Fall 2018 Grad Tay Keith
If you are looking for a list of game-changers in the music recording industry, look no further than the alumni of Middle Tennessee State University.
With a world-class faculty, packed with industry experience, the MTSU Recording Industry program has been labeled as a “Grammy Factory,” consistently ranked among the best by Billboard, Rolling Stone, and Forbes.
Artists who attended MTSU include big names such as Chris Young, Lecrae, Sam Hunt, and Lady A’s Hillary Scott. Graduates of the program have written and produced songs for Usher, Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, and Wiz Khalifa. And this doesn’t even scratch the surface of our immense alumni network of rockstars.
These game-changers often credit their education at MTSU as one of the biggest reasons for their success, and a few of them have shared how their education shaped their careers.
Tay Keith
Picture this: You are in the senior year of college. You have found some success in the music industry so far, so you have had to do some serious juggling to finish your classes while attending important events. Now, in your final week of classes, you’ve earned your first Billboard No. 1 single, “Sicko Mode,” performed by hip-hop icons Travis Scott and Drake. Oh, and you’ve been nominated for a GRAMMY® for Best Rap Song. You could say that he received one of the best graduation presents — ever.
Outside of his work with Travis Scott and Drake, Tay Keith has also worked with other stars, like Beyoncé, Eminem, and 21 Savage as a producer.
Despite his success coming before graduation, he stayed committed to getting his degree from MTSU, even recalling having to fly from an event in New York and rushing back to campus for a test the same day.
“I flew back from New York that morning, went home, then went straight to class. It was crazy. But if I knew that I could do that, then there wasn’t anything stopping me [from getting my degree] but myself,” he says.
Luke Laird
Luke Laird is one of the biggest names in country music songwriting and producing. He has written a mind-boggling 20 No. 1 singles on Billboard, picking up two GRAMMY® Awards and four additional nominations in the process. Not a bad resume.
Laird has written songs for countless country superstars, including Little Big Town, Blake Shelton, and Eric Church. Most recently, he won a GRAMMY for “Best Country Song” for his work on Kacey Musgraves’ “Space Cowboy.”
“I had such a wonderful experience at MTSU,” says Laird. “They provided so many opportunities for me to get plugged into the music industry. When I signed my first publishing deal, I didn’t feel in the dark because I was familiar with the language in my contract, thanks to my education. So many great memories of my time in Murfreesboro!”
Daisha McBride
Daisha McBride, also known as “The Rap Girl,” graduated from MTSU in 2018. After going viral in 2015 for posting impressive freestyles on social media platforms, she released her first EP, titled “The Come Up.”
Her talent has been recognized by some of music’s biggest names, including Missy Elliot, Chance The Rapper, and Meghan Trainor. Those big names are hardly a fraction of her more than 10 million viewers across YouTube and other platforms.
In 2019, she performed at multiple popular music festivals, such as A3C in Atlanta and The Underflow alongside fellow Blue Raider Tay Keith in Nashville. She was recently featured in Forbes, where she was referred to as a “key element” of Nashville’s booming hip-hop scene.
“My time at MTSU really allowed me to prepare to be a full-time recording artist in the music industry,” says McBride. “I learned about all aspects of the business, which really gave me a leg up when it came to networking, marketing, and contracts. My professors still continue to support me and help me out if I ever need a favor or advice.”