Recently, Dalais Woods ’20 was driving down a North Carolina road when he got a call from a friend. The friend told Woods to turn on the radio. He scanned the dial until he heard a familiar song: Rejoice ft. Tray Gibbs. He knew every word—even sang along.
The reason Woods knew every word wasn’t because it was a radio favorite of his. The reason is because Woods wrote and recorded the song. The budding musician was hearing himself for the first time on the air waves.
“I started to get emotional,” he said. “I called everyone and told them to tune in.”
Since that time, Woods has been putting more and more time and energy into his music. And it seems to be paying off. The song is gaining airplay on Christian radio stations, he has a management and promotional group pushing his single, and he is logging more performing dates.
“I usually would do 15 live shows a year,” Woods says. “My management team and I are working on a tour schedule.”
Still, he tries to stay grounded about the industry. “Distributing a song doesn’t mean that you’re instantly going to become a big hit,” he says. “It comes with making connections and paid promotions and so much more. There’s going to be a thousand ‘Noes’ before you hear that one ‘Yes.’”
For Woods, however, the “Noes” are undaunting.
“It’s a tough business to get into,” he says. “The main thing (in order) to become very successful in the music business is to make the most connections and to be passionate about your music and to really stay focused on the course of your music.”
One aspect that has allowed Woods to focus on his music, he says, is the education he received at Ferrum. The Graphic Arts graduate credits his coursework with aiding his musical endeavors.
“Ferrum really opened up some doors to prepare me for my career. During my graphic design classes, I loved to design album covers, edit photos and make logos. With that knowledge I can now design my own album covers, edit my own photos, and create a logo for myself.”
Woods also uses those skills in more traditional settings. “Right after I graduated from Ferrum in 2020, I had four clients that I helped with designing their own personal logo for their business and editing photos/videos that were sent to me,” he recalls. “I did this for a year while doing music gigs.”
Jake Smith, Assistant Professor of Art, remembers Woods well from his graphic arts classes. “He never left the building,” Smith says. “If he wasn’t in the lab, he was upstairs (in Vaughan Chapel) playing music. He has an incredible work ethic and is genuinely a fine young man.”
Tom Steele, Director of Academic Outreach and Athletics Initiatives, also worked closely with Woods during his time on campus and echoes those sentiments. “Dalais is an amazing young man,” Steele says. “During his time at Ferrum, he was the keyboard player for the praise team band. He was also the pianist for the ‘Ferrum College Blues Group’, which consisted of faculty, staff, and student members. This guy is a monster on the keys.”
Steele recalls Woods diving heavily into the music—both writing and recording—during his final years at the college. “He has written many gospel/praise songs and is now heavily into his recording,” Steele says. “Dalais was a Dean’s List student who was an outstanding campus citizen. He was also one of the nicest, most humble young men whom I have had the pleasure of knowing.”
Steele also offers high praise for Woods’ current single. “Rejoice is a high-energy song that has a feeling of ’90s pop music with a happy message, tight harmonies, and a sweet groove. I love this song.”
The tune can be found on Apple Music, Spotify, Youtube Music, Amazon, I Heart Radio, and Dezzer. And in March, Woods will release his next single, “Follow”. He is excited about the project and the prospects it could bring.
“This is going to be my biggest working project ever!” Woods says. “(And) if there’s anything I can do to help Ferrum out please let me know. As an alum, I am here to support Ferrum in any way possible. And last but not least, all praises to God for allowing me to continue to serve and share his word!”
Article written and contributed by Assistant Professor of English & Journalism David B. Campbell.
2021 Emerging Fiddlers’ Contest Winners: Stewart Werner III (first place, left), Colby Helms (second place, top right), and Cheyenne Grantham (third place, bottom right).
Ferrum College hosted the first annual Ferrum Fiddlers Festival, which was held virtually on Saturday, January 23, 2021. The event, presented by the Appalachian Music Program and the Department of Music, included workshops, concerts, and the Ferrum Mountain Emerging Fiddlers’ Contest. The contest was open to musicians and singers aged 24 and under.
