To celebrate their move to NCAA Division I Athletics, Dixie State University has partnered with the tenor trio GENTRI to release a mash-up music video of “Rise Up” and “I Lived” featuring Trailblazer student-athletes persevering despite the challenges of a global pandemic.
Highlighting hundreds of Dixie State athletes, orchestra and choir students, the music video was released Thursday with a showing held on campus at the M. Anthony Burns Arena. Created entirely by DSU students, faculty and staff, the video illustrates the challenges students have overcome to become D-I athletes through unprecedented circumstances.
“The journey to become a collegiate Division I athlete begins at a young age and requires many hours of dedication and the help of coaches and an army of supporters,” Dixie State’s Vice President of Marketing & Communication Dr. Jordon Sharp said. “Moving to Division I athletics during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic was difficult for all involved, so it was our goal to create a piece that paid tribute to our athletes’ determination to carry on and recognized the resilience of the human spirit.”
When joining the Western Athletic Conference and elevating teams to Division I status this summer, Dixie State University made a historic step in the institution’s continued growth. This movement amid the COVID-19 outbreak brought unexpected challenges including canceled games as well as added health and safety restrictions.
“COVID-19 completely disrupted so many of our student-athletes’ lives and forced us to pause for a bit,” Dr. Jason Boothe, executive director of DSU Athletics, said. “However, this fall they have rallied and have been practicing and patiently waiting for their chance to rise up to the top level of intercollegiate competition. We are ready.”
According to Matt Black, DSU videographer and director of the music video, undergoing the filming process while following all necessary health and safety guidelines was unlike anything Dixie State University has ever experienced before.
“Most of the big scenes were filmed before the pandemic began, but many of the scenes featuring a limited number of individuals were not, so working under COVID-19 guidelines with 400 athletes in 40 locations was a unique challenge,” Black said. “But the results were definitely worth it.”
GENTRI, which is short for The Gentlemen Trio, was established in 2014 and is known for their award-winning music videos. The trio tenors, Brad Robins, Casey Elliott and Bradley Quinn Lever, along with producer Stephen Nelson, showcase a signature sound they call cinematic pop throughout the “Rise Up”/“I Lived” music video.
To watch the music video, visit utahtech.edu/riseup. To learn more about Dixie State University Athletics, visit dixiestateathletics.com and for more information about GENTRI, visit gentrimusic.com.