SCHOOL of ROCK
These days, you’re likely to find country star Chris Young in the spotlight, strutting across a massive stage in front of 15,000 fans (or more). He just did that on Lower Broadway back in July, in fact, filling the neon streets for a live music-video taping. But not so long ago, he was walking the quad at Middle Tennessee State University instead of a concert catwalk.
Back then, Young was just another student in MTSU’s Music Business program—an aspiring artist and the beneficiary of a childhood full of music education. And now that he’s a star, his free time is dedicated to giving other kids that the same opportunity.
In between hits like “Famous Friends” (with Kane Brown) and tour stops all over the nation, the Murfreesboro native is a card-carrying board member of the CMA Foundation, and an active patron of MTSU’s musical mission. He’s working every day to make a difference in an educational field he truly believes is essential—even though it’s often overlooked.
“Education, specifically music education, and music in schools, I think that is so important,” Young says, taking time out from promoting his album to discuss the issue in-depth. “Not only for what