Three young Franklin County musicians took home top prizes in the competition which included entries from as far away as Georgia. Stewart Werner III, a Franklin County High School senior from Rocky Mount took home the top prize, which included a $4000 Ferrum College scholarship, for his performance on the banjo. Colby Helms of Boones Mill, a 2020 graduate of FCHS, won second place, including a $2000 scholarship to Ferrum College, for his performance of an original song about the Franklin County moonshine conspiracy. Eleven-year-old Cheyenne Grantham, also of Boones Mill, took third place with her old-time fiddle contest entry.
The festival took place online via YouTube, Zoom, and Facebook, and drew viewers from around the United States and the world. Contest judges and guest artists included Tyler Hughes, Tray Wellington, Martha Spencer, Rachel Eddy & Emily Hammond, and Shohei Tsutsumi, who gave the day’s final performance from his home in Osaka, Japan. View photos from the event on the Ferrum College Flickr album.
Ferrum College offers a four-year undergraduate Bachelor of Music degree as well as major and non-major studies woodwinds, brass, piano, percussion, voice, and Appalachian Music. Visit here or email music@ferrum.edu to learn more.
This article was written by Director of Appalachian Music and Adjunct Lecturer of Theatre and Music Emily Blankenship-Tucker.
Ferrum College is exited to announce the launch of the Appalachian Music program and its new music ensemble, Orchestra Appalachia, during a Facebook Live event on Friday, August 7, 2020 at 2 p.m. Visit Music at Ferrum College’s Facebook page here to view the recital.
The virtual recital will feature Jake Blount, Uma and Giri Peters, and After Jack’s Emily and Rachel Blankenship-Tucker. Performances will showcase the living tradition of modern old-time music.
Ferrum College’s new Appalachian Music Program, under the direction of Emily Blankenship-Tucker, welcomes all musicians, vocalists, and dancers, of any skill level, to join and celebrate the region’s rich Appalachian heritage and music while also recognizing the present time and place. The program is open to students, faculty, staff, and community members. Email ebtucker@ferrum.edu to learn more.
Freshman Kayla “Redd” Anderson and senior Darrian Marshall collaborated on Marshall’s single, “Dance With Me”, released on February 28.
Kayla “Redd” Anderson is a freshman from Charlotte, NC, majoring in mass communications and minoring in journalism. At the age of 18, she produces music for artists under her record label, Code Redd Records. She also distributes her own music on all platforms, including Apple Music, Spotify, Tidal, and more.
Anderson began doing audio work when she was in high school. “I made music but never really wanted people to hear it,” she explained. “I was 15; I just did it for me to listen to it.” Although she enjoyed making music, her passion was basketball: “I wanted to play basketball, so I put music behind me because the future looked bright for playing basketball.”
Unfortunately, Anderson lost her position on the basketball team right before Thanksgiving during her senior year in high school. To fill her time, she began working at a fast food restaurant but wanted to do more. She offered to produce music for other students at her high school which reignited her passion for doing audio work.
At Ferrum College, Anderson completed a mixtape dubbed Redd’s World in the fall of 2019. “It was just a bunch of songs that I made and then I thought to just turn it into a mixtape,” said Anderson. “It was mainly about where I’m from and having fun; just being positive.”
Recently, she worked with Ferrum College senior Darrian Marshall ’20 to compile his first album which includes a variety of musical genres such as pop, dance, R&B, and New Orleans bounce. Although Marshall’s album isn’t available yet, his single, Dance With Me, was released on February 28, 2020.
“We made the song within three hours,” explained Anderson. “Darrian made the process very easy. He was already prepared and very professional. I’m looking forward to working on more projects with Darrian and our fellow peers.”
“Working with Redd has been such a breeze. The recording process for my whole album is so much easier when a producer like Redd knows exactly what I want. Within the first hour of recording Dance With Me, Redd and I felt as though we had been working with each other forever,” said Marshall.
Anderson’s work doesn’t end there. She’s also releasing another mixtape, CODE REDD, on all platforms on March 15, 2020.
