Lipscomb students take part in GMA’s Dove Awards show
Students gain experience and exposure to the music industry at awards show recorded on campus for worldwide broadcast.
Keely Hagan | 615-966-6491 |
Sanctuary rehearsing on the Dove Awards stage.
Nashville is the capital for all things music, and for Lipscomb students in Music City, there are unique opportunities to engage in the industry without even stepping off campus.
Lipscomb University was the host venue of the Gospel Music Association’s 54th Annual GMA Dove Awards, recorded in Allen Arena on Oct. 17 and aired Oct. 20. An encore presentation of the broadcast will air on TBN Oct. 27, 2023. Click HERE for all the ways to watch.
Herd Media journalists. Photo by Lois Jones.
Lipscomb students had the opportunity to staff the event, student journalists covered it with red-carpet and one-on-one interviews and photography, and for the first time, Lipscomb’s student singers were invited to perform.
Music artists from around the world came to Lipscomb’s campus to unite as a Christian community and enjoy various events surrounding the awards presentation, including a red-carpet walk, media interviews and artist performances.
It was Lipscomb’s 10th year hosting the Dove Awards on campus, and the first time a student singing group performed in the show. The university’s a cappella vocal ensemble Sanctuary were the backup singers for Katy Nichole, who received this year’s Dove Award for New Artist of the Year.
Sanctuary singers
Randy Gill, director of worship arts and associate professor of music in the George Shinn College of Entertainment & the Arts, wrote the choral arrangement of Nichole’s hit song “In Jesus Name” that she performed live with Sanctuary during the show.
“Our students really rose to the occasion,” says Gill. “They were so professional about it. I think it helped that several people in the group had already experienced performing in front of a really big audience in Allen Arena at a couple of Lighting of the Green shows.” (Lighting of the Green is Lipscomb’s annual holiday concert hosted by Amy Grant and friends).
At this year’s Dove Awards, 75 Lipscomb students volunteered to work in the press room, green rooms, backstage, ticketing, customer service and at the after party. They also served as hospitality and seat hosts during the show.
Singer Toby Mac and Herd Media journalist Trey Weston. Photo by Lois Jones.
Student journalists were given press access to artists on the red carpet and their own press booth for one-on-one interviews. Student videographers were assigned to work with CCM Magazine to support their capacity to cover the large event, and photographers captured images to support Herd Media’s coverage.
A show of this magnitude takes many hands and allows Lipscomb students to learn by not only being exposed to behind the scenes activities but also by being a part of the show.
Sanctuary’s participation in the award show was a whirlwind experience, Gill says. So much so that when they were backstage, rubbing shoulders with their favorite music artists, there were surreal moments when they could not believe that this opportunity had even been possible.
Just two weeks before the awards show, Gill says he received a text from an A&R rep at Centricity Music who told him they were interested in Sanctuary performing with Katy Nichole at the Dove Awards. Centricity wanted to do something different from the recorded version of Nichole’s song and had heard about Sanctuary. Lipscomb’s ensemble had the sound they wanted, Gill said.
“I got the text on Monday after rehearsal, so I had Tuesday to arrange it, Wednesday to teach it, and then Friday to polish it,” says Gill. “We were in the studio Sunday night recording our part of the song.” From there, cellist Cremaine Booker and pianist Ben Garrett added their layers to produce a recording that they all used for rehearsals the week leading up to the show.
“Ironically, the subtitle of the song is ‘God of Possible,’” says David Green, senior, worship arts major, from Arlington, Virginia. Two weeks from the day Gill presented the group with the offer, they would be on stage, performing a new song with an audience of the industry’s greatest artists watching. Although it seemed to be an impossible challenge, they enthusiastically said yes.
“The night of the show, they had moved us to our spots on the stage, with the curtain down,” Green says. “All is set to go. Rebeka Morris (freshman), gives me a look of sheer excitement and I gave her a word of encouragement. ‘Let’s make some music for the Lord!’”