Tag Archives: Dr. Terry Likes

TSU Alum Makes Moves In Hip Hop

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Dwane “Key Wane” Weir II still smiles when he recalls his mother buying him a keyboard for Christmas when he was 13 years old. Over a decade later, the Grammy-nominated producer and Tennessee State University alumnus who has worked with everyone from Beyoncé and Jazmine Sullivan to Drake and Meek Mill, still credits his mother for being his biggest inspiration.

“My mom taught me how to go out and really ‘get it-get it.’ I didn’t want to ask my mom for much,” he said. “If I were to ask her for something, she would be like, ‘You’d better figure out a way to get it.’ I think that’s dope because I didn’t grow up lazy.”

Weir, who spent most of his time at TSU as a music major with an emphasis in commercial music, changed his major to Interdisciplinary Studies (IDS) during his final year so he could graduate early and focus on his music career.

Dwane “Key Wane” Weir

“On campus, I really didn’t get out a lot because I was making beats. I got signed when I was a sophomore or a junior, so I was always in and out of school,” he said.  “I did my work, but I was barely there.  I was only there for midterms and finals and whatever type of important assignments that were due. Outside of that, I was in the dorm making records, five to 10 beats a day.  I would go to the café just to get some food, take the tray back to the room, get back to it, send my e-mails and prepare my flights.”

Mark Crawford, TSU associate professor of Music and coordinator of the Commercial Music Program, said what impressed him most about Weir was his dedication and his musicality.

“He was really into it. He was about the music.  He breathes music.  He exudes music, and he’s just a very creative young man,” said Crawford.  “He has been fortunate enough to find an avenue where he could find reward for that. So he was a good student, but I think he was a better producer.”

As Weir’s advisor, Crawford said he noticed that while the producer was diligent, because of his competing demands, he was often the last one to make it to class.

Dr. Mark Crawford

“Sometimes he was late.  Well, when I talked to him about this, about his attendance and everything, he began to tell me about all the activities he was involved with outside of the class.    You know making his tracks and making his beats, trying to return phone calls, trying to make deadlines and all this kind of thing, and that’s when I first became aware of what he was into,” Crawford said.

“Big Sean was one artist he had an early connection with, and he would tell me about that connection. His senior year he began to get some really good placements.  He had a placement, I believe, with a Beyonce’ project,” Crawford recalled.  “I want to say his first year out or his second year out, the project he was involved with was nominated for a Grammy.  And then subsequently, he’s been nominated two more times.”

According to Weir, taking his mother to the Grammy Awards has been the highlight of his career.

“I’ve been nominated year after year which is a blessing, “ Weir said. “I remember I brought my mom when ‘Let It Burn’ got nominated, which is the Jazmine Sullivan joint I did, and I was like,  ‘Mom, you want to come with me to the Grammys?  She was like, ‘Yeah!’  I think that was like the coolest thing because I remember when she and I both had nothing, and she bought me that keyboard, and that changed everything.”

Beyonce’s “Partition”, Drake’s “All Me”, Meek Mill’s “Amen” and Jazmine Sullivan’s “Let It Burn” are just a few of the chart-topping songs with grooves produced by Dwane “Key Wane” Weir.

In spite of his success. the Detroit native remains humble.

“I remember what it was like before everything came.  I don’t want to go back to work,” he said, referring to a time when he worked at a car wash.  “I would be at work and would miss out on things because I would still have like five cars to wax.”

Two years ago he paid a surprise visit to the music department to show his appreciation to TSU, according to Dr. Robert Elliot, head of the Department of Music.

“Dwane, Dr. Crawford and I were all in my office, just the three of us, and Dwane said, ‘I’d like to thank you all.’ And we said, ‘Well, we appreciate that.  We are glad you are doing well.’  He said, ‘No.  You don’t understand.  I really want to thank you.’ And he handed me the check for $10,000. He said, ‘Now, help somebody else.’

