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Conference USA partnered with MTSU’s internationally renowned Department of Recording Industry to create custom music for the league’s marketing and promotional efforts.
Source: Conference USA
Conference USA partnered with MTSU’s internationally renowned Department of Recording Industry to create custom music for the league’s marketing and promotional efforts. Bess Rogers, Assistant Professor, integrated the project into her Songwriting for Film & TV class, offering students an opportunity to compose original music as part of their coursework.
“When Conference USA initially approached us about this opportunity, I was really excited because I’m always searching for ways to find real world experiences that I can bring the students into and give them some opportunities beyond just the traditional assignment,” said Rogers. “This was really perfect to give them a chance to write a song for CUSA, specifically for them, and to have an opportunity for it to actually go somewhere on a national television commercial.”
The collaboration began with discussions over the summer, where CUSA and Rogers outlined a plan for a song contest during the Fall 2024 semester. CUSA and Rogers hosted an on-campus information session at the start of the semester, presenting the project and a creative brief to approximately 50 students.
“I think this partnership is really meaningful because here at MTSU we have a great athletics department and also have a recording industry department that’s really thriving and also we’re so close to Nashville in this industry,” Rogers added. “So, it’s great to be able to merge the music that we have and the sports that we have, and you know music and sports go hand in hand so we are excited for this opportunity to showcase these two really great areas that MTSU has.”
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Conference USA received 20 original song submissions from MTSU students, ultimately selecting five finalists. Following a revision phase, the league chose three songs for future branding projects, with an added song designated for a women’s sports promotional campaign. The exceptional quality of the finalist songs provided CUSA with a versatile selection for multiple future uses. Final recording sessions took place inside Studio D in Murfreesboro on January 26. The league is planning to incorporate the music into its branding initiatives for the 2025-26 season, accompanied by promotion of the CUSA x MTSU collaboration.
CUSA x MTSU Song Project Selections
Stompin’ Grounds (Katherine Statham & Spencer Kramer)
We See No Limits (Ariana Grosh)
One Life (Savannah Spann)
We Are (Lilly Hart)
