The MTSU Singers Perform with the MET Singers

By Corrie Wunder

MTSU Raiders Shakedown Reporter

            MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – The Middle Tennessee State University Singers performed with a group of student singers from Nashville metro schools at 7:30 p.m. on April 12 in Hinton Music Hall, bringing in a packed crowd, singing jazz songs, and improvising their own songs.

            The MET Singers, second to 12th^_grade students, joined the MTSU Singers to gain experience in a university setting. The students come from private, public, charter and home schools. The MET Choir is directed by Margaret Campbelle-Holman.

“My favorite part about singing with the MET singers was the mutual bonding,” said MTSU singer Luke Judkins. “We encourage them just as much as they encourage us.”

The 15-member MTSU Singers is led by Director Cedric Dent and Assistant Director Ashley Kimbrough. The vocalists perform with a jazzy style, unlike most choirs. They include improvisation, jumbled mixed sounds, and made-up words.

            The Music Hall had almost every seat filled with approximately 300 people attending. Many of the audience members were the parents of the MET Singers.

“The thing that touched me the most was seeing so many supportive parents,” said MTSU Singers Director Cedric Dent.

            The improvisation part of the concert was referred to as “The Circle Song”. Bobby McFerrin, 10-time Grammy Award winner, popularized circle songs. His unique vocal techniques and jazzy style is what inspired Assistant Director Ashley Kimbrough to lead the MTSU and MET Singers in this improvisation experience.  All the singers came together and carefully followed the creative, on-the-spot instruction from Kimbrough. A brand new song was performed for the first time. The MTSU singers begin every rehearsal with a circle song. It teaches the students the skill of mimicking and using nonsense syllables. In the beginning of the semester students are hesitant in learning this new technique.

            “By the time we get to the end of the semester they are taking leadership rolls,” said Dent.

“The hardest part about improvising is making sure you’re being expressive with what you’re wanting to do without violating what’s actually going on in the music,” said Judkins.

          

            For more information and upcoming performances about the MET singers visit http://choralartslink.org/. For more information about the MTSU Singers visit http://www.mtsu.edu/music/.

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Kelsea Ballerini Performs Writers Round for ‘Tin Pan South’

By Brianna Boyce

MTSU Raider Shakedown Reporter

     NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Country star Kelsea Ballerini performed “Tin Pan South” on April 5 at The Listening Room Café, helping kick off the first night of the songwriter festival.

     “Tin Pan South” spotlights a portion of Nashville’s best talent every year, including well-known singer-songwriters such as Ballerini.

     Ballerini, 22, performed on stage alongside local songwriters Josh Kerr, Forest Whitehead and Scott Stepakoff. Each performed his or her own songs, complementing fan favorites by Ballerini.

      Ballerini made her way to Nashville for a career in the music industry, not knowing that at age 19 she would be signed to Black River Entertainment. Her remarkable writing skills would later lead her to become one of the most well-known, young, country artists today.

     Since Ballerini has been signed, she has won multiple awards such as Billboard’s Women in Music Rising Star Award and the ACM New Female Vocalist of the Year Award. That recognition helped make her the highlight of the round on Tuesday night.

     Seats filled quickly after The Listening Room doors opened at 8:30 p.m., leaving others standing in the café. The crowd’s energy fed into the writer’s one-hour performance.

      Ballerini performed several songs for the first time. The audience erupted in screams when she said, “This is ‘Tin Pan South’, and so if it’s okay, I’m going to play you all new songs for the rest of the night.”

     The audience was content with all new music by the country star, but the excitement was yet to end. Ballerini also performed some of her top hits, including “Love Me Like You Mean It” and “Dibs”, which she shared the spotlight with co-writer Josh Kerr.

     The set came to a heart-warming end when Ballerini brought a young fan on stage she had previously met at a meet-and-greet. When the young girl said that her favorite song was Ballerini’s “High School”, Kerr moved his microphone, leaving the young fan no choice but to take the stage alongside her idol.

     “Yeah, she’s singing, oh she’s singing,” said Ballerini.

      The song ended with a hug between the two and a standing ovation from every crowd member in the café, making for a memorable night for every attendee, including the performers themselves.

      “This was one of the best shows I’ve seen here, and a very packed one at that,” said fan Ashley Mitchell.

     Ballerini’s schedule isn’t stopping at “Tin Pan South.” Ballerini is set to perform opening night of the annual “Country Music Festival” held in Nashville. She is also in the process of completing her tour in Alabama, but continuing on with Rascal Flatts for their “Rhythm and Roots Tour” this summer.

