Herd Media

Gracey Parnell serves as lead photographer for Herd Media. Gracey is a junior majoring in Journalism with a focus in music and live entertainment. Her other interests include art, reading, and travel. She is always at a concert, whether that be working a show or attending as a fan. Gracey has written for and managed a few small-scale online music publications, the most notable being Welcome Home Magazine. Originally from Arkansas, Gracey now lives in Nashville for school with hopes to officially move here full-time after she graduates.

  • Campus Life

    Navigating the ethics of artificial intelligence through the lens of Aristotle

    Artificial intelligence has been on the rise lately. A.I., specifically text-based artificial intelligence, is a tool that can help students, professors and anyone who is looking for help with their work.  As more people begin to use A.I., some are questioning the ethics involved with its use. Mary Mousa, biology and philosophy major, addresses A.I. ethics with an Aristotelian approach.  Mousa describes Aristotelian philosophy as being focused on the being doing the action, not the action itself.  She introduces Aristotle’s idea of eudaemonia, often described as living a life of virtue, as being the ultimate goal for mankind. “Action begets habits, habits begets virtues, virtues begets character,” says Mousa. Mousa…

  • Arts and Entertainment

    Lipscomb’s Red Dog Productions Revamps The Well Stage

    If you have attended a show at The Well recently, you may have noticed a few changes. The stage has undergone a rebranding and operational shift, now under the management of Red Dog Productions, a hands-on venue management practicum for Lipscomb’s music students.  These students are learning the ins and outs of running a performance based business. “Students get to book shows, work with artists, ticket shows, manage shows, host shows, run the sound and lights. They get to have their hands in that whole thing,” says John J. Thompson, director of music industry studies. The practicum students, alongside Thompson and adjunct professors, spent last semester re-inventing the program. Thompson…

  • Arts and Entertainment,  Campus Life

    The success of Lipscomb alum band has paved the way for new arts festival on campus

    The Arcadian Wild has earned an impressive list of accomplishments since their formation in 2013. From charting on the Billboard Bluegrass Chart multiple times to playing at The Ryman Auditorium, the band has created quite the name for itself.  Issac Horn, guitarist, and Lincoln Mick, mandolinist, first met at Lipscomb University where they bonded over a shared interest of Americana music. In 2020, they introduced Bailey Warren, fiddler, into the band full time. The Arcadian Wild now makes indie folk music but draws inspiration from other genres like country to pop and everything in between.  Horn and Mick return to their roots to headline CEA’s Wild Bison Music and Arts…

  • Arts and Entertainment

    A Look into Sarah Free’s Musical Journey: From Young Creativity to Exploring New Sounds at Lipscomb

    Ever since she was young, Sarah Free, a senior songwriting major from Hendersonville, TN, had a passion for music. “Before I could talk, I was humming,” Free says, “the classic thing, and just kind of making up songs when I was little on like whatever instrument I could get my hands on.” Free switched from public to a private Christian school when her family moved to Tennessee after her eighth grade year. She says that move had a vital role in her decision to pursue music.  “I was able to do a lot of musical things and was kind of like affirmed in my creativity. They were pretty welcoming there…

  • Arts and Entertainment

    Lilli Grace Barden, River and Rail fill The Well with love

    On Feb. 3, River and Rail took the stage as The Well Coffeehouse filled with support from friends and classmates. The night was filled with an abundance of love songs, perfect to kick off Valentine’s season.  Grace Fincher, senior commercial music major, and her husband Alex Fincher make up the folk duo River and Rail. Playing songs that highlighted the couple’s lyricism accompanied by a melancholy acoustic guitar, this show was a showcase of all things River and Rail.  The duo captivated the crowd with original songs ranging from love songs — perfect for Valentine’s day — to songs inspired by nature, family and diving into the mind of oneself. …

  • News

    Lighting of the Green returns to kick off the holiday season

    If you’re new to campus, there’s a special holiday tradition coming that you won’t want to miss. Lighting of the Green is an annual event here at Lipscomb, and it’s returning for its 18th year. Held on campus, Lighting of the Green features different festivities and a concert to share holiday cheer.  Preparation has already began. From building the stage to stringing the lights, campus is almost ready for the special event. Merry Marketplace will take place in McQuiddy Gym starting at 4 p.m. with free pictures with Santa at 4:30 p.m. There will be a variety of vendors who donate a portion of their proceeds to Associated Women for…

  • Arts and Entertainment

    Candy, costumes and live music at The Well

    On the night of the 28th, The Well Coffeehouse hosted a Halloween Showcase filled with coffee, candy and a stellar lineup featuring a few of Lipscomb’s own.  From the spooky decor to the fantastic costumes, the room filled with excitement as familiar faces took the stage. Kelle Cates, one of the student performers, says “I always enjoy doing shows near campus… I hope to do more live band shows where students are able to get there easily and have a good time!” People slowly made their way to the coffeeshop as the night went on. Nearing the final few performances, a good-sized crowd had gathered in support of their fellow…

  • Arts and Entertainment

    The music is free, where’s the audience?

    Tuesday night, a small community of Lipscomb students gathered outside the front of Johnson Hall to listen to live music performed by fellow students. The crowd, consisting mainly of friends of the performers, came out to show their support. Scattered along the sidewalk and grass, everyone found a place to sit and gave their full attention to the people performing. Despite advertising efforts through Have You Herd emails and flyers around campus, it seems that not many students were aware of the concert. The show consisted of three performers, each playing a variety of songs from originals to covers. The first performer of the night, junior Courtney Stevens, says “it…

  • Arts and Entertainment

    Stepping into indie pop

    Amber Sawyer

    Junior Amber Sawyer drops debut song September 30th Located in the heart of music city, it is not surprising that Lipscomb is home to many talented and aspiring musicians. Amber Sawyer brings the perfect blend of pop influences and catchy lyrics with her debut single, “Goin’ Out of the World.”  “…kinda like you’re in a car, windows rolled down type of song.”  Hailing from Arizona, Amber is a songwriting major at Lipscomb who got her start in music at an early age. From piano lessons to joining a worship band in high school, Amber has always had an ear for music.   “I found Lipscomb through a college fair at my…