MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — A group of Seattle, Washington, teenagers had a summer adventure that in part included a trip to Middle Tennessee State University — all thanks to retired NFL and Super Bowl champion Cliff Avril and his nonprofit organization, the Cliff Avril Family Foundation.  

The students, all in their midteens, participated in Cliff’s Crew’s annual summer trip focusing on college and career exploration, cultural heritage and Black excellence in leadership. This year’s trip to Nashville allowed them to visit the recording and audio production studios in MTSU’s College of Media and Entertainment, where they met with 2003 alum Torrance “Street Symphony” Esmond.

“I’m glad you’re here,” Esmond told the group of about 10 students. “MTSU is the No. 1 recording industry program in the country, but I would say in the world. I’ve been doing music for as long as y’all have been around.”

He continued, “It’s special to me to plant seeds into our future students and generations, especially to be doing it here at my alma mater, at MTSU.”

Besides Esmond, MTSU alums Shawn Boyd, Reggie Polk and Brian Winfrey, all leaders in their respective fields ranging from a CEO to the founder of the firm that is one of the companies selected to build the new Tennessee Titans stadium in Nashville to an employment and civil rights attorney also met with Cliff’s Crew. And helping coordinate the visit was another Blue Raider alum, Jeanette Owusu, founder of her own Dallas-based public relations firm that consults for Avril’s foundation.

‘I wanted to do that’

Esmond, known for his work with Lecrae, Yo Gotti, Nipsey Hussle and more, has won three Grammy Awards, four Dove Awards and three Stellar Awards. He is also an adjunct professor at his alma mater, teaching a hip hop class and an artist and repertoire function.

“I don’t know why God made me like this, but I enjoy being versatile across the board,” he said.

In the nearly hourlong discussion, Esmond asked the teenagers questions about their interests, explained to them how the music industry works, played some of his work, shared some of the lessons he’s learned along the way and why he chose this career path.

“Growing up, my mother and father had a phenomenal vinyl connection, and around that time, scratching was popular, and it was cool to me. I may have also tore up some of my mom’s records,” Esmond said. “I fell in love with hip hop in college.”

Esmond told the teens that even though he always loved and was interested in music, he had no intention of majoring in it.

“I signed up for computer science. My uncle was an engineer, and I was going to be an engineer like him. I got in those classes, and I think, ‘I need to go back home,’” he recalled.

With the influence of a friend, Esmond went to see the studios in the Recording Industry program.

“No one had told me about them. I came over here and saw what they had going on, and I wanted to do that,” he said.

Esmond switched his major to the business side of things, and the rest is history.

“On the business side, I could learn to produce. I learned the knowledge on how to move around in the music industry,” said the 2021-22 recipient of MTSU’s Distinguished Alumni Award. “I think that’s why what Cliff is doing with you all is dope. I always say exposure is so important when you’re young. I hope you’re inspired when you see some of the studios here.”

‘That is what education is all about’

After answering questions from the teens and complimenting them on the things they were interested in and wanted to know more about, Esmond took the group on a tour of the recording studios, where he posed for photos and answered individual questions.

Esmond currently lives in Georgia and has his own studio in Sandy Springs.

Xavier Riveras Joseph was one of the participants in the visit to Middle Tennessee with Cliff’s Crew. While he doesn’t want to pursue music professionally, he wants to be a private chef; the experience with Esmond still resonated with him.

“I like music. My dad and I always listen to music, and that’s a cool connection we have. It was really cool to hear Street Symphony talk about music and the industry,” he said.

Michelle Conceison, chair of MTSU’s Department of Recording Industry, said Esmond inspires students and the community daily.

“Torrance has a gift to tap into possibility in a way that everyone in a room can feel. He not only mentored the youth who came to visit (with Cliff’s Crew), but he also conducted a conversation that everyone felt part of. We all shared in an incredibly meaningful moment. That is what education is all about,” Conceison said.

When asked what made MTSU so special, Esmond said it’s home.

“MTSU means family, inspiration, hope and community. College kept me on the right track. I’m forever grateful for any opportunity to represent MTSU in any form or fashion. MTSU is home to me, and it’s been good to me,” he said.  

About Cliff’s Crew

Cliff Avril is a Seattle Seahawks legend and Super Bowl XLVIII Champion who spent a decade in the NFL as a standout defensive end, known for his leadership on and off the field.

In 2014, he founded the Cliff Avril Family Foundation to promote active lifestyles among youth to reduce the risk of diabetes. Since then, the foundation has expanded its mission to support educational opportunities for young people in the U.S. and abroad. Today, it inspires and empowers school-aged boys through mentorship, exposure, and academic support initiatives that build strong futures.

The Cliff Avril Family Foundation is committed to long-term mentorship and transformational experiences that help young men grow into purpose-driven, community-minded leaders.

This year, participants visited Nashville and surrounding areas with stops at Tennessee College of Applied Technology, Nashville State Community College, Fisk University, the Ryman Auditorium, the Grand Ole Opry, Andrew Jackson’s Hermitage and several popular restaurants.   

— DeAnn Hays (deann.hays@mtsu.edu)