Rumors and speculation flew around the Greenville College campus Monday as students discussed the "special visitors" coming for the evening's Lab Band workshop. However, few actually figured it out and as the students walked into the Blackroom they were surprised to see Dan, Matt, Steve and Charlie of Jars of Clay.

The band members made the surprise visit to Greenville, their first since moving to Nashville in 1994 (with the exception of four Agape performances), on an invitation from their former professor, Warren Pettit. They stayed on campus through Wednesday critiquing campus bands, sitting in on studio classes, talking with students, visiting WGRN (the college radio station) and enjoying Jo's Java (the new coffeeshop on campus). The band played a short acoustic set Tuesday evening for CCM Seminar class, prior to answering questions posed by students, and then played a second acoustic set during Wednesday morning's chapel service.

Jars of Clay was formed at GC while three of the four current members were students in the college's noted Contemporary Christian Music program. The bands' first album Frail was recorded in the CCM Studios on Fourth Ladue, the primary CCM production facility on campus. Since leaving for Nashville, TN in 1994, Jars has completed three additional albums, garnering them three Grammy Award nominations, two Grammy Awards and numerous Dove Awards, They have also logged numerous hours on the road, from coffeehouses and open-mike nights to tours with Michael W. Smith and Matchbox 20.

When asked why they chose to visit at this time, lead singer Dan Haseltine replied that not only did they want to meet the new [Music Department] faculty because they have changed a lot in recent years, but "also, we get asked about Greenville by students at concerts all the time and wanted to be able to give an educated recommendation." Professor Pettit, the band's primary connection with Greenville, will leave GC at the end of the semester to start a new Contemporary Music Program for the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU) on Martha's Vineyard. This visit was important in connecting Jars with other key faculty and staff members.

Feedback from students about Jars of Clay's visit to campus was very positive. Senior Scott Beale, who engineered both concerts, said, "I really enjoyed their acoustic show. I had never seen a whole acoustic show by them. They were really great guys to talk with and to work with also."

This visit allowed a whole new group of students to connect to the band and better understand their relationship with Greenville. Steve, Dan and Charlie (Matt did not attend Greenville) reminisced during chapel on Wednesday about writing songs on Fourth LaDue, in their dorm rooms in the basement of Kinney Hall, and even on the Hogue front lawn (where they birthed "Flood" on a sunny, spring morning).

They also talked about making chapel announcements as often as possible (and then skipping the rest of chapel to eat breakfast), the spiritual impact of Brian Hartley's Bible and Culture course, and their enjoyment of Bob Johnson's Interterm Blues course.

The leadership of Greenville College expressed excitement over the involvement Jars had with current students on this trip and about the band's future relationship with the College.

Read more in the March 20, 2001 Interview with Jars of Clay at Greenville College...