by Kelli Sharpe
( With one push of a button it’s official, Tennessee State University’s Aristocrat of Bands submitted an application to the Grammy nomination committee for their album The Urban Hymnal in the Best Gospel Roots Album category. A win would make the TSU marching band the first collegiate band in history to receive the music industry’s highest honor for an entire album! Band members were on hand for the big submission as fellow band member Logyn Rylander, a senior commercial music major from Philadelphia, PA, did the honors of hitting the send button to submit the application.
“This is huge and very exciting for our students, band members and for Tennessee State University,” said Dr. Reginald McDonald, director of bands for TSU.
“None of this would be possible without the leadership of University President Glenda Glover. We especially thank her for being a visionary and allowing our band program to grown within her vision for the TSU.”
Award winning poet, recording artist J. Ivy and two-time Grammy award-nominated songwriter and artist Sir the Baptist were present as a show of support and contributors on the album.
The groundbreaking album has 10 tracks filled with organic sounds that were created on the TSU campus and features trailblazers within the gospel music industry. Music moguls and acclaimed artist such as Jekalyn Carr, Fred Hammond, Kierra Sheard, John P. Kee, Louis York, Dubba-AA, Sir the Baptist, Prof. Jenkins, Take 6, Mali Music, and more are on the album. Executive producers Larry Jenkins, assistant band director and music heavy weights two-time Grammy award-nominated songwriter and artist Sir the Baptist, and platinum recording artist, TSU alum Dubba-AA were also hand for the submission. Grammy award-winning songwriter and artist Dallas Austin is also an executive producer on the project.
The Urban Hymnal is set for release on September 13.
