MTSU graduates are back in the headlines again with recognition for their music-industry work in multiple genres on the highest level: nominations for the 62nd annual Grammy Awards.
Announced last week, their nominations for Grammy-caliber projects range from songwriting to engineering in pop, country, contemporary Christian, childrenâs, film scores and even historic albums.
All will be recognized during MTSUâs annual âGrammy weekendâ gathering in Los Angeles, where alumni and former students are saluted and current students travel with faculty and staff to learn firsthand about the awards event. It airs live Sunday, Jan. 26, on CBS.
The newest slate of nominees includes:
⢠John Baldwin, a 2002 Department of Recording Industry graduate whose mastering and engineering work on Kankyo Ongakuâs âJapanese Ambient, Environmental and New Age Music 1980-1990â earned him a second career nomination in the best historical album category.
⢠Multi-Grammy winner Tony Castle, a 1995 MTSU recording industry production and technology alumnus, whoâs nominated for his engineering work on Reba McEntireâs best country album-nominated project, âStronger Than the Truth.â
⢠Multi-Grammy winner Torrance âStreet Symphonyâ Esmond, a 2003 music business graduate whoâs back on the list with his production work for the Alphabet Rockers, this time earning a best childrenâs album nod for âThe Love.â
⢠2000 recording industry alumnus Jason A. Hall and 2014 audio production grad Jimmy Mansfield, whoâll be making a return trip to the Grammys, this time for their engineering on Eric Churchâs best country album candidate, âDesperate Man.â
⢠Billy Hickey, a 2006 recording industry production and technology alumnus who’s part of the team nominated for a record of the year Grammy for Ariana Grandeâs âSeven Ringsâ single. He also earned a second engineering nomination via Grandeâs best pop vocal album candidate, âthank u, next.â
⢠Jeff Hyde, a 2003 marketing grad from the Jones College of Business, whoâs nominated for the best country song Grammy for co-writing âSome of Itâ for Church. The song also is part of Churchâs âDesperate Manâ album.
⢠2009 Master of Fine Arts alumnus Aaron Raitiere, whose âIâll Never Love Again,â co-written for the 2018 update of âA Star is Born,â was nominated for the Grammy for best song for visual media.
⢠F. Reid Shippen, a 1994 recording industry graduate and multi-Grammy winner whoâll return for the 2020 ceremony for engineering Gloria Gaynorâs best roots gospel album nominee, âTestimony.â
Under Grammy rules, awards for best album and record of the year go to the winning artist, producers and/or engineers. The song of the year award goes to the songwriter, and performance awards go to the artist.
MTSU 2004 music business alumna Erin Enderlin, for example, isnât directly nominated for a Grammy this year, but sheâs part of McEntireâs country album-nominated project by writing âThe Barâs Getting Lowerâ for the collection.
Castle also engineered Willie Nelsonâs best country solo performance nominee, âRide Me Back Home,â but only Nelson would receive that award for a win. Castleâs won two Grammys for engineering Nelsonâs projects featuring the songs of George Gershwin and Frank Sinatra, respectively.
Hall and Mansfield were nominated last year in the same country album category for the Brothers Osborneâs âPort Saint Joe,â and Mansfield also earned a nod for Ashley McBrydeâs âGirl Going Nowhereâ collection. Theyâre getting a second shot of Grammy respect through those projects this year, too, though no awards: McBrydeâs album title track is nominated for best country solo performance, and the Brothers Osborne’s “I Don’t Remember Me” from âPoint Saint Joeâ is included in the best country duo/group performance category.
MTSU alumni, former or current students, and faculty from across the university have been a part of more than 75 Grammy Award nominations in the last decade. So far 10 have won a total of 30 Grammys, including seven repeat recipients, in categories from classical to pop to country to gospel since 2001.
In 2019, MTSUâs recording industry department made Billboardâs annual list of Americaâs top music business schools for the sixth year, once again joining its counterparts across the country as top producers of ready-to-work music industry pros.
MTSU leaders are finalizing plans now for the universityâs seventh annual visit to the music industry’s biggest ceremony to congratulate nominees and salute MTSU’s Grammy ties. They meet with alumni, too, and send students and faculty to backstage and pre-show Grammy events, providing experiential education opportunities alongside those at the annual CMA Awards, Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival and the Academy of Country Music Awards telecast.
For more information about the Department of Recording Industry in MTSUâs College of Media and Entertainment, visit http://mtsu.edu/recording-industry.
More details about the upcoming Grammy Awards ceremony are available at http://Grammy.com.
Please Join Our FREE Newsletter!