Brandon Hood, a 2007 Belmont commercial music alumnus, songwriter and producer, recently launched an artist development company with producer Dann Huff in a joint venture with Warner Chappell Music. Through this partnership, Hood, Huff and Warner Chappell Music will co-sign writers for artists that work with Hood and Huff.
The publisher has signed Hood to a worldwide publishing deal. He said, “My relationship with Dann has been a navigational beacon for me. He’s someone as close as family, and I could not be more excited to have his mentorship become more official in my career.”
Hood is thrilled to partner with Huff and Warner Chappell Music to pursue development opportunities with amazing artists.
Hood’s songs have been recorded by Rascal Flatts, Sam Hunt, Jessie James Decker and more. Currently, he is producing records for Tim Dugger, Hannah Dasher and Drake Milligan, among others.
Alumnus Todd Williamson, a 1988 music graduate, will hold an art exhibition called “Stillness” in the George Berges Gallery in New York City, opening on April 2, 2020. The exhibit aims to inspire viewers to question current events in society and reflect on who we are underneath the pervading noise.
“As humans, we have an inherent need for stillness and quiet,” he said. “But this seems unattainable today with our internet-rich, over-communicated existence filled with myriad assault on our consciousness.”
“Stillness” features his latest abstract contemporary paintings with symbolism rooted in his works through color and number theory, combined with mysticism, to portray introspection into society’s modern value systems.
This will be Williamson’s first solo show in New York, following his solo exhibition at the 58th Venice Biennale and winning the Polluck Prize for Creativity.
Deonte Warren, 2010 musical theatre alumnus and standby for Genie in “Aladdin,” is featured on the album “Losing My Mind” (A Sondheim Disco Fever Dream) with other Broadway voices. Sondheim is an American composer and lyricist known for his work in musical theater, and the album will be digitally release on March 20, just two days before his 90th birthday.
Sondheim wrote a lot of his music in the ’70s and ’80s when disco was a popular music genre and featured in a lot the Broadway shows. According to Broadway Buzz, album creators Joshua Hinck and Scott Wasserman were inspired by “The Ethel Merman Disco Album” and Gordon Grody’s funky “The Ballad of Sweeney Todd.”
Warren shared, “It’s crazy to know Sondheim himself heard the project and approved. Scott and Josh are geniuses.”
Warren is the only male voice on the song “No One is Alone.” He sings “Our Time” and “It’s Hot Up Here in this City on Fire” with fellow Genie standby Juwan Crawley.
Belmont University hosted Diversity Summit 2020 March 6 – 7, with representation from administrators, faculty, staff and law students attending. Belmont’s College of Law partnered with the Nashville Bar Association (NBA) to host the event on campus, and 130 people attended.
“Diversity Summit 2020: Setting the Vision for Diversity within the Legal Profession” was a collaborative effort of members of the Tennessee legal community designed to bring attorneys together from across the state to set concrete goals and create actionable plans for increasing the number of diverse lawyers hired, retained and promoted across business types. The Summit focused on the importance of moving beyond achieving diversity in numbers toward the higher goal of inclusion and equity within the workplace.
Criminal Court Judge Angelita Blackshear Dalton served as the Honorary Chair of Diversity Summit 2020. Belmont Law was one of the sponsors, along with various law firms and other entities including Baker Donelson, Bass, Berry & Sims PLC, BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, Bradley, Butler Snow, Community Law Group, Cornelius & Collins, DeSalvo Law Firm, PLLC, Eventbrite, Frost Brown Todd, LLC, GSRM Law, the Law Offices of John Day, Lewis Thomason, MGC Law, the Nashville Bar Association, Nashville Electric Service, Sherrard Roe Voigt & Harbison, the Tennessee Bar Association, TBA YLD, and Waller.
Belmont Law’s Dr. Tracey Carter, associate professor of law and director of academic success, remarked that, “Belmont was considered the ideal location for hosting Diversity Summit 2020 because Belmont fosters an excellent environment of learning, and law students who registered to attend the Summit had access to hiring partners, managers and committee members from across the State of Tennessee, which I hope may lead to mentorships, job opportunities and other life-long connections.”
Belmont Law Students Lesley Smith and Elena Ferguson speak on student panel, moderated by Dr. Tracey Carter
On Friday, March 6, Janice Brown of Brown Law Group kicked off the event with the Opening Plenary Session on “Diversity & Action Plans.” Two current third-year Belmont law students, Elena Ferguson and Lesley Smith, served on a student panel titled “Diverse Student Expectations Entering the Workplace” immediately following the Opening Plenary Session. The student panel was moderated by Dr. Carter and was followed by a corporate panel titled “In-house Expectations of Diversity,” which included Chris Javillonar from Permobil and Terrence Reed from FedEx.
