A new commercial music centre at Liberty University will launch this fall with the help of Christian artist Michael W. Smith.

The announcement was made by Liberty President Jerry Falwell and Smith during this year's Commencement ceremony. From backstage at the Newsboys concert in Wisconson, Smith made a video appearance to graduates, congratulating them and encouraging them to "stick around for another couple years, because next year, I'm going to be hanging out on campus.

"Liberty and I have some big news on taking music to a whole other level, and it's going to be awesome," the musician shared.

How is the post-secondary campus expected to be taken to this next level? The new Michael W. Smith Centre for Commerical Music is set to launch at Liberty's School of Music this fall with Smith acting as director, the university reports.

The new centre will feature some pretty impressive aspects and will come with a major recording label to attract artists both new and familiar with the music scene. The university also anticipates artists coming to the centre in order to work with musicians attending Liberty to help shape their skill and assist in their development.

Al Denson, a former Christian recording artist and executive in the industry, has significantly assisted in the progression of Liberty's new music centre.

It’s magnetizing to get around students who are hungry when you know how it feels yourself," said Denson. "The artists just need a place that has integrity and supportive staff who care, and that’s why the match with Liberty makes it so good.”

“We want to give all of our students — music majors or not — a conduit to the world stage,” shared Liberty Dean Vernon Whaley, who has served for 14 years on the advisory council for their School of Music.

Kevin Jonas Sr. is also expected to prominently work with students at Liberty as a part of this project. The father of the Jonas Brothers and their original manager when the group first launched their careers in 2005, Jonas will assist students in creating and releasing their own records.

It's something that will bring the program to new heights, Denson shared, commenting that Jonas "has the most integrity of anyone I know on the pop side of music.

"He’s going to give us depth into a market where we’ve never been; he has relationships with people who can be a Christian but still be on the pop side; he’s a liaison to the other side of the coin.”

Smith is considered to be ideal as a leader for the new centre, with Denson commenting on his excellent legacy and reputation, which he says aligns perfectly with the values of the post-secondary institution.