Associate Professor of Music Dr. Bruce Dudley recently published his article, “Reharmonization Lessons from the Masters,” in the September issue of Downbeat. The article can be found in its entirety here.Dudley Published in Downbeat
Associate Professor of Music Dr. Bruce Dudley recently published his article, “Reharmonization Lessons from the Masters,” in the September issue of Downbeat. The article can be found in its entirety here.Hundreds of Educators Flock to Campus for Tennessee Arts Academy
More than 300 arts educators from across the country visited Belmont this week to participate in the 2018 Tennessee Arts Academy (TAA), an intensive training experience that provides professional development and support to K-12 teachers from across the state. Now in its 32rd year at Belmont, TAA’s participants choose one of two divisions (either K-6 or 7-12) and then their track — music, theater, visual art, a combination of all three or arts leadership — allowing them to further hone the skills they teach in their classrooms each day.
Although the Academy exists to ensure Tennessee educators, primarily those within the arts, are utilizing advanced curriculum and cutting-edge methodology, the program’s purpose expands beyond professional development. TAA Project Director and Professor of Music Dr. Madeline Bridges said that in addition to the classroom skills participants walk away with, camp staff is dedicated to treating each teacher as a “guest of honor,” understanding the dedication and commitment they pour into their careers.
“The teachers gain subject matter and pedagogical knowledge, while gaining confidence,” she said. “They become inspired to continue their own artistic growth, they rediscover the value of the arts. They become vocal advocates for arts education and fall in love with teaching again.”
Pointing towards the national issue of teacher retention, Bridges said TAA’s results are clear. “Participants tell us that attending TAA is a major factor in helping arts teachers stay in the classroom. Almost half of this year’s educators have taught for five years or less and we are deeply committed to doing everything possible to retain these young, gifted teachers.”
In addition to the benefits that come with expressing creativity, Bridges said she and her team understand the holistic value of arts education throughout schools. And it’s this information that has kept TAA in existence for more than 30 years. “Arts education provides a unique way of knowing and experiencing the world,” she said. “Additionally, it improves graduation rates, builds community, promotes self-discipline and fosters creativity.”
While on campus, educators spend time in track-specific and interdisciplinary courses, all taught by world-renowned faculty members from the US and Canada, where they receive cutting-edge techniques in small classes. Beyond their time in the classroom, participants attend numerous performances and exhibitions during the week. A highlight of each day is an early afternoon ‘Musing’ plenary session presented by a nationally known arts figure. Speakers “muse” about the role of art in their lives, education and beyond. Headliners this year included Broadway star Laura Osnes and award winning scenic and costume designer Tony Walton.
Among the participants this year included ‘pre-service’ teachers — Belmont education students who are looking towards careers as educators, themselves. Aspiring elementary educator and Belmont student Sarah Padgett participated this year and said the experience was incredibly meaningful. “My experience at the Tennessee Arts Academy was enlightening, awe-inspiring and invaluable,” she said. “The Academy provided me a plethora of knowledge and resources, ignited my passion for arts integration and surrounded me with a network of mentor teachers.”
At the end of the week, all educators leave with a complete set of the recommended materials discussed throughout their sessions including curriculum, books, materials and more.
Alumna Opens Rolled 4 Ever Ice Cream Truck
Belmont alumna Bariangela Segovia and her business partner Maliyah Bass tried rolled ice cream for the first time on a Spring Break trip to New York City. After just one bite, Segovia knew she was hooked. Less than two years later, the duo has opened Rolled 4 Ever Ice Cream, the first rolled ice cream truck in Nashville, and travels all across the Middle Tennessee area with their frozen treats.
Though Segovia said she and Bass were immediately interested in bringing rolled ice cream to ever-growing Nashville, they wanted to finish their degrees first. “It was a great idea at the time, but it really didn’t go any further than that,” she said. “Finishing school was the main priority at the time, and we were both interested in getting jobs in our fields. After graduating and landing our first adult jobs, we took a leap of faith.” After a few months of preparation and planning, the truck hit the road in June, rolling ice cream for its first customers.
Made on a frozen slab, rolled ice cream begins as a creamy liquid before freezing and getting scraped into the rolls that gives the delicacy its name. Rolled 4 Ever offers a variety of flavors that can be customized with countless mix-ins and toppings. Segovia’s favorite? Cake by the pound — a vanilla based ice cream with a slice of cheesecake mixed in and then topped with whipped cream, fresh strawberry slices, graham cracker crumbles, strawberry drizzles and strawberry cream wafer. This creation is just one of five signature creations the truck offers customers.
As Nashville natives, Segovia said the choice to bring a new mobile item to Music City was an easy one. “The food truck industry is such a huge part of the Nashville community, “she said. “It’s great to be part of it. We can’t wait to do more things around the city and reach more people through our handcrafted ice cream.”
Though Segovia didn’t see herself as an entrepreneur while she was in school, she’s grateful for the business degree she earned as she’s been able to more easily navigate the challenges that come with starting a business. Ultimately, she’s eager to pursue her Rolled 4 Ever dreams, in addition to her full-time job, as she sees the truck becoming one of Nashville’s hot spots.
