NAHS students visit sites important to music of MS Delta

The New Albany High School Gifted Art, Digital Media and Journalism classes traveled to the Mississippi Delta on Monday, December 7. Students were first introduced to the Delta Music Institute at Delta State University. Professors and directors of this new division of DSU led the students on a tour through the department and encouraged them to consider a career in the entertainment industry. College students pursuing a degree in this area are working in the industry as performers, agents, managers, producers, sound engineers and more. The students were also told about the upcoming spring opening of the Grammy Mississippi Museum in Cleveland.

Students viewed an exhibit of photography and met professor of digital media arts, Jon Mark Nail, who is an alumnus of NAHS.

After touring the “DMI”, representatives of the university took the students to the art department where they viewed an exhibit of photography and met professor of digital media arts, Jon Mark Nail, who is an alumnus of NAHS. Nail showed the students around the fine arts department including the painting, ceramic and photography studios. While touring, the students were able to meet other professors and students in the department. A video showing what a typical “day in the life” of a digital media arts/film student at DSU was shown, and Mr. Nail talked with the students about planning for their futures as students and artists.

Following a tour of the dormitories on campus, each student was given a free DSU t-shirt and everyone enjoyed lunch in the student union.

The final stop of the day was a visit to the BB King Museum and Interpretive Center in Indianola, MS. Twenty-seven students along with teachers Chris Russell and Lee Ann Thompson learned about the life and death of Mississippi born blues legend and 15 time Grammy award winning musician, BB King.

Melanie Shannon
Public Relations
New Albany Schools