By Stacey Tadlock

LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Two years after graduating from Middle Tennessee State University’s commercial songwriting program, alum Kelty Greye is hearing her music in one of Hollywood’s biggest summer films.

Greye’s cinematic cover of Jimmy Eat World’s “The Middle” is featured in DC Studios’ new “Supergirl” film — a milestone that fulfills a lifelong dream and showcases the growing impact of MTSU’s commercial songwriting program.

“I got an email in mid-April from a music supervisor asking if they could use my cover in a film,” Greye recalled. “They didn’t mention what film. I assumed it might be for a small indie film.”

Instead, the request turned out to be anything but small. 

“An hour later, my agency emailed me a draft of the proposal under a working title labeled Warner Brothers and DC Studios, and I thought it had to be a joke,” she said. “After a minute of Googling, I realized it was for the new ‘Supergirl’ movie, and I was in complete shock.”

For Greye, the placement represents much more than another career achievement.

“This means everything to me,” she said. “I used to walk to the movie theater after class in high school to see the latest superhero movie. My number one life goal since I was eight years old has been to be involved in the production of a movie.”

As a young musician, she immersed herself in film music, teaching herself composer John Williams’ scores by ear on the violin and listening to soundtracks on her iPod. Seeing her own name appear alongside Williams in the film’s credits, she said, felt “surreal and magical.”

Ironically, the recording that ultimately found its way into a major studio film began in a much smaller setting.  After her sync licensing agency paired her with producer Scott Feldman, known professionally as KidMotel, the pair selected “The Middle” from a list of songs available to cover.

Greye, a longtime fan of the emo genre, immediately gravitated toward the Jimmy Eat World hit.  Because she wanted to create something uniquely her own, she and Feldman slowed the song down and transformed it into a cinematic, string-filled arrangement. 

“I’ve been playing violin for 20 years, and I love a chance to make something cinematic with strings,” Greye said. “I actually first recorded it in my bedroom in 2023 while I was studying at MTSU.”

That hands-on experience was nothing new for the recent graduate. Greye credits MTSU’s commercial songwriting program with preparing her for nearly every aspect of her career.

“The program prepared me in every single way,” she said. “I couldn’t have done any of this without my time at MTSU.”

She said she regularly applies lessons from Professor Bess Rogers’ music for TV and film course when creating music for sync opportunities, and that Professor John Ouellette‘s entertainment IP law classes gave her the confidence to understand contracts and navigate conversations with agents. 

She also points to co-writing and recording the Scott Borchetta College of Media and Entertainment‘s Emmy Award-winning “We Do It All” commercial as an experience that translated directly into the professional world.

“Co-writing ‘We Do It All’ and recording that in the studio taught me how to work quickly, collaborate with others and show up to the studio prepared,” Greye said. “I reference lessons I learned at MTSU in real work situations every day.”

For Rogers, Greye’s success reflects the determination she displayed as a student.

“Kelty was clearly interested in pursuing sync licensing as part of her music career, and she absorbed every bit of information like a sponge,” Rogers said. “I was always impressed by how she applied what we discussed in class to the songs she was writing and performing, and her work on ‘We Do It All’ was a great example of that. She combines natural talent with an incredible work ethic, and it’s exciting—but not surprising—to see her finding success so early in her career.”

Greye’s academic advisor, Janell Fisher, said watching her student’s growth made this latest accomplishment especially rewarding.

“As her academic advisor, it was a privilege to watch Kelty grow both personally and professionally throughout her time at MTSU,” Fisher said. “She is passionate, kind and exceptionally talented, and I am thrilled to see her recent success in the industry. It is a well-deserved reflection of her creativity and dedication to the craft. I have no doubt this is only the beginning of an exciting career, and I’ll be cheering her on every step of the way.”

Seeing where she is today, it’s hard to imagine that Greye almost took a completely different path.  Greye originally planned to study speech pathology at MTSU, but after touring the Scott Borchetta College of Media and Entertainment, she changed majors on the spot. “I never looked back,” she said. “And I am so thankful I did.”

Beyond technical skills, Greye says MTSU taught her one of the music industry’s most valuable lessons: embracing feedback.

“The best skills I learned at MTSU are to give everything an honest try and to take criticism as a learning experience,” she said. “I learned that to succeed, you have to leave your ego at the door and be willing to adapt.”

Since graduating, Greye has continued to build momentum. Along with her “Supergirl” placement, she recently completed her first interview with The Hollywood Reporter. She was mentioned in a Rolling Stone interview in which the film’s creative team revealed that DC Studios co-chair James Gunn specifically wanted her version of “The Middle” for the movie. 

She also recently released her debut EP, “Haunt Me,” and wrote, produced and sound designed the audio drama “Beneath the Cosmic Waves.”

For aspiring songwriters, Greye encourages students to remain curious and persistent. 

“Watch TV and movies and study them,” she said. “Listen to what’s happening in the scenes. Study the artists you love. Write good songs, bad songs, half-finished songs. Create because you love it, and don’t be too hard on yourself if you hit a bump in the road. Dream big, but don’t get discouraged when things don’t happen the way you expect them to.”

Reflecting on her journey from MTSU student to having music featured in a major motion picture, Greye says she’ll always appreciate the role the university played in helping her find her path.

The commercial songwriting concentration, housed in the Department of Recording Industry within the Scott Borchetta College of Media and Entertainment, equips aspiring songwriters with the creative, technical, and business skills needed to build careers across today’s music industry.

Students write, record and collaborate on original music while learning about publishing, sync licensing, production, and entertainment law, preparing graduates for opportunities with artists, film, television, advertising, and emerging media.

To learn more, visit https://www.mtsu.edu/program/recording-industry-commercial-songwriting-concentration-b-s/.

—       Stacey Tadlock ([email protected])