On April 24 GRAMMY U students from Delta State University and the Lemoyne-Owen College attended a GRAMMY SoundChecks with the Blind Boys Of Alabama. Students got the chance to watch the soundcheck and sit down with band members Eric McKinnie, Tracy Pierce and Joey Williams. Students asked about their education, what their first jobs were, and what got them into the music business. Williams, the band's music director and guitarist, explained that he "learned everything from making big mistakes." Blind Boys' tour manager Willie Chuck Shivers added that "who you know gets you there, but what you know will keep you there." McKinnie also gave the students advice on breaking into the business by suggesting that they be around the kind of people that they aspire to be. Students were extremely appreciative of the band's candor and insight. After the discussion, the students were invited to take a tour of the Blind Boys' tour bus.