Weir said the only thing that has really changed in his life since his days as a student is that he has developed a closer relationship with God.  Weir said he prays before he creates music, and he keeps a positive mindset.

“Everything still feels new to me.  I still make beats in my mama’s basement so really nothing has ever changed,” he said. “I go back home to my mom every now and then, and it just feels the same. It’s a blessing. I don’t want to get comfortable.  I don’t want to feel like I’ve made it because I haven’t.   I definitely still have a lot of work to do.”

For Weir that could mean earning another degree from his alma mater. Weir said he plans to eventually get a masters degree at TSU, and teach a course in the music department.

 

Department of Media Relations

Tennessee State University
3500 John Merritt Boulevard
Nashville, Tennessee 37209
615.963.5331

About Tennessee State University

With more than 8,000 students, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a comprehensive, urban, co-educational, land-grant university offering 38 bachelor’s degree programs, 25 master’s degree programs and seven doctoral degrees. TSU has earned a top 20 ranking for Historically Black Colleges and Universities according to U.S. News and World Report, and rated as one of the top universities in the country by Washington Monthly for social mobility, research and community service. Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University celebrated 100 years in Nashville during 2012. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.

TSU Communications Chair, Students Win AP Awards for Best Journalism

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – The head of Tennessee State University’s Department of Communications and several of his students were recently recognized by The Associated Press for best journalism in broadcast and print.

The students received five radio and television news and sports awards at the 2015-2016 Tennessee Associated Press Awards presentation held April 9 at the First Amendment Center in Nashville.

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Dr. Terry Likes

Communications chair Dr. Terry Likes won seven awards in five different categories.

Likes said the awards were a result of hard work in the department, particularly in the case of the students.

“We have been working hard for several years to implement best practices in multimedia, open our Center for Media Arts and Production and hire innovative faculty,” Likes said. “We are thrilled for our students that their hard work is paying dividends with this recognition from professional journalists.”

TSU competed against more than 200 entries from Austin Peay, Belmont, East Tennessee State University, Lipscomb University, Middle Tennessee State University, Trevecca Nazarene, UT-Chattanooga, UT-Martin, UT-Knoxville and Vanderbilt University.

TSU students who won in their respective categories are:

2nd place – Best online sports coverage program: Cedric Beene, Micah Kennedy, Josh Walden, Paige Jefferson
2nd place – Best inline sports program: Kierra Ewah-Washington
3rd place – Best radio specialized topic reporting: Melody Scales
3rd place – Best radio investigative in-depth reporting: Ryan Parham, Tierra Kimball, Marvel Wade
3rd place – Best investigative in-depth reporting: J. Michaux

Likes won seven awards in five different categories.

Best Enterprise:
1st place – “Truth, tabloids and trust: Declining confidence in the news media”
Best light feature story:
2nd place – “TV catch phrases, popular culture to mainstream America”
Best serious news story:
1st place – “Pay for play: Unionization and paying college athletes”
2nd place – “Truth, tabloids and trust: Declining confidence in the news media:
Best sports feature:
1st place – “Pay for play: Unionization and paying college athletes”
Best use of sound:
1st place – “TV catch phrases, popular culture to mainstream America”
2nd place – “Pay for play: Unionization and paying college athletes”

Department of Media Relations

Tennessee State University
3500 John Merritt Boulevard
Nashville, Tennessee 37209
615.963.5331

About Tennessee State University

With more than 9,000 students, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a comprehensive, urban, co-educational, land-grant university offering 38 undergraduate, 22 graduate and seven doctoral programs. TSU has earned a top 20 ranking for Historically Black Colleges and Universities according to U.S. News and World Report, and rated as one of the top universities in the country by Washington Monthly for social mobility, research and community service. Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University celebrated 100 years in Nashville during 2012. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.