     Visit http://kelseaballerini-peterpan.com/ for more info on tickets, dates and news about Kelsea Ballerini.

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MT Storytellers Returns with a Bang

By Alexia S. Thompson

MUFREESBORO, Tenn.- A night of talent returned to the campus of Middle Tennessee State University at 7 p.m. Nov. 12 for the first time since 2012, resulting in a large turnout.

Hosted by Corey Franklin and Darrell Martin, an event by the name of MT Storytellers gave artists a chance to showcase their craft and share background behind the pieces they performed. The event was coordinated by two popular organizations on campus: First Flight Entertainment, a party promoting group, and Collegiate 100, an organization that works to help grow the population of black males on campus.

MT Storytellers was inspired by a television program with a similar name, VH1 Storytellers, which was also created to connect viewers with popular singers and songwriters as the artists play their music and tell the stories behind their greatest songs and albums. Each episode goes behind the scenes with a single artist or group and features intimate musical performances and the first-hand stories behind the hits.

The event brought out students, parents and a few local members of the Murfreesboro community. The turnout was so great that the room became quickly overcrowded, and many were left standing.

“MT Storytellers was brought back from 2012 because it was a flourishing event” said Demarcus Williams, member of Collegiate 100, “If you missed it you missed one of the most exciting events of the year. The crowd heard many artists share their stories and values.”

"Emotions are the absolute biggest driving force of my writing,” said Brittany Spencer, a singer who performed a couple of her written pieces. “My experiences inspire my writing the most."

Other performances included, rappers that go by the names Evan Dupri, Douglas, and D Mauz, a singer by the stage name Vann, as well as a poet that goes by the name Angel. Before the artists went on, there was a short video played that talked about who they were and what inspired them to begin writing and sharing their craft. 

 "I really liked it,” said freshman student Britnie Harding, when asked what she thought of the event.  “I love how they shared their stories by using their talents."

To learn more about the organizations, you can visit https://www.facebook.com/Collegiate-100-Black-Men-of-Middle-Tennessee-State-University-209911449041526/?fref=nf and https://twitter.com/1stflightent.

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Pop-Punk Line-Up Proves Nashville Isn’t Just For Country Music

By Kendra Blake

The Wonder Years
(Image provided by Hopeless Records) 

            NASHVILLE, Tenn. - A bill of pop-punk bands drew a large, rowdy crowd from the country music capital to the Cannery Ballroom on Nov. 6 for a co-headlining tour between The Wonder Years and Motion City Soundtrack.

            Many tourists don’t see Nashville as anything more than the “Home of Country Music”, making them naïve to other music scenes that are alive and very prominent in this city. Proving this fact came as an easy task for the acts on this tour, starting with the Orlando-based quintet, You Blew It. Their catchy and lively melodies got the crowd dancing quickly and ready for more.

            Taking the stage next was a band from New York called State Champs for their fifth Nashville show over the last year.  Even though they were one of the openers for the show and the newest act on the bill, there were a lot of fans jumping around and singing along. The crowd responded extremely well to their set, which mixed a lot of their previous album with their most recent release.

            State Champs lead singer Derek DeScanio headed to the merch table as soon as their set was over to meet and talk with fans.  

“We can always count on a good turn out from this city,” DeScanio said. “There’s lots of energy out there. I know there are plans in the works to come back some time in the new year and we can’t wait.”

            After the break between sets, everybody in the room was anxious and eager for more. Finally, Motion City Soundtrack took over the stage and started their set with an older single “Everything Is Alright,” making the whole room jump and dance around. The band last played Nashville back in July to a sold-out show on their tour celebrating the 10-year anniversary to their most popular, fan-favorite album “Commit This To Memory.”

            While the entire line-up for this tour has very similar music styles, each act brings out different behaviors from the fans. When MCS was finished with its set, it became clear how anxious fans of The Wonder Years were becoming.

            The crowd at The Wonder Years shows can be intense and manic, and the band’s performance made sure that this show wasn’t any different. There was a mosh pit during most of their set while Dan “Soupy” Campbell, TWY’s lead singer, kept the fans engaged and having the time of their lives.

            Long-time fan Jesse Taylor took part in the madness of the crowd.

            “This is one of the best tours I’ve been to in a long time,” Taylor said. “These bands never disappoint.”

            This tour has just wrapped up its last shows in November. You can find more touring info for each band on their respective official websites: www.Motioncitysoundtrack.com, www.thewonderyearsband.com, and www.statechampsny.com.

