Story and photos by Rory Doyle
With the majority of Delta State students gone for the summer, local youth were given exclusive access to the state-of-the-art Delta Music Institute facilities for the Fast Track Summer Music Camp this week.
Presented by GRAMMY Museum® Mississippi and Delta Music Institute’s Mobile Music Lab, and support from the Mississippi Delta National Heritage Area, the camp offers junior high musicians insight into the creative and technological processes of recording and performing music.
Campers explored exhibits at the museum and learned about the influence of Mississippians on American music and cultural heritage. Studying the works by Mississippi artists featured in the museum, the students were inspired by their Mississippi predecessors for a closing performance at the museum on June 23.
Throughout the week, guest artists and DMI faculty and students led instruction on recording techniques, mic technique, signal flow, and sonic shaping both in studio and live applications. Aspiring songwriters sharpened the skills of their craft while exploring song structure, harmony, melody, lyric writing and vocal technique. The students also took a special visit to the B.B. King Museum in Indianola to learn about the legend’s roots in the Delta, and had a special visit from Shardé Thomas, a unique fife player in the vanishing blues tradition. She is the granddaughter of Othar Turner, who founded the Rising Star Fife and Drum Band.
“So many young people have such a passion for music, and we want to begin to educate them about the opportunities that surround music and entertainment as a vocation,” said Tricia Walker, director of the DMI. “If you think about it, for every artist you see on stage at a concert or hear on a CD, there are dozens of people who helped get them there through work such as booking agents, production teams, publicists, managers, and so much more.
“Having GRAMMY Museum Mississippi as a partner for this camp offers an opportunity for DMI to be associated with a global brand that is located in our own backyard. Campers have access to the history of not only the GRAMMY awards and process, but to the history and rich legacy of Mississippi musicians, artists, and songwriters.”
Camper Isaiah Galmore, 12, has been playing the drums since he was two in his hometown of Jonestown, Mississippi. He said the camp has helped him gain a better understanding of Mississippi’s significance in music history.
“All the great musicians from here set the bar for everyone,” said Galmore. “I think everything came after the blues started in Mississippi — gospel, rock, hip-hop, all that. If the blues stopped, everything else would have stopped. That’s why everyone needs to keep it going. I’m proud of the music from here. This is where it originated.”
Aside from the history knowledge gained, Galmore said working with the DMI has really polished his skills
“We’re learning a lot from them. It’s all about rhythm. If you have good rhythm, it will keep you going,” he said. “They’re giving us more advice on how to play and get better. It’s not every day we get to use equipment like this either.”
Jane Marie Dawkins, education and public programs manager for GMM, said it’s imperative to give musical youth an inspirational space to create.
“The camp gives young musicians a place to explore music, discover their musical heritage, work on their craft, and learn different aspects of the music industry,” said Dawkins. “We hope that they were inspired by all the great musicians from the area — Sam Cooke, Muddy Waters, Bobbie Gentry, Levon Helm, Sharde Thomas, Othar Turner — when they put their final performance together at the museum.”
Walker added that she hopes the campus will spark musical careers for years to come.
“The Delta is loaded with great talent ready to be nurtured and developed,” she said. “We hope the DMI and GRAMMY Museum Mississippi will be two resources young people will turn to for musical and educational opportunities.”
Learn more about more opportunities at the Delta Music Institute at https://www.deltastate.edu/artsandsciences/delta-music-institute and GRAMMY Museum Mississippi at http://www.grammymuseumms.org.
