Mary Chandler Keels began her freshman year at Clemson University like many other incoming students, harboring big dreams. However, one particularly ambitious goal stood out from the rest: a plan to organize a music festival on campus before her graduation. The chances of her dream becoming a reality were slim to none, but she remained hopeful, drafting imaginary lineups and even reserving an Instagram account under the handle @clemsonfest.
Years later, she shared the username with the official promoters of the inaugural Clemson Music Fest — a new spring tradition, rooted in Keels’ ambition, that will continue to grow and impact the community beyond her time at Clemson.
Though she could not have predicted the legacy she’d leave at the University, Keels, raised nearby in Greenville, South Carolina, knew she was always meant to come to Clemson.
“Something about Clemson just kept pulling me in,” she says. “I have the rest of my life to chase my dreams, but spending these four years near my family and where I grew up is important to me. Clemson felt like home.”
Family was another key factor in her decision — Clemson is in her blood. Keels’ grandmother graduated from the University, her mother attended for a couple years before transferring, and her younger brother is currently a sophomore.
“It’s surreal to see through their eyes how much they enjoyed it here — the memories they have, and now the continuation of three generations. I want my kids to end up here, too,” she says.
Keels has made many valuable memories of her own, especially through the professional opportunities Clemson has provided. Keels is earning her degree in marketing and management, with a minor in travel and tourism and an emphasis in entrepreneurship. A job in the music industry has always been her primary goal, and Clemson has provided a strong foundation for this pursuit. Keels has developed crucial fundamental business skills through her classes, giving her an educational background that “pairs together really well” with hands-on internship experiences.
One of these experiences includes working for Campus Reservations and Events (CRE) within the Division of Student Affairs. She began her role as a full-time student event coordinator through the UPIC program her sophomore year, and the work she has done since has been critical to Clemson’s success in hosting large-scale events. For about 25-30 events per semester, Keels is in charge of reaching out to external vendors, security and clients, facilitating communication and setting expectations. She has organized a variety of functions, including tailgates for visiting football teams and alumni, annual Co-Op interviews, major philanthropy events for sororities — Zeta’s “Big Man on Campus,” for example — and many more.
“We have to walk through all of these little pieces that come together in order to execute an event successfully,” she says. “It’s very detail-oriented, but I love the socialization of it all.”
Keels praises CRE for the impact it has had on her time at Clemson and, more specifically, how it prepared her for off-campus internships.
“I think this experience will carry over really well — everything from working in an office environment and reporting to supervisors to building relationships with clients has been very useful to me,” she says.
CRE is not Keels’ only local internship experience; she also began work for Braxton Wilson of Palmetto Entertainment in August 2023, and this is where she was given the space to bring her dreams to life. Wilson oversees many of the shows and festivals in the Upstate — Greenville’s Country Music Fest, as well as other performances at Heritage Park in Simpsonville. While shadowing his work on all of these major events, Keels was initially discouraged by the considerable amounts of money, time and connections that each one required. The chances of a music festival at Clemson seemed slim, but she held out hope and retained the Instagram account for the highly anticipated day, which came at last. As conversations began swirling around the creation of Clemson Music Fest, Keels approached Wilson and offered the account for use. He eagerly accepted, and Keels has proudly watched the private, placeholder account grow to nearly 16,000 followers.
“Having any sort of hand in Clemson Music Fest — when it used to just be my aspirational freshman dream — was surreal,” she says. “It was very full circle.”
Taking her talents to Music City
According to Keels, her “two favorite places in the world” are Clemson and Nashville, Tennessee. While she has treasured her time in the Upstate, she has always felt a calling to Nashville. She has spent the last two summers there, interning for various organizations and constructing important networks. In 2023, she worked in the artist management department for SMACKSongs, where she facilitated many social media campaigns and brand partnerships for relevant country artists such as Walker Hayes and Kylie Morgan. In 2024, she worked for Big Yellow Dog LLC — an independent music publishing and artist development company — to manage songwriters and other creatives. In this role, she was connected to the president of the company she will be starting with full-time after graduation.
Both summers, she worked directly with the Country Music Association (CMA) and helped with the annual CMA Fest — a four-day country music festival hosted in downtown Nashville. The first year, she worked behind the scenes during the evening as temporary staff with the media team, including radio stations and other broadcasters. The following year, she enjoyed a full internship experience — handling nightly check-in for the industry suites in Nissan Stadium, admitting artists’ managers and teams into the box to watch the show. As an intern, the days were long, typically running from a 6 a.m. wake-up call to a 2 a.m. bedtime, the experience was extremely fulfilling.
“Obviously, you can fawn over the artists; for me, however, there were a lot of executives and company leaders I recognized from research, and having conversations with them was a lot more rewarding. I’m not going to talk to the artists for a job, but having the opportunity to network and connect with the people who work for companies I’m interested in could realistically change my life,” she says.
Keels fondly remembers one particular interaction that embodies the genuine sentiment of the “Clemson Family.”
“I was typing a woman’s name in, and she asked me, ‘Is that a Clemson ring?” And she had hers on too,” Keels says. “They tell you in the Ring Ceremony that it’s a staple; people will notice and ask you about it. That was the first time I made a meaningful connection because of it.”
Keels directly credits Clemson with setting her on a specific life path, claiming everything she has experienced beyond the University has been a “domino effect” stemming from people she met through Clemson. Her connection with Levi Orr ‘19, a Clemson alum and rising country music star who currently lives in Nashville, was a huge step in her professional journey. She reached out to Orr on social media after learning about his story through an article on the Clemson business school page, and he introduced her to CMA EDU — a virtual leadership and education program that selects 50 students from around the country who are seeking a career in the music industry. With his guidance, she applied and earned a spot, and her involvement with the organization has served as an incredible foundation for even bigger achievements.
“Once I added CMA EDU to my resume, I started getting interviews, and then I received offers. With each internship, I met people who helped me land the next internship, and so on — all because of someone I am only connected to through Clemson,” she says.
CMA EDU begins each year with a Leadership Summit — three days of professional development training, industry education and community-building at CMA Headquarters in Nashville. Otherwise, the program is completely virtual; members are invited to monthly zoom meetings with panels of executives and agents from across the country to learn more about the music business.
“From Clemson, South Carolina, I’m able to hear from someone who’s at the top of their game in Nashville; I can still make those connections, hear those stories and receive advice,” she says. “That has been very helpful in my journey.”
Keels is also a member of Alpha Delta Pi (ADPi), and her involvement has shaped her Clemson experience in the best way. Not only has she built friendships that will last a lifetime, but she has also held multiple leadership positions, ranging from operations specialist to chapter foundations ambassador, that should serve her well as she transitions into the workforce.
“I learned very quickly in music that everyone knows everyone, so having the skills to talk to people and build connections that will carry over into the future is very important.,” she says.
Keels is graduating on May 8, then packing her bags and moving to Nashville three days later to start her job with United Talent Agency as a music touring agent trainee. She will hold this role for a few months, then step into an assistant role before eventually transitioning into an official agent. She cannot wait to experience the music industry from both sides — as both an employee and as an avid concert-goer.
“Music brings people together in a way nothing else can. You go to one concert, and people are there from all different phases of life, but for one night, they can all forget about it and just listen to the music together,” she says.
When asked what advice she would give to incoming students, Keels is quick to emphasize the importance of maximizing the Clemson experience.
“Take advantage of every opportunity you’re given. Clemson is such a large school, but every single person has a unique experience based on the things they get involved with, the people they meet and what they choose to make out of their four years here. If I could go back and redo it, I wouldn’t — live like you don’t want to regret anything when you graduate.”