Belmont University was well represented at last night’s 59th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles with several alumni winning awards for their work while a number of faculty contributed to their own award-winning project.
Emily Weisband, a 2015 alumna of Belmont’s songwriting program, and Bernie Herms, a 1995 alumnus of the School of Music, both won their first-ever Grammy Award for a song they co-wrote with Hillary Scott titled, “Thy Will.” The song was recorded by Hillary Scott and the Scott Family and won the award for Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song. Weisband will be back on Belmont’s campus on February 24 to perform in the Homecoming Concert hosted by fellow Grammy Award winner and alumnus Gordon Kennedy.
Kate Lee Gurnow, also a 2014 graduate, took home a Grammy for her debut album with the O’Connor Band, titled, “Coming Home.” The album, on which Gurnow played fiddle, won Best Bluegrass Album. Gurnow studied Commercial Violin Performance during her time at Belmont and has performed behind a number of country stars, including Martina McBride, Lady Antebellum, Rascal Flatts and Vince Gill.
In addition, the Nashville Symphony’s recording of “Daugherty: Tales of Hemingway” won three Grammy Awards: Best Classical Instrumental Solo, Best Classical Compendium and Best Contemporary Classical Composition. Several School of Music faculty contributed to this recording, including Piano Instructor Robert Marler and Adjunct Instructors Alison Gooding, Daniel Lochrie, Radu Ruso and Xiao-Fan Zhang.
