Delta State University is striking a new note campus-wide thanks to a project coined \u201cMusic Across Campus: Connecting the Delta State University Family and Campus with Music.\u201d<\/p>\n
Music Across Campus features the installation of 28 speakers strategically placed around campus that will feed music, programming and announcements from the university\u2019s radio station, WDSW-LP 88.1 FM.<\/p>\n
President William N. LaForge, who envisioned the project, turned on the speakers for the first time at the university\u2019s annual Spring Fest festivities on April 12. Fittingly, the first song played was “Start Me Up” by the Rolling Stones. As LaForge officially turned the speakers on, he was joined on stage by student, faculty, staff and community members involved with the music scene at Delta State.<\/p>\n
The speakers are realistic recreations of rocks that blend in with campus surroundings. The goal is to provide musical enjoyment for everyone walking Delta State\u2019s campus.<\/p>\n
President LaForge and First lady Nancy LaForge graciously donated funding to pay for the speakers to help cement Delta State\u2019s identity as a music-centric institution.<\/p>\n
\u201cNancy and I think that the Music Across Campus concept is a great way to underscore and highlight our music-centric nature at Delta State,\u201d said LaForge. \u201cSo we are personally supporting this project as something that will be available for all to enjoy.\u201d<\/p>\n
LaForge\u2019s initial idea for the project stemmed from his experience teaching as a Fulbright Fellow at Perm State University in Perm, Russia. Perm State broadcasts music from the campus radio station to locations throughout the grounds of the campus, much like the musical presence heard throughout malls and theme parks across America.<\/p>\n
LaForge has helped boost Delta State\u2019s musical identity by enhancing signature programs like the Delta Music Institute, Department of Music, Bologna Performing Arts Center, International Conference on the Blues \u2014 and in addition, hosting\u00a0GRAMMY Museum\u00ae<\/sup>\u00a0Mississippi on campus, which tributes Mississippi as the birthplace of American Music.<\/p>\n Delta State\u2019s Office of Information Technology and Facilities Management helped install the speakers in various locations so the sounds can be heard by a wide campus audience.<\/p>\n Edwin Craft, Chief Information Officer for OIT, said the concept of a campus-wide system was intriguing because deploying and interfacing the speakers on a large scale required an innovative design to meet the needs of the university.<\/p>\n \u201cEach speaker is specially designed to be controlled from our wireless network, making this the first IoT \u2014Internet of Things \u2014 in our area,\u201d said Craft. \u201cThe system is very unique, in that it was designed to operate wirelessly for both the audio and control of each device. The only wire needed for the speakers was power, and we are thankful to have a great Facilities department on campus that was able to provide the power at each location.\u201d<\/p>\n Ashley Griffin, Student Government Association president at Delta State, said the music would make walking across campus more enjoyable for everyone.<\/p>\n \u201cI think that we can all associate with music,\u201d said Griffin. \u201cFor each of us, there is probably a special song that makes us smile each day. I think as students, faculty, staff and guests pass by, it will make their day brighter and more fulfilling. Besides food, music is the key to the soul, especially in the Mississippi Delta.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThese speakers will definitely liven the campus,\u201d she added. \u201cStudents will sit outside during the day and enjoy each other. Delta State has signature music programs, and through the addition of Music Across Campus, it gives another outlet for artists on campus to broadcast their music.\u201d<\/p>\n In addition to playing music, the speakers will also broadcast occasional announcements, keeping people informed of campus events and programming. In emergency situations, they will also be able to provide emergency notices.<\/p>\n \u201cI hope Music Across Campus is a fun addition to our Delta State culture and family,\u201d added LaForge.<\/p>\n