Hear Anderson’s audio work on Marshall’s new single, Dance With Me, here. Dance With Me is also out on Apple Music and Spotify.
Ferrum College’s marching band, the Sound of Panther Pride, revealed its new uniforms during the Senior Day football game against the Shenandoah University hornets on November 2, 2019.
“We are beyond thrilled to have these beautiful marching band uniforms from the Stanbury Company,” said Assistant Professor of Music and Director of Bands Sixto Montesinos. “As we were working through the design we aimed to capture the spirit of Ferrum College and I think we did.”
In fall 2018 under Montesino’s leadership, the Ferrum College band program expanded to include the marching band, pep band, and color guard. Since then, the College has also added a Bachelor of Arts degree in music which became available in fall 2019. “We hope these uniforms will encourage future students to join our marching band,” said Montesinos.
The uniforms were made possible through a donation from Clay Campbell, president of Martinsville Speedway and generous supporter of Ferrum College.
See photos of the new band uniforms and from the Senior Day football game on the Ferrum College Flickr album.
Learn more about Ferrum College’s band program here.
World Class Crossmen Drum and Bugle Corps rehearsed at Ferrum College’s W.B. Adams Stadium for Salem’s July 30 Summer Music Games.
Ferrum College hosted world class Crossmen Drum and Bugle Corps on campus on July 29 and 30 so the group could prepare for the Summer Music Games in Salem, VA, on Tuesday, July 30. The Drum and Bugle Corps used the College’s W.B. Adams Stadium to rehearse their show.
Crossmen, part of Drum Corps International, is a nonprofit youth development organization from San Antonio, TX, that uses music and performing arts to further their mission to help young people become outstanding individuals, per their website.
The group arrived on campus early on Monday morning and spent the day rehearsing before performing their entire show at W.B. Adams Stadium for a limited audience on Monday evening. Northside and Franklin County High School students and band directors also attended Monday evening’s show.
“We are beyond thrilled that the Crossmen stayed with us at Ferrum College for two days, and shared their talents with our community,” said Montesinos. “We hope this becomes a yearly tradition for us, particularly with our new Bachelor of Arts in music and our growing marching and concert band programs. It is great to have them on campus!”
Read more about Ferrum College’s three new majors, to include music management, here and here.
Learn more about Crossmen Drum and Bugle Corps here. For posts about their rehearsals and performance schedules, follow @Crossmendci on Instagram.
More about Drum Corps International here.
More about the July 30 Summer Music Games event in Salem here.
Ferrum College announces the Department of Education’s approval of the addition of three new majors to the College’s baccalaureate degree granting programs: elementary education, music, and ecotourism. Coursework for these new majors will become available this fall 2019.
The new Bachelor of Science degree in elementary education comes with the state education board’s approval of 53 new teaching preparation programs. With this new major, Ferrum College students interested in teaching in an elementary school setting will be able to earn a degree focused in elementary education. Previously, the College was bound by Virginia state regulations to require students interested in teaching at an elementary school level to major in liberal arts and minor in teacher education.
“The mission of the Ferrum College Teacher Education Program is to develop caring, lifelong reflective learners who are committed to teaching,” explained Assistant Professor of Teacher Education and Teacher Education Program Director Christine Christianson. “We provide a rigorous program of study that includes an internship experience in Franklin County Public Schools for each semester that education courses are taken, and we are proud to produce educational leaders who personify the Ferrum College motto, ‘Not Self, But Others.’”
Also beginning in fall 2019, Ferrum College will offer a Bachelor of Arts in music, with two focus tracks: music business and music performance. This degree will incorporate woodwinds, brass, percussion, piano, voice, and Appalachian folk instruments. While earning their degree, students will be able to intern for artist management agencies around the country, public relations agencies, concert venues, and record labels.
“I am very excited to get this program off the ground,” said Assistant Professor of Music and Music Department Chair Sixto Montesinos. “Ferrum College is in a region where music thrives, especially Appalachian folk music, and we are excited to bring this opportunity to our students.”
