Delta Music Institute Faculty and Staff
coming home. I didn’t really know what I was going to do. “I had heard about a program starting at Delta State called the Delta Music Institute, and I thought maybe I could teach a class or get involved somehow.” Walker was given more than just a class to teach. She was offered the position of Director of the program, and as they say, the rest is history. “It seemed like a great opportunity to take everything I had learned in my entrepreneurial music lifestyle and come back and share that with students at Delta State,” said Walker. The DMI prides itself on being a hands-on educational experience for students. She also encourages her students to learn more than one discipline and be more well-rounded in their chosen field. “The music industry is such that you’ve really got to have more than one skill set. It’s hard to just specialize and do one thing and make a living because there are so many different types of opportunities, so we try to expose our students to all those different types of opportunities,” she said. The DMI is housed in the old Whitfield Building and contains two world-class recording facilities on the same level as the famed Abbey Road studios in London. Students have the opportunity to use these studio spaces to create, edit, and mix audio. The identity of the DMI is sometimes confused with Delta State’s Music Department. However, the DMI exists as an independent center under the College of Arts and Sciences. While music is often the end product at the DMI, the music industry studies program focuses on all aspects of the entertainment industry, including recording arts and business. Students receive a Bachelor of Science in Music Industry Studies when they complete their
coursework. The DMI students come from a wide variety of backgrounds and have interests just as diverse. One thing they all have in common is their talent. “I’m noticing the talent level every year is getting thicker and wider and broader,” said Azar. “The genres and styles of artists that are here—it’s unbelievable.” And the students recognize how fortunate they are to learn under professionals in one of the most unique places in the country. “It’s just such a blessing,” said Mic Hargrove, a student from Grenada. “You just really can’t get the resources and the opportunities that are here unless you leave the state, so it’s pretty cool that we can stay at home. It’s amazing and I wouldn’t be any other place but here.” DMI students have the opportunity to be in two student bands—Ol’ Skool Revue, which plays hits from the Blues, R&B, Soul, and Funk genres, and Delta RoX, which focuses more on classic rock. Members of the bands earn one hour of course credit—further proof of the hands-on approach— and they perform around the area. Upon graduation from the Delta Music Institute, students can pursue careers in a variety of areas in the music profession, including, but not limited to, agent representation, artist management, legal issues, recording engineer, sound designer, music publisher, and the list goes on and on. For students interested in the music and entertainment industry, the DMI is definitely the place to be. “It’s a quiet enough environment to really focus in on your art, and the teachers here are second to none,” said Azar. “As far as hands on, real world, real music business, real music life—I think the DMI is absolutely it.”
For more information on the Delta Music Institute, contact (662) 846-4579 or visit their website, dmi.deltastate.edu. To meet the faculty and students, watch the DMI video at www.youtube.com/user/DSUalumni1. At the time this article was going to press, the DMI building incurred substantial flood damages to its offices and classrooms from a faulty HVAC pipe. A recovery fund has been set up through the DSU Foundation to receive contributions for repairs and equipment replacement. To donate to this fund, please visit www.deltastategiving.org/giving/otherareas/deltamusicinstitute(dmi).
Winter 2014 • Delta State Magazine • 21