Golden Ticket

Grammys experiences give students industry insights

True Blue returned to the Grammys in full force as MTSU resumed its annual pilgrimage to the music industry’s biggest showcase to celebrate alumni nominees and provide students career-building experiences.

College of Media and Entertainment students Cole Arn, Kevon Cole, Breanna Beahler, Jolie Harper, and Sam Long helped prepare the MGM Grand Conference Center for the 31st annual MusiCares Person of the Year benefit gala honoring Joni Mitchell.

“Getting to go on this trip is the opportunity of a lifetime,” said Harper, a senior studying Music Business. “I’m so thankful that MTSU has provided me with the chance to meet industry professionals, see Las Vegas, and have an amazing experience with my peers—all at the same time.”

MTSU secured this year’s student opportunities through the many industry connections of Dean Beverly Keel, Recording Industry Chair John Merchant, and Professor Matthew O’Brian.

“Experiences like these help our students better understand the inner workings of major entertainment events,” Keel said.

COVID-19 concerns in 2021 broke MTSU’s seven-year streak of hosting Grammy site events and lining up student experiences. The pandemic also delayed the 2022 event by three months and moved it out of Los Angeles.

At an MTSU Alumni Association gathering the day before the awards show, the University also recognized nine alumni nominated in categories ranging from country to pop to Latin music to bluegrass to gospel. MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee joined faculty, students, and administrators from the colleges of Media and Entertainment and Liberal Arts for the 64th annual Grammy Awards.

Maria Elisa Ayerbe (’15, M.F.A., Recording Arts and Technologies), nominated as an engineer for best Latin pop album, was singled out at the MTSU event for career achievement.

Other former students nominated for engineering were:

• multi-Grammy winner Tony Castle (’95), best traditional pop vocal album and best traditional blues album

• Bill Hickey (’06), best pop vocal album

• five-time winner F. Reid Shippen

• 2021 winners Jason A. Hall (’00) and Jimmy Mansfield (’14), best country album

Ceylon Wise (’03, Audio Production) and Ashley Brooks Wise (’03, School of Music) were part of a best children’s music album nomination.

And producer-songwriter Wayne Haun (’00, School of Music) was up for best roots gospel album.

At a Saturday lunch, students also huddled with three other industry pros for real-world insights: Mike Molinar, head of Big Machine Music and a 2020 College Wall of Fame inductee; B.J. Hill, vice president of Warner Chappell Music in Nashville; and Laura Veltz, recently hailed by an industry publication as “one of our most important songwriters.”