[269] MTSU students pitch in for MusiCares, the biggest pre-Grammys event

NEW YORK — Middle Tennessee State University was set to be out front Friday night as Fleetwood Mac was honored as this year’s Person of the Year by MusiCares, the centerpiece charitable event of the Grammys.

Students from MTSU’s College of Media and Entertainment were scheduled to work behind the scenes at Radio City Music Hall as industry leaders and artists assembled to applaud the band, the first group in MusiCares history to receive what was previously a singular honor.

This year also marks the first time the university was able to participate as a sponsor to the biggest pre-Grammys event, thanks to the generosity of Brentwood-based American Addiction Centers, led by former MTSU student Michael Cartwright.

Cartwright, along with MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee, Dean Ken Paulson and Recording Industry Chair Beverly Keel, are on hand to represent the university at the event.

“Our involvement at MusiCares takes MTSU’s presence at the Grammys to the next level,” McPhee said. “And it gives these students a closer look at one of the industry’s top events.”

Two-time Grammy winner Fleetwood Mac’s most successful lineup — comprising Lindsey Buckingham, Mick Fleetwood, Christine McVie, John McVie, and Stevie Nicks — were honored in recognition of their significant creative accomplishments and their longtime support of a number of charitable causes, including MusiCares.

The Recording Academy, which runs the Grammy Awards, turns to MusiCares to provide a safety net of assistance for musicians in times of need. The charity’s Emergency Financial Assistance Program that provides critical funds for music people struggling with financial, medical or personal crises.

American Addiction Centers, with facilities in nine states, offers treatment services for men and women with behavioral health disorders, including disorders associated with obesity.

MTSU students working the event have been tasked with assisting with the silent auction, putting together the gift bags for attendees and acting as VIP concierges.

“We pride ourselves on being able to offer real world interactions to our students,” said Matt Foglia, a professor who accompanied the students. “Sometimes, those take place close to home, like Bonnaroo, while others take place away from home, at events like MusiCares.

“The students are so excited to be even just a tiny part of something as big and known as MusiCares and the Grammys,” he said. “Being able to see the pride in their faces is a thrill as a teacher.”

Senior Michael Ryan May, who described the experience as “incredibly exciting,” added, “MTSU continually outdoes itself with the opportunities it presents to the student body.”

Paulson said this marks the fifth year that MTSU has travelled to the Grammys to underscore its strong ties and alumni success in the recording industry. It’s the first trip by MTSU to New York City for the Grammys, as the ceremony moved there from Los Angeles for its 60th anniversary.

“Our program has now gone coast-to-coast with student opportunities — and college visibility — in American’s major media and entertainment centers,” Paulson said.

Keel, a board member of the academy’s Nashville chapter, said she was grateful for the organization “providing this unforgettable opportunity to MTSU students.”

“This has been a life-changing event for them,” she said.