TSU Department Chair Wins Five Tennessee Associated Press Awards

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Dr. Terry Likes


NASHVILLE, Tenn.
(TSU News Service) – The 2015 awards presentation for the best journalism in broadcast and print was held March 28 in Nashville. Dr. Terry Likes, professor and chair of the Department of Communications, captured four first-place awards and one-second place.  Likes’ reports aired on the Tennessee Radio Network with a variety of topics ranging from the music, news and sports industries.

Likes’ honors included the following:

  • First Place, Best Sports Feature, Radio, “$ports + Money = Recession Proof.”
  • First Place, Best Light Feature, Radio, “The Alarm Clock For Your Favorite TV Show.”
  • First Place, Best Enterprise, Radio, “Copy and Paste: The Perils of Plagiarism in Higher Education.”
  • First Place, Best Use of Sound, Radio, “The Alarm Clock For Your Favorite TV Show.”
  • Second Place, Best Use of Sound, Radio, “$ports + Money = Recession Proof.”

Likes’ report on the “The Alarm Clock For Your Favorite TV Show” also won first place, Best of Competition from the Broadcast Education Association Faculty Audio Competition.

“It is an honor to represent TSU in this regard and to continue to enhance my reporting skills for the benefit of our students,” said Likes. “Evidence of current professional success helps in the classroom when students can see professors remain active in the industry, achieve at a high level while professors can encourage students to seek excellence in their own student competitions.”

This is the 19th Tennessee Associated Press award for Likes.  He has also won eight regional Edward R.  Murrow awards and is the recipient of 60 awards during his career including honors from the Broadcast Education association, Kentucky Associated Press, National Broadcasting Society and the National Press Club.

Since joining TSU in 2008, Likes has won 44 awards while his students have won 58 awards from the Tennessee Associated Press, Southeast Journalism Conference, Society of Professional Journalists and National Broadcasting Society.

Department of Media Relations

Tennessee State University
3500 John Merritt Boulevard
Nashville, Tennessee 37209
615.963.5331

About Tennessee State University

With more than 9,000 students, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a comprehensive, urban, co-educational, land-grant university offering 42 undergraduate, 24 graduate and seven doctoral programs. TSU has earned a top 20 ranking for Historically Black Colleges and Universities according to U.S. News and World Report, and rated as one of the top universities in the country by Washington Monthly for social mobility, research and community service. Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University celebrated 100 years in Nashville during 2012. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.

TSU Department Chair Wins Two National Media Awards

Likes 2010NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – The national awards among faculty competing in the Broadcast Education Association have been released and TSU’s Chair of the Department of Communications, Dr. Terry Likes, has won in the Faculty Audio Competition: Best of Competition: “The alarm clock for your favorite tv show: The theme song.”

Likes’ report aired on the Tennessee Radio Network in 2014. The report shows when people think of their favorite songs of all time, most forget the obvious choices from an overlooked category: television theme songs. This program explores the popularity of TV theme songs, the Nashville connection and what the future is for these theme songs in popular culture.

“When students can see professors remain active in the industry and achieve at a high level, professors can, in turn, encourage students to seek excellence in their own student competition,” said Likes. “It is part of the teacher-scholar method.”

This is the second award Likes has received for this program. Earlier this month, the documentary was selected for exhibition from the National Broadcasting Society. A formal announcement of winners will occur at the NBS national convention in March.

The BEA Festival of Media Arts is an international exhibition of award-winning faculty and student works. Winners will receive recognition and exhibition of their works during the Broadcast Education Association’s annual convention in Las Vegas in April.

This is the eleventh Broadcast Education Association award for Likes.  He is the recipient of 55 awards during his career including other honors from the Associated Press and the National Press Club.  Since joining TSU in 2008, Likes has won 39 awards or honors.

BEA is an international academic media organization, driving insights, excellence in media production, and career advancement for educators, students and professionals. The association’s publications, annual convention, web-based programs, and regional district activities provide opportunities for juried production competition and presentation of current scholarly research related to aspects of the electronic media. Established in 1955, the BEA serves more than 2,500 professors, students and media professionals at approximately 275 college and university departments and schools.