For years, Ferrum College offered ecotourism as a minor only. Beginning in fall 2019, Ferrum College students may now earn a Bachelor of Science in ecotourism. “Graduates of the ecotourism program will be able to find careers as ecotourism entrepreneurs, guides and as interpretive rangers with land management agencies like the National Park Service,” said Assistant Professor of Recreation Leadership and coordinator of the ecotourism degree program Chris Mayer.
Top photo: Ferrum College Collegiates. Bottom photo: Ferrum College concert choir.
As part of a music benefit series, Ferrum College’s concert choir and Collegiates will perform “Benefit Concert and Potluck: Ferrum College Choral Ensembles” at St. Elizabeth’s Episcopal Church in Roanoke on Friday, February 22 from 7 to 8 p.m., and “Music in the Mountains: Ferrum College Collegiates and Concert Choir” at Phoebe Needles Center in Ferrum on Saturday, February 23, from 7 to 8 p.m. Both concerts are free; however, a donation of $10 is suggested. A potluck will follow the concert at St. Elizabeth’s Episcopal Church; covered dishes are encouraged.
The donations collected during the concert at St. Elizabeth’s Episcopal Church will support Ferrum Elementary Panther Packs, a local program that sends qualifying children home for the weekend with backpacks stocked with nutritious, non-perishable food. This is the second consecutive year that Ferrum College’s concert choir and Collegiates have partnered with a local venue to provide revenue for Panther Packs. Last April, the Institution partnered with Harvester Performance Center in Rocky Mount to present Michael Ray in concert, which raised $4,810 for the Panther Packs program.
Proceeds from the Phoebe Needles Center concert will support the Center’s summer camps, which offer lodging, dining, recreational facilities, and other services and activities.
Click here to see a schedule of upcoming concert choir and Collegiate’s events.
© Kate L Photography | www.kateLphotography.com
Flutist Sarah Shin will perform in Vaughn Chapel at Ferrum College on Monday, November 5 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Pianist Kelly Lin will accompany Shin. The recital is open to the public. From 7 p.m. to 8 p.m., Shin will also offer a masterclass open to Ferrum College and local high school students. Registration is required for the masterclass here. Both events are free.
During the recital, Shin will give renditions from various artists, to include Bach, Charles Griffes, Michael Colquhoun, Georges Enesco, Eldin Burton, and Frank Martin. Her resume includes performances in Symphony Hall in Boston, Carnegie Hall and Alice Tully Hall in New York City, John F. Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., Gewandhaus Theatre in Leipzig Germany, and in concert venues throughout Seoul, South Korea. Shin has also participated in music festivals such as Round Top Festival Institute (TX), Brevard Music Center (NC), Colorado College Music Festival (CO), and Opera in the Ozarks (AR) as principal flute.
For additional information about the event, please contact Dr. Sixto Montesinos, director of bands and assistant professor of music at Ferrum College, at (832) 574-8162 or smontesinos@ferrum.edu.
More about Sarah Shin: Shin received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in flute performance from Carnegie Mellon University School of Music, and her master’s in flute performance from Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, as a Barbara and David Jacobs Scholar. She is currently finishing her Doctorate of Musical Arts at Rutgers University Mason Gross School of the Arts. Read more on Shin’s website.
The Ferrum College Collegiates, Concert Choir, Handbell Ensemble, and student soloists will perform an evening of inspiring music in all genres during their Spring Concert on Sat., April 21, 2018. The concert, which will be held at 7 p.m. in Vaughn Chapel on campus, is free and open to the public. Donations of non-perishable food items for the Saint James Food Bank will be welcomed.
“Music transcends all differences in the world and brings hope to all humanity. In this choral and handbell concert, we will share music that highlights joy, faith, tolerance, perseverance, hope, love, self-acceptance, peace, courage, gratitude, and humanity. In these turbulent times it is ‘What the World Needs Now!’” said Assistant Professor of Music and Music Department Coordinator Susan Spataro about the upcoming performance.
For additional information, contact Spataro at sspataro@ferrum.edu or (540) 365-4351.