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Murfreesboro Children’s Museum Holds Annual Culture Week

By Wesley McClain

MURFREESBORO Tenn.—The Discovery Center of Murfree Spring held its annual International Education Week to create cultural awareness the week Nov. 15- 19, 2015.

The Discovery Center of Murfree Spring is a hands-on children’s museum located on Southeast Broad Street in Murfreesboro, Tennessee Caitlyn Brown, who is the public programs coordinator, was the event coordinator for the week and handled setting up the event.

“This event is held every year in order to educate our guests about different cultures by displaying different aspects of culture such as food, music, art and dance,” said Brown.

            At least 30 families from various areas of Middle Tenn. attended each event of the week to enjoy the activities held by the staff and volunteers. 

Children enjoying music with the Discovery Center staff. (Photo provided by explorethedc.org)

The International Education Week included a Latin-based dance performance by the National Dance Club of Murfreesboro, which included the Samba, Merengue and the Waltz.

“It’s very nice to be able to participate in an event such as this and be able to show some of our dance skills to the kids,” said Vincent Ballard II, who is a performer with the National Dance Club of Murfreesboro. 

A Discovery Center staff member teaching the kids about wildlife. (Photo provided by explorethedc.org)

Caitlyn Brown and the other members of the Discovery Center staff hope to continue to educate the public through its fun programs and entertainment such as this event.

For more information about the Discovery Center of Murfree Springs and its calendar events, visit their website at www.explorethedc.org.

Country Music Artist Jernie Gaining Exposure in Nashville

By Angelina Zervas

Raider Shakedown Reporter

Jernie singing at Rippy's

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. -- Country music performer Jernie covered the hit song “Here for the Party” by Gretchen Wilson during a high-energy performance on April 11 at Rippy’s Bar and Grill in downtown Nashville, Tenn.

Guitar player Jordan McCants introduced Jernie to the crowd. As she began to sing, the room came alive with pulsing energy, and the crowd began to cheer. By the end of her performance, the audience in the dining room was singing along.

“I was super nervous, and I knew the song, but I had to keep looking at the words,” said Jernie, whose popularity continues to grow.

Others have been quick to recognize the young artist's potential. She received $19,000 towards her tuition in 2014 after successfully auditioning, as a mezzo-soprano, for a vocal scholarship at Middle Tennessee State University.

On April 17, Jernie was inducted to Delta Omicron, a national music fraternity. She has been pledging the fraternity during the current semester, while taking eight classes to maintain a 3.8 GPA.

“I am so happy to be a member of a lifetime network of amazing musicians,” said Jernie.

    “Jernie is a great fit for Delta Omicron,” said Garrett Kahananui Doo, first vice-president of Delta Omicron. “She embodies the fraternal spirit and musical aspects of the organization. She is incredibly talented and loves to spend time with the members of Delta Omicron.”

Jernie

A native of Fort Pierce, Fla., Jernie started singing professionally at the age of 5. The artist's mother, Jennifer Talles, was amazed when she first heard Jernie belting out songs from “Annie” the musical. She and other family members later submitted a recording of Jernie signing “The National Anthem” to the Miami Dolphins. Before long, Jernie was performing at games for the Miami Marlins and other Florida teams.

“My grandpa bribed me to learn 'The National Anthem' for $20,” said Jernie.  

By age 9, Jernie was opening for major country music stars such as Willie Nelson, Taylor Swift, Brooks and Dunn, Vince Gill, Sugarland, Rascal Flatts, Billy Ray Cyrus and Trace Adkins.

Jernie's Album Cover

Jernie landed more exposure at age 13 when she debuted a self-titled album on Mirrome Records in 2007.

Jernie received her Associates in Science degree in Business from Indian River State College while performing locally to earn money.

Since moving to Murfreesboro to study music industry at MTSU, Jernie has been networking to help build her music career. Her Nashville debut performance came after meeting McCants, who works at Rippy’s. He offered her a Saturday night performance slot during his set.

McCants was so impressed by Jernie’s talent that he has offered her an opportunity to perform for the booking agent that represents a group of Nashville music venues.

“I think that Jernie has a wonderful voice,” Doo said. “She has a beautiful tone that spins and emotes really well. I see a lot for Jernie's future. I think that she has a great amount of potential, and she can go really far in her career. She has a natural musical gift and tons of charisma.”

Jernie hopes to land a job in the Nashville music industry while finishing her degree at MTSU.

Jernie

           To hear Jernie’s music, visit her My Space page at https://myspace.com/jernieonline/music/songs. To book Jernie, send an e-mail inquiry to Jernie.talles@icloud.com.

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