The MTSU community came together last fall to host The Judds: Love Is Alive—The Final Concert featuring Wynonna Judd, and now the Blue Raider community can watch the finished product of their hard work and collaboration with the April 29 release of the concert TV special on CMT.
The Nov. 3 live made-for-TV concert event at MTSU’s Murphy Center involved faculty, alumni and over 50 student workers from the College of Media and Entertainment as well as a group of 45 choral students from the College of Liberal Arts who accompanied Wynonna for the concert finale. Media and entertainment students worked on everything from production and preparation to media coverage and performance for the live red-carpet broadcast, concert and CMT TV special.
“It was a magical night in our Murphy Center,” said Beverly Keel, dean of the college. “CMT, Sandbox Entertainment and Wynonna Judd were all so generous with our students.”
Wynonna Judd headlined the star-studded night commemorating the 1991 farewell concert with her late mother, Naomi Judd, who died earlier in 2022 in her home near Franklin, Tennessee. The show also featured country music talents and Wynonna’s current tourmates Ashley McBryde, Brandi Carlile, Kelsea Ballerini, Little Big Town and Martina McBride.
Aside from watching the special live on local CMT channels, CMT streams live via Philo, Sling TV, Fubo TV, Hulu, DirecTV Stream, YouTube TV and Vidgo. Viewers can also catch the special at their convenience through video-on-demand platforms Paramount+, Spectrum on Demand, and Hulu.
Even after the final curtain call, MTSU students continued their work on the project, most recently producing a 60-second commercial that was broadcast nationally during the special.
“How fitting it is that our critically acclaimed programs will be featured nationally on this broadcast, which originated on our very campus,” said MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee. “I continue to be amazed at the talents of our students and the amazing faculty who lead them toward successful professional careers after they graduate.”
The commercial spot overviews the multiple fields of study at the College of Media and Entertainment.
Bob Gordon, media arts professor who directed the red-carpet coverage, said the Love Is Alive production was unique because students worked alongside industry professionals.
“It gave the students a close view of the complexity and the involvement of a concert at that level,” Gordon said. “It was particularly impressive the number of professionals working the concert who were former MTSU media arts and audio production students, including the executive producer of the program Margaret Comeaux, vice president of production, music and events for CMT.”
Christine Eschenfelder, associate professor in the journalism school, manages the student-fronted Middle TN News and supervised her students who produced and hosted the live red-carpet show.
“My students told me what a great experience it was for them, how much they learned and how grateful they are for the opportunity,” she said.
Leah Tolbert Lyons, dean of the College of Liberal Arts, said it was also great exposure for the MTSU choral students’ from the college who accompanied Judd on a four-part choral arrangement of “Love Can Build a Bridge” created by MTSU Chorale conductor Angela Tipps.
“Our talented School of Music students had an opportunity to perform alongside accomplished country music stars and showcase the skills they have been fine-tuning,” Lyons said.
Jasmine January, a junior in the School of Music and one of the choral students who performed with Judd, called the overall experience “an incredible day.”
“Being able to perform at that level with award-winning, incredible artists and producers was just next-level,” January said. “It gave a good glimpse to all of the students into what it’s like being a professional musician.”
Watch MTSU’s coverage of the red carpet anytime on the university’s YouTube channel at https://tinyurl.com/k6z66c2v.
