On Feb. 1, MTSU College of Media and Entertainment affiliates gathered to mingle on a rooftop — over 2,000 miles away from the university’s home in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

The MTSU family is well known for establishing a network of communities across the country, and that becomes clearer than ever when dozens of students, faculty, alumni and friends reunite for the annual Los Angeles alumni event, this time on the roof of the Mama Shelter restaurant in Hollywood.
True Blue swag lined the tables as groups congregated, discussing their time at MTSU and the excitement of their alma mater producing six Grammy Award nominees this year.
Among the attendees was 2023 alumni and first-time Grammy nominee, Jaelee Roberts.
Roberts was nominated in the Best Bluegrass Album category with her band, Sister Sadie. She explained the story of finding out about her nomination from her banjo player while living with her parents.
“I started screaming and I literally had tears,” Roberts said. “I was running down the stairs. I fell down half the stairs, and went and found my mom.”
MTSU President Sidney McPhee and Dean of the College of Media and Entertainment Beverly Keel attended the event and awarded Roberts with a certificate recognizing her nomination. Shortly after, President McPhee and Dean Keel designated Jessi Alexander, a fellow alumni and Grammy nominee, as an honorary professor.

Alexander was nominated for two Grammy Awards this year, including Songwriter of the Year, Non-Classical and Best Song Written for Visual Media.
Dean Keel encouraged Alexander to visit campus anytime.
“So we hope you will come to campus and bestow some of your knowledge on our students,” Keel said. “And we’ll take you up on it anytime you come around.”
The event also incorporated MTSU’s consistent mission to help raise money for wildfire relief through the Recording Academy’s nonprofit MusiCares. President McPhee encouraged attendees to donate, and MTSU then welcomed alumna Summer Rona, who gave a speech about her time living in LA during the tragic disaster. After her speech, Rona debuted a song titled “Wildfire,” which she wrote to capture the feeling of artists and families experiencing strife during the tragic fires.
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