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Left to right: Dr. Dave Breaux, dean of the College of Arts & Sciences; Dr. Charles McAdams, provost and vice president of academic affairs; Tricia Walker, director of the Delta Music Institute; and William LaForge, president of Delta State University, pose with examples of Wall of Fame inductees.

Left to right: Dr. Dave Breaux, dean of the College of Arts & Sciences; Dr. Charles McAdams, provost and vice president of academic affairs; Tricia Walker, director of the Delta Music Institute; and William LaForge, president of Delta State University, pose with examples of Wall of Fame inductees.

Cleveland, MS — Delta State University’s Delta Music Institute (DMI) recently unveiled a Wall of Fame in the Whitfield building on campus to honor several significant founding donors of its unique entertainment industry studies program.

“We are very grateful to have received this level of support from these donors in the formative years of DMI,” said Director Tricia Walker. “Their generosity provided a solid base upon which to build a successful future for the DMI entertainment industry program.”

DSU President William LaForge commented, “In politics, candidates love donors who provide financial support from the very beginning of a campaign for office. So too it is with Delta State’s DMI. The commitment of dollars on the part of our earliest supporters provided the foundation for DMI that has blossomed into the dynamic program we have today. I am especially grateful to those original donors for their faith and confidence in Delta State and in the future of the DMI and our students.”

Provost and VP of Academic Affairs Dr. Charles McAdams added, “I would like to express my thanks to those donors who supported our vision to create the Delta Music Institute early in this endeavor. DMI has grown into a showcase for Delta State University, but it could not have happened without the generous support of some special people who shared our vision to create something very exciting on campus.”

DMI first offered courses—in sound recording technology—in fall 2005 under the direction of Norbert Putnam, who also designed DMI’s state-of-the-art recording studios. The DMI program was approved for a bachelor’s degree in music industry studies in fall 2011; the name changed to entertainment industry studies in fall 2014. DMI has grown to more than 100 students majoring in the program, which offers concentrations in audio engineering, entertainment entrepreneurship, and multimedia technology.

“The initial contributions from these donors made possible the continued development of Mississippi’s musical heritage by fostering the entrepreneurial dreams of the next generation of young entertainment professionals,” said Walker. “The DMI entertainment industry program, with its interdisciplinary approach across the entertainment industry, serves to prepare students for the creative economy that is alive and well in Mississippi.”

About Delta Music Institute: Delta Music Institute is an independent center under the College of Arts & Sciences at Delta State University. DMI provides students with a broad and thorough education in the technological, creative, and business areas of the music and entertainment industry. DMI student internships have ranged from Ardent Studios in Memphis to Stage Lite Sound & Productions in Jackson to Copeland Productions in Nashville. DMI Alumni are currently working in the fields of audio production, social media management, live sound support, event management, and touring. Go online to www.deltastate.edu/artsandsciences/delta-music-institute/

About Delta State University: Delta State University is a four-year public institution whose more than 3,750 students come from most U.S. states and more than 50 countries. The university offers numerous unique programs, including the Delta Music Institute entertainment industry program, and is the only university in Mississippi to offer undergraduate and graduate aviation programs. Situated in the heart of the Mississippi Delta, which is recognized as the birthplace of American music, Delta State has become the center of music and culture for the state and the region. The university is also the academic center for the blues, offering an online blues studies curriculum that leads to a certificate for advanced study of blues music. In addition, Delta State offers top-notch academic programs in business, arts, sciences, nursing, and education, among other areas.