Of the many Middle Tennessee State University students who walked under Bonnaroo’s rainbow arch for a weekend of nonstop music, a group of production and recording arts students played an integral role in the music heard at one of the festival’s many stages.

Now in its second year, the University’s partnership with the annual Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival grew tremendously, thanks to the addition of about 40 students and the university’s $1.7 million Mobile Production Lab.

This year, a combination of electronic media production and recording industry students, with faculty and staff supervision, joined forces with industry professionals to operate video, audio and editing production gear for Bonnaroo’s Who Stage for four shows each day.

Ken Paulson, dean of MTSU’s College of Mass Communication, forged the partnership in 2014, and, due to last year’s success, was granted the opportunity to bring several more students to “The Farm” this year.

“MTSU had a very positive partnership last year, and we were asked if we could build on that,” Paulson explained in an interview. “We’re grateful for their support, because it gives our students a singular education opportunity unlike any other.”

The video production group, having now tripled in size, isn’t new to the demands that come with working a live event in what some students refer to as “The Truck.” In the past few years, the college has worked behind the scenes for concerts with Capitol Records, performances at Loveless Cafe and events at Schermerhorn Symphony Center, among many others.

Students worked alongside industry professionals to produce multimedia content for the four-day event. The team gathered vital experience by using state-of-the-art video and editing equipment, but also by learning from mistakes along the way.

“There’s always the chance for a few small troubles, but everything is running smoothly for the most part,” said MTSU graduate student Paula Hernandez, who worked audio for the festival. “This is such good practice for the students, because we’ll be more prepared for real jobs.”

Like Hernandez, Devan Kochersperger, graduate student in recording arts and technologies, also worked audio during Bonnaroo. He says the opportunity also opens the door to connect with potential employers while gaining “real-world” experience along the way.

“We’re doing a scaled-down version of what they do in the big leagues, but we also get to work with professional sound engineers as well,” Kochersperger said. “We’re dipping our toes in the pond of what is, hopefully, future employment.”

This weekend follows a one-day symposium hosted by the university last October featuring Bonnaroo co-founders Ashley Capps and Rick Farman and their entire leadership team, who discussed the mechanics and logistics of the festival.

Also adding to the MTSU presence was a group of about 10 students who contribute daily feature stories and photos for other publications, including The Tennessean and Sidelines, MTSU’s student newspaper.

(This article was published in cooperation with the Seigenthaler News Service.)