Thinking back to her time in New York when she first found rolled ice cream, it was a google search for “must dos” in the city that pushed her towards trying her first bowl. She’d like to see her truck become just that for Nashville tourists. “We want to become that ‘must do’ item,” she said. “We’re excited about reaching as many people as possible through ice cream, while creating a fun and new experience!”
Belmont President Dr. Bob Fisher Named to Nashville Health Care Council Board of Directors
Belmont University President Dr. Bob Fisher was recently named as a member of The Nashville Health Care Council’s 2018-2019 Board of Directors. Chairman and CEO of HCA Healthcare and Belmont alumni R. Milton Johnson will begin a two-year term as chairman of the Board.
“This is an exciting time in health care as the industry evolves to face today’s challenges. I welcome each new board member and look forward to working alongside them as the Council continues to serve as a convener for health care thought leaders,” Johnson said in an announcement released by the Council.
In the same release, Council president Hayley Hovious said, “I look forward to the contributions from this diverse group of world-class health care leaders. Along with our dedicated staff, we look forward to meeting the continued need for collaboration and innovation within health care through our suite of programming and initiatives.”
Nursing Students Participate in Behavioral Health Internship Program
For the past seven weeks, four Belmont University nursing students participated in the Behavioral Health Internship Program (BHIP) 2018, a partnership between Tristar Centennial Medical Center-Parthenon Pavilion, Skyline Madison Hospital and Belmont. A $16,000 grant, awarded to Belmont by The Promise of Nursing for Tennessee Nursing School Grant Program & administered by the Foundation of the National Student Nurses’ Association, enabled the students to receive a stipend. Funding for the grant program was contributed by several hospitals and health care agencies in the Tennessee area, Johnson and Johnson and other national companies with an interest in supporting nursing education.
This project was created to acknowledge and emphasize shortages of behavioral health nurses & increase interest in this specialty area. Students were paired with nurse preceptors for an additional 248 hours clinical hours and completed three 12-hour day shifts each week. They also had the opportunity to rotate to different units at both Parthenon Pavilion and Skyline which serve a wide variety of patients with a variety of medical and psychiatric diagnoses.
Associate Professor of Nursing Dr. Folds said many things contributed to this program’s success including the students’ values and the investment and commitment of the TriStar Health Care Leadership Team, Belmont’s Associate Dean of Nursing Dr. Martha Buckner and the Undergraduate Director of Nursing Dr. Sandy Murabito.
“The nurse preceptors and interprofessional team that mentored these students showed extensive investment which ensured the success of the BHIP 2018,” Fold said. “The students’ experience was extraordinarily positive and rewarding while encouraging openness and their ongoing interest in pursuing behavioral health nursing as a specialty upon graduation. These individuals uniquely made a positive impact on the individual lives of these students.”
Journalism Alumna Co-Founds Coffee-Based Social Enterprise in South Nashville
Former cross country student athlete Courtney Hicks, a 2003 journalism graduate, and her husband Brian are running a different kind of race this week, as they sprint to the finish for the grand opening Saturday of their social enterprise, Humphreys Street Coffee and Soap. The nonprofit has been in existence for several years, but this weekend Humphreys Street will open its first retail location, a coffee shop located in an old church in the Wedgewood-Houston neighborhood.
Hicks said, “Back in 2007, my husband Brian and I co-founded a local nonprofit called Harvest Hands Community Development Corporation, serving children, youth and families in South Nashville by focusing on healthy living, education, spiritual formation and economic development. We also co-founded the social enterprise, Humphreys Street Coffee and Soap, in 2008, out of Harvest Hands CDC. Humphreys Street exists to mentor, employ and empower youth living in South Nashville through roasting specialty coffee and crafting handmade soap products.”
The Humphreys Street enterprise has received significant attention for the work it does employing high school students from low-income South Nashville neighborhoods and reinvesting its profits into scholarships to support those students, all while mentoring the young people along the way. A number of local media outlets have helped spread the good news of the nonprofit’s work, including coverage in the Tennessean, the Nashville Business Journal, the Nashville Scene and, most recently, NewsChannel 5’s “Talk of the Town.”
In the segment, Brian Hicks said, “If you looked at juvenile crime, and if you looked at what’s happening in our community and around the city, kids were getting into trouble between 2-6 p.m. just because they had nothing to do. It’s trying to create opportunities for students and help them become who they can be… We don’t hire students to roast coffee and make soap, we roast coffee and make soap to hire students. We actually believe it can save lives, that a kid working in a job in a positive place with positive mentors can save lives.”
While her husband serves as the executive director of Harvest Hands/Humphreys Street, Hicks started her own company, CEH Creative, in 2017 after 15 years in marketing and development to give herself the opportunity to “…serve multiple nonprofits and small businesses with their marketing and development needs on a contractual basis. I go by the title of Founder and Creative Strategist.”