The first day of the Summit ended with a reception and dinner at the Marriott Nashville at Vanderbilt University with Keynote Speaker Ronald Harris, vice president of diversity and inclusion at BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee. Harris asked attendees to think about the question,”What can you do today to honor the story of someone different than yourself?”
Diversity Summit 2020 continued on Saturday, March 7 with Sherri Neal, chief diversity officer at HCA, leading the Morning Plenary Session by discussing “Setting & Shifting Business Culture” and focused her discussion on building sustainable, competitive and strong cultures.
The luncheon Keynote Speaker was Colonel Linda Strite Murnane of the United States Air Force (Retired). Colonel Murnane discussed “Our Duty of Care . . . To One Another,” which asked attendees to consider the question, “What’s the price tag people must pay for inclusion in your firm or workplace?”
The Closing Plenary Session, “Strategic Plan,” was led by Brad Palmertree, director of community impact at the Center for Nonprofit Management, where attendees learned what an effective strategic plan looks like and then actively engaged in creating strategic plans. Throughout the day, participants also had the opportunity to choose from 11 breakout sessions related to diversity, equity and inclusion from numerous excellent speakers, including the session “Diversity as a Business Initiative,” led by Belmont Law Alumna I’Ashea Myles-Dihigo of Bone McAllester Norton.
Chris Javillonar for Permobil and Terrence Reed from FedEx sit on corporate panel at Diversity Summit 2020
Dr. Carter explained that Diversity Summit 2020 was important for Belmont University and the
College of Law because it increased the visibility and reputation of
Belmont. “Being the host site for a statewide conference of legal
professionals provided the opportunity for Belmont administrators,
faculty, staff and law students to learn best practices for diversity, equity,
inclusion and cultural competency within the workplace alongside hiring
partners, managers, organizational diversity and inclusion officers, human
resources officers, those responsible for recruitment and retention in a firm
or organization, and attorneys from across the State of Tennessee and other
states,” she said. “It also provided networking opportunities for all
those in attendance at the Summit.”
Dr. Carter is a member of the Nashville Bar Association’s Diversity Committee and has served as a member of the NBA’s Diversity Summit 2020 Committee since 2018 when planning for the summit began. Dr. Carter was the lead person at Belmont in planning the Summit and was the liaison between the NBA, Belmont University and Belmont Law to assist with making Diversity Summit 2020 a successful event on campus. Belmont’s Director of Community Relations Joyce Searcy also assisted with Diversity Summit 2020 and gave an enthusiastic Belmont Welcome to attendees.
Belmont Law had several events on March 5 and 6 with Noel Francisco, current Solicitor General of the United States. Francisco spoke to current students and members of the Nashville legal community in a Q&A session with Dean Alberto Gonzales. He also spoke to first year law and Board of Advocates students.
As solicitor general, Francisco’s job is to present
arguments before the Supreme Court on behalf of the United States. He currently
argues between seven and eight cases every term.
General Francisco explained that practicing appellate advocacy
“is more like a golf game than tennis.” He said, “You’re not firing off
one-liners at the other guy, you’re playing against the course, and that course
is the bench.”
Francisco talked about his personal and professional background, including clerking for Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. His father emigrated from the Philippines, and he is the first Asian American confirmed by the United States Senate to hold the position of Solicitor General. Francisco explained that he would like to see the diversity of the Supreme Court Bar increase.
Josh Kleppin, Belmont Law Board of Advocates president, said
it was wonderful to hear a presentation from United States Solicitor General
Noel Francisco. “General Francisco shared invaluable insights on his career in
appellate advocacy and his preparation strategy before his Supreme
Court arguments,” he said.
With such a high pressure job, Francisco shared that the
afternoon before he argues before the Supreme Court, he goes to the movies by
himself to stay relaxed. He then goes out to dinner with his wife and family.
The next morning, no one in the office is allowed to talk about the case,
unless he brings it up first.
Kleppin added, “I look forward to using his preparation
techniques in Moot Court next year.”
On February 29, a collaboration of local groups and individuals
came together with the community to celebrate the 100th anniversary
of the founding of the Negro Baseball League in 1920, which was home to a local
team, and the unveiling of a historical plaque of players who were Nashvillians
at the E.S. Rose Park Baseball Pavilion.
Former Metropolitan Councilman Ronnie Greer and Dr. Harriet
Kimbro-Hamilton, daughter of former Negro Leaguer Henry Kimbro, spearheaded the
event that honors Nashville’s contribution to the Negro Leagues.
