Story by Makayla Sulcer | Contributing Writer
An adjunct professor at Middle Tennessee State University officially gave the U.S. Space Force their anthem on Sept. 20, 2022, according to a news release from the university.
Jamie Teachenor, the song’s author, teaches the songwriting practicum course in the College of Media and Entertainment at MTSU.
Teachenor is a veteran and a prior member of the U.S. Air Force band. He has also been a long-time supporter of the U.S. Space Force, supporting them since they were the Air Force Space Command, according to Chief of Space Operations General Jay Raymond.
Odie Blackmon, a Grammy-nominated songwriter and an associate professor in the Department of Recording Industry, invited Teachenor to teach at MTSU.
Teachenor is “one of the sweetest, most caring people I know,” Blackmon said. “Jamie is a beautiful human who can do anything he sets his mind to.”
“Our traditions are part of the fabric that weave us all together as we execute our missions side-by-side; I will be proud to sing ‘Semper Supra’ alongside my fellow Guardians,” Raymond said about the song.
The song’s title, “Semper Supra,” came from the U.S. Space Force’s motto, which means “Always Above.” Teachenor used this motto as his main inspiration for the piece.
“The song was a long work in progress because I wanted it to encompass all the capabilities that the Space Force offers and its vision,” Teachenor said.
Teachenor collaborated with various military bands and chief musician Sean Nelson, U.S. Coast Guard Band trombonist and staff arranger. He received twelve musical submissions of the song before collaborating with Nelson.
“I did what I thought was going to be the most exciting kind of sounds, and it seemed to work,” Nelson said about the piece in a video released by the Space Force.
“Semper Supra” was declared the official song of the U.S. Space Force on Sept. 20, 2022.
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