Middle Tennessee State University just extended its winning streak: for the 11th straight year, Billboard named MTSU’s Department of Recording Industry one of the best music business schools in the world. It’s an accolade that mirrors what Nashville already knows — some of the industry’s sharpest young creators and future power players are being shaped just down I-24 in Murfreesboro. And with the university’s newly renamed Scott Borchetta College of Media and Entertainment signaling an era of even deeper industry connection, MTSU is doubling down on its role as a training ground for the next generation of music leaders.
“Our faculty and staff work hard to make our students’ college journey both inspiring and realistic, preparing them for what they will experience in their future entertainment careers,” Department of Recording Industry chair Michelle Conceison says. “Our music business, audio production, and commercial songwriting students are favored by internship providers and employers across the industry because they arrive on the job knowledgeable in their field and ready to deliver.”
The university’s reputation for excellence is amplified by MTSU’s decision to rename its College of Media and Entertainment in honor of Scott Borchetta, trailblazer and founder of Big Machine Label Group.
Borchetta’s influence — from discovering superstar talent to reshaping artist development — reflects the school’s deep ties to the modern music business. His name on the college marks a future defined by opportunity, mentorship, and innovation.
“I am humbled and profoundly grateful to have MTSU’s College of Media and Entertainment bear my name,” Borchetta shared with Billboard. “The opportunity that this school affords to its students didn’t exist for me through college education in the 1980s, so it is an honor to now be part of building those bridges for young minds… The Scott Borchetta College of Media and Entertainment represents the next generation of innovators and creators, whose bold ideas will transform the media landscape.”
For more than five decades, the Recording Industry Department has been celebrated for its hands-on learning approach, cutting-edge facilities, real-world-professionals-turned-professors, and alumni who shape the sound of today’s charts. From audio production to music business, students are trained with practical experience that places them at the forefront of an ever-evolving industry.
Since awarding its first degree in 1974, MTSU’s Recording Industry Department has produced more than 7,500 industry-ready graduates — songwriters, producers, engineers, managers, musicians, and executives who are embedded at every level of the business.
“We have one of the most unique programs because we prepare students for all the parts of the music industry across all genres,” Conceison says. “If you’re at a music industry event, somewhere in that room, there’s someone from MTSU working there.”
Students have collaborated with Bruce Springsteen, Céline Dion, Keith Urban, Jimmy Kimmel, Kane Brown, and many more. Alumni names stretch across genres and roles: country hitmaker Chris Young, producer and writer Tay Keith, Christian artists Brandon Heath and Lecrae, Lady A’s Hillary Scott, rapper Daisha McBride, boygenius member Julien Baker, Grammy-winning songwriter Josh Kear, and dozens of award-recognized engineers including Brandon Bell, Jason Hall, Jimmy Mansfield, and Connor Back.
Murfreesboro native and Grammy-nominated, multi-platinum country singer Chris Young attended MTSU before landing his 11 No. 1 hits. He’s such a believer in the Department of Recording Industry that he established a scholarship with the school nearly a decade ago to help other Music City dreamers chase their goals.
“The recording industry program and the music program, both at MTSU, were fantastic,” Young told Forbes. “I’ve seen the impact that it’s made personally and on other songwriters, artists, musicians, performers and producers. They just do an incredible thing at that school.”
The influence continues to ripple outward. Alumni have written hits for Alan Jackson, George Strait, Kacey Musgraves, Lady Gaga, Usher, Wiz Khalifa, and more; others manage rising stars, run labels, or produce chart-topping projects. The pipeline from Murfreesboro to Music Row is steady — and increasingly indispensable.
“We are turning out the most highly valued employees in the music business, and people know when they see MTSU on your résumé that you will be well-trained, well-educated, and a dependable industry member,” Conceison says. “We graduate top performers across the music industry, across genres, at a fraction of the tuition cost of other elite programs.”
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source nashvillelifestyles.com ’