“It is profound that we give honor to these men for the sacrifices they made,” said Kimbro-Hamilton, author of “Daddy’s Scrapbook: Henry Kimbro of the Negro Baseball League, A Daughter’s Perspective.” “You wouldn’t have a Willie Mays or Hank Aaron without those early pioneers. They didn’t let segregation stop them. This honor is long overdue.”
The event precluded Belmont University’s baseball game
against the University of North Carolina-Asheville.
Belmont President Dr. Bob Fisher joined a lineup of speakers at the event, including a representative from Nashville Mayor John Cooper’s office, Metro Parks Executive Director Monique Odom and Diane Collins, the mother of current Major League baseball player Mookie Betts. Wallace Media Group CEO Scott Wallace emceed the event, and Boys, Inc. served refreshments.
The Belmont Pitchmen a cappella group won first place at semifinals once again and are moving on to finals in New York on April 18.
The Belmont Beltones took 3rd place and will be competing in the wildcard round by video submission for a chance to go to New York, as well.
Pitchmen also received two awards from the semifinal round. Wilson Smith won outstanding arrangement for the set, and Chris Wiper once again won best soloist for “I have nothing.”
Eight Belmont freshman perfected their presentation skills to a nationally competitive level before attending the Novice National Forensics Association Tournament March 6-8 at Berry College in Rome, Georgia. Belmont placed 2nd overall out of 25 universities that competed.
Students competed in a variety of events including debate and public speaking as well as performances of literature. Of the 16 events, Belmont students took first place in 7 of the 16, nearly half of the national champions crowned at the tournament. The team also won the “quality award” which recognizes the school that had the highest percentage of success per entry, essentially making them the most effective competitors at the tournament.
When asked what brought their students such success this year, Ryan Greenawalt, director of individual events, explained that “these novices have worked harder than any first-year squad I have ever seen.”
And their time together has paid off in more ways than just competitive success. Freshman Luke Litz explained, “this weekend was the culmination of what has been an incredible year for our team. Competing with these guys is amazing. We’re all a big family.”
Varsity team members will be vying for their own national titles in April at the National Forensics Association tournament to be held at the University of Wisconsin, Whitewater.
Below is a full list of awards earned by Belmont students at the tournament.
IPDA Debate Tournament
Luke Litz, Semi-Finalist
Carly Crotty, 2nd Place
IPDA Tournament Speaker
Carly Crotty, 2nd Place
Luke Litz, National Champion
Extemporaneous Speaking
Carly Crotty, 2nd Place
Luke Litz, National Champion
Radio Broadcasting
Aaron Kleinschmidt, 5th Place
Emma Johansson, 4th Place
Sarah Carvalho, 3rd Place
Rhetorical Criticism / Communication Analysis
DJ Needs, National Champion
Impromptu Sales
Sarah Carvalho, Semi-Finalist
Aaron Kleinschmidt, 2nd Place
DJ Needs, National Champion
Duo Interpretation
Aaron Kleinschmidt / Emma Johansson, 2nd Place
Impromptu Speaking
Sarah Carvalho, Semi-Finalist
Carly Crotty, 6th Place
Luke Litz, National Champion
Informative Speaking
Alivia Kempf, 3rd Place
Programmed Oral Interpretation
Tyi Eason, 5th Place
Emma Johansson, 4th Place
Slam Poetry
Sarah Carvalho, 4th Place
After Dinner Speaking
Emma Johansson, 2nd Place
Persuasive Speaking
Sarah Carvalho, 5th Place
Alivia Kempf, National Champion
Poetry Interpretation
Aaron Kleinschmidt, 2nd Place
Sarah Carvalho, National Championship
Individual Tournament Sweepstakes
DJ Needs, 6th Place
Aaron Kleinschmidt, 3rd Place
Sarah Carvalho, 2nd Place
Team Awards
Division 1 & Open Team Sweepstakes, 2nd Place
Team Sweepstakes – Quality Award, National Champions
Matthew Davidson, a senior commercial music major, is currently working as the guitarist for Universal Music Group Nashville country artist Travis Denning. The from Shreveport, Lousiana native recently had the opporutnity to perform with Denning on “Today with Hoda and Jenna” on March 9.
Dr. Scott Hawley, professor of physics, Dr. Wesley Allen Bulla, professor of audio engineering technology, and Belmont audio engineering technology alumus Paul Mayo were all recently cited by a journal article put out by the Audio Engineering Society (AES), published by Francis Rumsey.
About half of the full article, entitled “Modeling Audio Effects,” is devoted to the research done by this Belmont team.
