_{By Zach Collier}

I run Provo Music Magazine, so I literally make it my job to know what the h*ck is going on in the music scene around here. Much to my frustration, I’ve never been able to figure out how to get BYU to consistently send press releases our way (or even respond to emails).

That’s why I was pissed when I stumbled across something epic that happened last year involving 1) some of my favorite musicians in the Provo music scene and 2) five-time Grammy Award winner and Snarky Puppy/Fearless Flyers guitarist Mark Lettieri.

Not only did Mark Lettieri perform as part of BYU’s BRAVO! concert series. But he also stopped by their new state-of-the-art recording studio to write a brand new song with five commercial music students – in three days.

Joining Mark Lettieri were some names you may recognize: Carson Ripley, Kieran Hellum, Hannah Eyre, Michelle Cheuk, and Kevin West. The result was a pretty infectious song written by the newly formed BYU Grūv Alliance entitled “Two Worlds, One City,” with Hannah Eyre (of The Filibusters) on lead vocals.

Released by BYU Records, it’s a soulful pop track that explores the emotional friction of a couple struggling to communicate what they’re feeling. It’s reflective, emotionally grounded, and (most importantly) catchy af.

“The passion from these students has been really inspiring,” Lettieri said after three intense days and dozens of jam sessions. “I’m very impressed with their growth and how well they work together.”

The song has performed well in the last calendar year, cracking 10,000 streams despite limited publicity and promotion. The entire experiment is a testament to the songwriting and production prowess found in Provo – on BYU campus and off.

This is also a lesson in why it’s important to have a solid marketing strategy in place. It wasn’t the job of the students or Mark to get this out there to the world. It was BYU’s. Even gigantic organizations like BYU can’t expect music to find listeners just because they’re a giant organization.

There are people out there who want to hear your music. All you need to do is send consistent emails and tell people you exist.

Things happen when you do things.

You can check out a short documentary about the making of “Two Worlds, One City” below!