 

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Department of Media Relations

Tennessee State University
3500 John Merritt Boulevard
Nashville, Tennessee 37209
615.963.5331

About Tennessee State University

With more than 9,000 students, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a comprehensive, urban, co-educational, land-grant university offering 42 undergraduate, 24 graduate and seven doctoral programs. TSU has earned a top 20 ranking for Historically Black Colleges and Universities according to U.S. News and World Report, and rated as one of the top universities in the country by Washington Monthly for social mobility, research and community service. Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University celebrated 100 years in Nashville during 2012. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.

TSU Chair Wins Two Prestigious Edward R. Murrow Awards

Likes 2010NASHVILLE, Tenn.  (TSU News Service) – The Radio Television Digital News Association has announced that a communications professor at Tennessee State University has won two regional Edward R. Murrow Awards for excellence in electronic journalism.

Dr. Terry Likes, Chair of the Department of Communications and Professor of Multimedia Journalism, won the awards in two separate categories, including Audio News Documentary—“In Our Memory, the Soundtrack to News:  How News Events Shape Music,” and Audio Sports Reporting, “We Will Rock You: The Branding of Sports Music.”

Both programs aired on the Tennessee Radio Network.

“It is an honor to represent TSU in this regard and to continue to enhance my reporting skills for the benefit of our students,” said Dr. Likes. “It helps in the classroom when students can see professors remain active in the industry, achieve at a high level.  This helps us encourage students to seek excellence in their own student competitions, as TSU students are doing with evidence of tremendous recent success including 17 Southeast Journalism Conference awards and 9 Tennessee Associated Press student awards this year alone.”

These awards mark the seventh and eighth regional Murrow Award received by Dr. Likes having won Murrows in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, and two in 2012.   Likes is the recipient of 52 awards during his career including honors from the Broadcast Education association, the Tennessee Associated Press, Kentucky Associated Press, National Broadcasting Society and the National Press Club.

This year, RTDNA awarded 661 regional Edward R. Murrow Awards in 14 categories, including Overall Excellence, Breaking News, Investigative Reporting, and Website.  RTDNA received more than 4,000 entries during the 2014 awards season, surpassing 2013 by more than 500 entries and setting an all-time record for entries in what proved to be one of the most competitive Edward R. Murrow Awards seasons in RTDNA history.

Dr. Likes competed in Region 8 against other entries from Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and West Virginia. Regional winners automatically become eligible for the national awards competition, which will be judged in June. The national Edward R.  Murrow Awards will be presented in October at the RTDNA Awards Dinner in New York.

The Radio Television Digital News Association has been honoring outstanding achievements in electronic journalism with the Edward R. Murrow Awards since 1971. Murrow’s pursuit of excellence in journalism embodies the spirit of the awards that carry his name. Murrow Award recipients demonstrate the spirit of excellence that Edward R. Murrow made a standard for the broadcast news profession.

A complete list of the 2014 Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards winners can be found at rtdna.org.

 

 

 

 

Department of Media Relations
Tennessee State University
3500 John Merritt Boulevard
Nashville, Tennessee 37209
615.963.5331

 

About Tennessee State University

With nearly 9,000 students, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a comprehensive, urban, co-educational, land-grant university offering 38 undergraduate, 22 graduate and seven doctoral programs. TSU has earned a top 20 ranking for Historically Black Colleges and Universities according to U.S. News and World Report, and rated as one of the top universities in the country by Washington Monthly for social mobility, research and community service. Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University celebrated 100 years in Nashville during 2012. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.

TSU Communications Department Chair Wins Four Tennessee Associated Press Awards

Likes 2010
Dr. Terry Likes

NASHVILLE (TSU News Service) – The 2014 awards presentation for the best journalism in broadcast and print was held Saturday, March 22, at the Sheraton Nashville Downtown.

Dr. Terry Likes, professor and chair of the Department of Communications, captured three first-place awards and one-second place.  His reports aired on the Tennessee Radio Network with a variety of topics ranging from the music, news and sports industries.

