen relationships — between religious-school students, and between parents and children. Schoen felt his CD project promoted the temple's goal.

After the congregation board gave him the go-ahead and some funding, Schoen wasted no time in contacting a number of the "best recording artists" to capture the same joy for 380 Sinai youngsters, aged 5 to 13.

The recording artists, most of them Schoen's friends — including sound engineer Jonathen Nesmith, son of the Monkees' Michael Nesmith — offered their services at drastically reduced rates. Without their good will, Schoen couldn't have pulled it off as Schoen had only $4,000 to spend; even the cheapest professional albums range from $10,000 to $100,000.

"We were able to do it with virtually no budget," he said. "It was a combination of a lot of favors from a lot of people."

For six months, Schoen trained his students to harmonize. Meanwhile, he negotiated royalties, assembled sound equipment and hired Hebrew translators.

"I did a tremendous amount of work — from being songleader to engineer to lawyer," Schoen said.

His young singers lent a hand by creating the art on the colorful CD cover.

The 15-song CD, "Mitzvah Goreret Mitzvah" ("One Good Deed Leads to Another"), recorded in the synagogue's sanctuary, came off without a hitch — except that the combination of high-powered microphones and jittery kids called for some technical gymnastics.

"Think of every shoe-scuffle times 10," Schoen said.

"It was demanding for the kids, but they rose to the occasion," said Lori Abramson, Sinai's director of education.

In addition to the youngsters' songs, Schoen recorded a duet performed by Abramson and Sinai Cantor Ilene Keys; another that he performed with fellow teacher Julia Eisenberg, noted locally for her band Charming Hostess; and Friedman's "Mi Shebeirach," sung by Sinai's adult choir.

All the songs were congregation favorites, Abramson said.

"Musically, it came out pretty good. Parents have said it's their new favorite Jewish tape at home and that the kids know all the words now," Abramson said.

She said the congregation has already recouped its costs on the CD, which retails for $15. The religious school students plan to donate the proceeds to an unspecified charity.

For Schoen, it was a lesson on how to do business the right way. Songwriter Andy Vogel recently sent him a note thanking him for the royalty check. It was the first royalty check Vogel had ever received.

He sent it to charity.