Ranger Records Releases their Inaugural Record

by Sarah Smith-Hutchinson

Senatobia, MS (04/17/2026) — Northwest Mississippi Community College's new music label, Ranger Records, released its inaugural record, which features Southern artists, faculty and staff who are musicians, and student work. A concert was held on April 9 to showcase all the music that is featured on the album.

"Fortunately, the decision about which songs made the album was dictated by the limitations of what one can put on the side of a vinyl record," said Instructor and Coordinator of Entertainment Industry Studies Jeff Triplett. "The original plan was two tracks per group, which we had to cut to one track. There were also a couple of sessions that are not represented simply because we had to go with what could fit and be ready in time. The recording and post-production time varied greatly from group to group. The shortest timeline was probably less than two hours, with one song having well over 60 hours. The average was much less, probably about 8-10 hours per song."

The concept for this album began a few years ago, as the Heindl Center was being built. Triplett, who at the time served as director of Fine Arts instruction, said that he started thinking about this project back in 2024 and took years of development before it could be fully realized.

This project was a community effort, according to Triplett. It is a lot more than just music, but the people behind the album. Most of the sessions that were completed were done live in the studio, which meant that the groups played together as they would when they were live. This project took a total of almost four semesters, and Triplett said many went above and beyond with their time.

This record was also a teachable opportunity for the students, because Triplett brought in real industry professionals who worked with them on these projects showcasing the hard work that goes into the industry as well as creating meaningful connections.

One of the students who worked on the project was music industry student Jahmad Golden of Senatobia, a sophomore graduating in May. He had been there from almost the beginning and said that while working on the record project, he found it was extremely helpful in learning ProTools, and getting the opportunity to engineer one of the tracks, which will help him on his path to pursue a career in audio engineering and recording.

"There is so much to learn, and Northwest provides the tools and resources needed to succeed," Golden said. "It's all about taking advantage of opportunities-anytime there is a chance to get involved, there is always something new to learn and questions to ask."

The album is a first run, with most copies of the vinyl being spoken for. It is unknown as to where listeners will be able to find this music, but hopefully, in the future, it will be available in multiple formats.

To learn more about Northwest Fine Arts, please visit northwestms.edu.

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