Los Angeles event underscores involvement by
university in music’s biggest day
LOS ANGELES — MTSU faculty and administrators greeted Music
City artists and recording executives attending the Grammys Monday at a
Leadership Music event near from Staples Center, the site of the 58th annual
awards ceremony.
The reception at Rock’N Fish
Restaurant, which also attracted Nashville Mayor Megan Barry, was held just
before the Grammys telecast. It marked the third year the university has
partnered with the Nashville-based organization.
Also, it capped three days of
activities in the Los Angeles area by MTSU’s College of Media and Entertainment
to underscore the national profile of its Recording Industry program.
“MTSU’s increasing presence at the
Grammys has been noticed and appreciated, not only by our alumni but others in
the recording industry,” said President Sidney A. McPhee. “We’ve planted
the True Blue flag in a very visible location."
McPhee, along with Media and
Entertainment Dean Ken Paulson and Recording Industry Chairwoman Beverly Keel,
greeted Leadership Music alumni at Monday’s event, some of who were also
former MTSU students. The annual leadership program brings together
established leaders within the music community to discuss issues currently
affecting the industry.
“Our partnership with Leadership
Music affords opportunities for us to connect with some of Music City’s top
influencers,” McPhee said. “This is a perfect way to finish MTSU’s third trip
to the Grammys.”
Paulson, a former executive board
member for Leadership Music, said the college’s now-annual presence in Southern
California sends a strong signal to those working in the music business.
“It's our ongoing relationship
with Leadership Music and other industry professionals that allows us to give
our students a vibrant, hands-on education,” Paulson said.
Leadership Music alumni come from
all genres of music within both the creative and business segments of the
industry, as well as partners from the nonprofit, business, educational and
legislative communities.
Its alumni now total about 1,000
and include nearly four-dozen current and former heads of record labels;
executive directors of the nation’s top music associations; and executives from
The Recording Academy. Among them is Keel, a graduate, former board member and
former secretary of the program.
MTSU joined Sound Exchange and
City National Bank as sponsors of Monday's event.
“We appreciate MTSU's sponsorship
for this great alumni event before the Grammy Awards,” said Leadership Music
Executive Director Debbie Schwartz Linn. “It’s also wonderful that President
McPhee, along with Ken (Paulson) and Beverly (Keel), have made our event part
of MTSU’s annual trip to Southern California.”
Meanwhile, as the Leadership Music
event was starting to wind down, MTSU alumnus Garry Hood’s day was getting very
busy. He again was the head stage manager for the Grammy ceremony.
Hood, a member of the Class of
1977, has served as head stage manager for more than 1,000 hours of network
television specials, including Olympic opening and closing ceremonies,
presidential inaugurals, the Kennedy Center Honors, Super Bowl halftime shows
as well as the most major entertainment awards ceremonies.
“We are so proud of Garry’s
continued, excellent leadership work at these important events,” McPhee said.
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