Tomorrow is fall commencement at East Tennessee State University, and more than 1,300 students will walk the stage. But one of them will make history.
Brent Burke is one those who'll walk the stage Saturday one week to the day after his debut on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry.
"It was an overwhelming feeling for a second,” said Burke. “I got settled in and knew what I needed to do and soaked it up on stage."
Burke will be the first ever recipient of a bachelor's degree in bluegrass, old time and country music, a degree path that allowed him to go to college and keep playing his dobro.
"My studies would go hand in hand with my music stuff I was experiencing out on the road,” said Burke. “I'd study this in class then go out and see it for myself."
"It's the result of a lot of years of hard work and a lot of growth," said Dan Boner.
Boner directs the program, the only of its kind that he says meets a real need.
"We had a lot of students who called and the first thing they'd do is ask if they could major in bluegrass music for example,” said Boner. “And the first thing we'd have to do is oh … we don't do that."
They do now and now Burke already has a job in one of Bluegrass music's hottest bands Rhonda Vincent and the Rage.
"I just love it,” said Burke. “I can't wait to get out and travel and start playing music.”
More than 60 students will be majoring in the bluegrass old time and country music program at ETSU next year. That’s just two years after the creation of the degree track.
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