Likes’ honors included the following:

ikes’ report on the Beatles also won 1st place in the Best of Competition category, from the Broadcast Education Association Faculty Audio Competition.

“It is an honor to represent TSU in this regard and to continue to enhance my reporting skills for the benefit of our students,” said Likes. “Evidence of current professional success helps in the classroom when students can see professors remain active in the industry, achieve at a high level, while professors can encourage students to seek excellence in their own student competitions.”

This is the 14th Tennessee Associated Press award for Likes.  He has also won six regional Edward R.  Murrow awards, is the recipient of 50 awards during his career including honors from the Broadcast Education Association, Kentucky Associated Press, National Broadcasting Society, and the National Press Club.  Since joining TSU in 2008, Likes has won 34 awards while his students have won 50 awards from the TN Associated Press, Southeast Journalism Conference, Society of Professional Journalists and National Broadcasting Society.

 

 

 

 

Department of Media Relations
Tennessee State University
3500 John Merritt Boulevard
Nashville, Tennessee 37209
615.963.5331

 

About Tennessee State University

With nearly 9,000 students, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a comprehensive, urban, co-educational, land-grant university offering 38 undergraduate, 22 graduate and seven doctoral programs. TSU has earned a top 20 ranking for Historically Black Colleges and Universities according to U.S. News and World Report, and rated as one of the top universities in the country by Washington Monthly for social mobility, research and community service. Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University celebrated 100 years in Nashville during 2012. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.

Ten TSU Students Named Finalists for Regional Journalism Awards

Dept of CommNASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – The 2014 finalists have been announced for the best in broadcast, print and online journalism by the Southeast Journalism Conference, with Tennessee State University students capturing finalist slots in 10 of the 23 individual categories.  College finalists in categories such as Best Website, Best Newspaper and Best Radio or TV Newscast were not released early.

Award winners will be announced at the SEJC conference, Friday Feb. 21, hosted by the University of Louisiana-Lafayette.

Tennessee State University finalists include:

*Best Opinion-Editorial Writer: Patrick Lewis
*Best Magazine Page Layout Designer: Brittney Bodden
*Best Radio Hard News Reporter: Brandi Giles
*Best Television News Feature Reporter: Quinn Panganiban
*Best Radio News Feature Reporter: Kelli Volk
*Best Radio Journalist: Chantell Copeland
*Best Advertising Staff Member: Ashli Beverley
*Best Journalism Research Paper: Jer’Mykeal McCoy
*College Journalist of the Year: Ce’Dra Jackson
*Best Multimedia Journalist: Alicia Bailey

According to Dr. Terry Likes, Chair of the Department of Communications, this is a testament to the commitment to excellence of students, faculty and the administration.

“Teaching students to work across media platforms, and an enhanced partnership with the student newspaper, The Meter, means we have improved the quality of our student media to the point where we now have more entries and more finalists in SEJC than we have had in recent years,” said Likes.

The Southeast Journalism Conference is a vibrant learning community of journalists honing their craft through professional development and the Best of the South Collegiate Journalism Competition. An organization comprised of more than 45 member colleges and universities in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee, SEJC was created to encourage greater interest in student journalism and to form closer ties among journalism schools in the Southeast United States.

The Best of the South competition recognizes individual student journalists and university publications. The competition consists of 23 individual and eight university categories.

 

 

Department of Media Relations
Tennessee State University
3500 John Merritt Boulevard
Nashville, Tennessee 37209
615.963.5331

 

 

About Tennessee State University

With nearly 9,000 students, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a comprehensive, urban, co-educational, land-grant university offering 38 undergraduate, 22 graduate and seven doctoral programs. TSU has earned a top 20 ranking for Historically Black Colleges and Universities according to U.S. News and World Report, and rated as one of the top universities in the country by Washington Monthly for social mobility, research and community service. Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University celebrated 100 years in Nashville during 2012. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.