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Faculty Focus
Generous donations from supporters and faculty members led to the purchase of a new Yamaha Disklavier piano for the Recording Industry Department, dedicated in honor of Professors Emeriti Marilyn Wood and Bob Wood. The previous piano in Studio B had been in service since the early ’80s. The Disklavier option allows for performances on the piano to be captured and later re-created. This has significant educational benefits, allowing students to practice recording the instrument without having to hire a pianist for practice.
Studio B is used by students in Recording Industry and the M.F.A. in Recording Arts and Technologies programs (more than 1,000 students total). The department also regularly invites professional artists, songwriters, and musicians to campus to perform in these facilities, which brings visibility to the University and is a valuable experience for students. The new piano helps support these events.
Gloria Green was named Educator of the Year by the International Entertainment Buyers Association (IEBA)—the leading not-for-profit trade organization for live entertainment industry professionals who buy, book, and sell talent. At its 53rd annual conference held in Nashville (and hosted by Jo Dee Messina), the organization recognized 17 award winners across various categories.
An associate professor, Green teaches courses including Artist Management, Concert Promotions and Touring, Music Publicity, and Talent Agency Fundamentals. Prior to teaching, she was a music agent at the world–renowned William Morris Agency (now WME) where she negotiated concert bookings for a diverse roster of Christian and country music artists including Cece Winans, Charlie Daniels, and Randy Travis, among many others.
Professor Leslie Haines’ animal artistry is on exhibit at Oxford University’s Bodleian Libraries, showcasing more than 150 manuscripts, prints, posters, sculpture, and books using the alphabet as inspiration. Now a permanent part of the libraries’ collection, Haines’ Animal Abecedary: A One-of-a-Kind Alphabet Book is among only a handful of international artists’ works included in the Oxford exhibit, “Alphabets Alive!”
Her book features 26 witty juxtapositions of animals and letter-appropriate elements, such as a dapper, suit-wearing cat holding a large, unexpected cicada with wings formed from old book pages; a kimono-clad kangaroo with a knife; and a popcorn-nibbling penguin wearing pants. Such recognition isn’t unusual for Haines. Target stores snapped up two of her hat designs, and she designed the most recent arts license plate for the state of Tennessee.
Jennifer Woodard, assistant dean of the College of Media and Entertainment, was elected chair of the Multicultural Division of the Broadcast Education Association— the premier international academic media organization.
The division aims to increase the level of awareness of the contributions and concerns of traditionally underrepresented groups, especially racial and ethnic groups; to encourage more research; and to encourage electronic media curricular acknowledgment of the contributions and concerns of these groups.
A song written by Associate Professor Odie Blackmon, the director of MTSU’s Songwriting Center, has been named one of the top 25 country songs in 50 years. “She’ll Leave You With a Smile,” recorded by George Strait and Blackmon’s first No. 1, was named No. 8 in the list by Country Aircheck, a radio and industry news outlet.
Still played by Strait at stadium shows, the 20-year-old hit was the first song by Blackmon that he heard on the radio. “I was writing one day with a co-writer, and my girlfriend burst through the door and said, ‘Your song is on the radio!’ We all ran outside, jumped in the car, and just sat there and listened to it.” Blackmon returned to his alma mater to teach in 2014.
Since 1960, the MTSU Alumni Association has recognized accomplished alumni with association honors. A 2023 True Blue Citation of Distinction was awarded to William “Bill” Crabtree (’90) of Crossville, an MTSU Recording Industry professor, who was honored for Achievement in Education (MTSU faculty).
And the 2023 Young Alumni Achievement Award, given to a graduate age 35 or younger making a positive impact in the world, went to Justin Hart (’11), an award-winning television producer from Memphis.
