NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Fifteen students in professor Odie Blackmon’s recording industry classes had the opportunity to tour the renowned Blackbird Studio in Nashville, where people from Dolly Parton to Taylor Swift to Pearl Jam and beyond have recorded.

Located just outside downtown Nashville in Berry Hill, Blackbird Studio was founded by legendary sound engineer John McBride and his country-star wife, Martina, in 2002.

The recording complex is known for its state-of-the-art production facilities and unparalleled collection of vintage and modern recording gear. The studio’s complex covers nearly a city block, with nine recording studios, a post-secondary audio engineering school, and an online learning platform.

Blake Volenec, an audio production and commercial songwriting major, and Randall Mantooth, a commercial songwriting major, were among Blackmon’s students who participated in the tour.

“Touring Blackbird was fascinating,” said Volenec, “Seeing an entire building designed specifically to accomplish the goals my home studio just barely manages to replicate was enlightening.”

Mantooth added, “Going to Blackbird was such an amazing experience. I had heard about it before; the place is legendary. I’d wanted to see it ever since then, so actually getting to go on such an extensive tour was kind of surreal.”

Blackmon said the experience of seeing a studio like Blackbird is unmatched for students.

“They also got to see the Blackbird Studio rental area, which has unrivaled inventory,” he said. “They have a dizzying array of vintage and modern outboard gear, 1,100-plus microphones, 65 drum kits, 150 snares, 60 guitars and dozens of vintage synths and organs.”

Rolff, the studio manager, acted as the group’s tour guide, and he walked them through nearly the entire campus.

“We saw so much more than I expected. We went inside almost every studio, and Rolff gave us a bunch of cool history on the building, equipment and the artists who have made records there,” Mantooth said.

One of the top moments for Mantooth was listening to Elton John’s “Rocket Man” in one of the recording studios.

“They had such great acoustics and fancy monitors surrounding us,” he explained. “The whole song felt so alive, the instruments sounded like they were moving around the room; guitars went flying overhead like rockets.”

And another core memory for Mantooth was walking past singer-songwriter and former member of the punk band “State of Alert,” Henry Rollins.

“We walked right past him on our way out the front door. I am such a huge fan of his, I had to do a double-take when I saw him. That was definitely the pinnacle of the tour for me personally because I am such a punk nerd,” he said.

Volenec and Mantooth said that having opportunities like attending Blackbird Studio and learning from Blackmon is something they don’t take for granted.

“Having Odie as a professor is game-changing, honestly. It’s inspiring to learn directly from a guy who has so much experience and knowledge,” Mantooth said. “The fact that he’s willing to bring students into these professional studios like Blackbird and Curb shows how dedicated he is to our growth as songwriters. We’re extremely lucky to have a professor like Odie.”

“Odie understands the practical nature of growing as a songwriter and utilizes his passion to give the next generations unique and inspiring experiences that leave a real impression on students,” Volenec said. “Odie keeps it real. That kind of thing is rare to see, at least in my experience, and bears some of the greatest value in this industry.”

Blackmon is currently working with country artist Gary Allen on his latest album at Blackbird Studio. He is taking an additional group of students from his advanced commercial songwriting and performance skills for artists and songwriters classes to the studio next month for a tour.

For more information about MTSU’s Department of Recording Industry, visit https://recording-industry.mtsu.edu/.

— DeAnn Hays ([email protected])