Beyond her involvement with the nonprofit, her own entrepreneurial efforts and managing several rental properties the couple owns, Hicks is also working on a children’s book, “Brooklyn & Bailey,” based on tales of her daughter Brooklyn and the family dog, Bailey. “I am self-publishing and will be for sale hopefully by the end of the year! My goal is to write several more stories and turn ‘Brooklyn & Bailey’ into a children’s book series.”
With everything she’s doing, Hicks is quick to recall the impact her Belmont experience made on her life and career, noting how she learned two valuable lessons: to push past the pain, a cross country team motto, and happiness is a choice. “I had a hard season at Belmont my junior year, even seriously considered transferring, but I had the revelation that it was my choice to either stick it out and be happy or make a big change. I chose happiness, and I’m so glad I did.”
Moreover, the faculty she encountered along the way transformed how she saw the world and her faith, particularly recently retired religion professor Dr. Ben Curtis. “Dr. Curtis changed my life forever. I grew up going to a Christian school and to church every Wednesday and Sunday. I never experienced or understood grace until I experienced Dr. Curtis’ classes, specifically Spiritual Formation. His presence, his care, his ability to be present with his students was / is life giving, and in my case, life changing. I now know and share the grace of Jesus because of Dr. Curtis and his impact on my life.”
Humphreys Street Coffee Shop is scheduled to have its grand opening tomorrow, July 21, at 424 Humphreys Street. Visit humphreysstreet.com and harvesthandscdc.com to learn more.
Wooten Launches Warehouse West Entertainment
Grammy-winning producer-engineer and 1994 Belmont music business alumnus Luke Wooten, with entrepreneur Bruce A. Gates, has launched indie music publishing and artist development company Warehouse West Entertainment in Nashville. Also joining the Warehouse West team is Creative Director Nicole Dovolis who previously worked with Big Machine Label Group and most recently CAA.
The new development will include in-house rehearsal and recording space, writing offices, A&R support, marketing and more. Wooten owns recording studio Station West in Nashville and has worked with artists including Dierks Bentley, Brad Paisley, The Steel Drivers and more.
“During my 25 years in Nashville,” says Wooten. “I’ve been extremely fortunate to help capture some of the greatest musical talents in this town. Nothing is more exciting than seeing a new artist blossom. With Nicole’s label and booking experience and Bruce’s entrepreneurial background in venues and large events, the Warehouse West team is built to help artists, regardless of genre, succeed and thrive.”
Ryon Receives NIRSA Scholarship
Chance Ryon, a second year graduate assistant in the Department of Fitness and Recreation, was recently awarded a scholarship by the National Intramural and Recreational Sports Association (NIRSA) foundation board to fund his travel and attendance at the group’s annual meeting in Denver. In FitRec, Ryon serves on the Health and Wellbeing Steering Committee and assisted in the design and implementation of the new website as well as preparations for National Walking Day.
Ryon said, “This year was my second year serving as one of three student representatives on the NIRSA Assembly; the Assembly is a leadership group of about 20 recreation sports professionals and students chosen from universities across the United States and Canada. The Assembly focuses on ‘hot topics’ affecting the profession of rec sports for now and in the future. I, along with five other members of the Assembly, was charged to research the emerging topic of ‘Health and Wellbeing,’ and the positive impact it has on college campuses. Throughout the year we worked to put together a ‘resource guide’ that would provide higher education professionals with information on Health and Wellbeing, as well as to highlight health and wellbeing programs and facilities across college campuses.”
After compiling all of their research, the group’s guide was drafted and presented at the conference in Denver to more than 200 NIRSA members representing schools from the United States and Canada. The final version of the guide was recently published to the Association’s website and mentions Belmont’s participation in National Walking Day as an example of Campus Collaborations & Partnerships.
Maxwell Publishes Book ‘Networking Kills’
Curb College adjunct professor and entertainment attorney Mark Maxwell was interviewed recently by the Nashville Business Journal and CBN, among others, about his new book, “Networking Kills: Success Through Serving.”
The book’s description notes, “Networking does not equal success. Serving equals success. Life is not about you; it’s always about others. The heart of networking is rooted in selfishness, taking and using. In contrast, great leaders teach us that true success comes through giving, loving others and serving.” Maxwell also recently gave a TedX Talk on the subject.
As an entertainment attorney, Maxwell represents a diverse roster of celebrities, record labels, music publishers, artists, bands, worship leaders, entrepreneurs, authors, songwriters, artist managers, record producers, filmmakers, churches, technology companies and entertainment executives concerning their intellectual property. As an adjunct in the Curb College, he teaches courses on music business, faith and culture, copyright law and Bob Dylan.
2015 Graduate Garrison Snell’s Start Up Company Acquired in $1 Million Deal
From Bentonville, Arkansas to Nashville, Tennessee… when Garrison Snell came to study at Belmont University in 2011, he believed the University’s “From here to anywhere” slogan to be true; he just didn’t know how quickly his own dreams would become a reality or how far-reaching his future might be.
A 2015 Honors music business graduate from the Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business, Snell dove into his journey as an aspiring entrepreneur within two days of his Belmont commencement. He began working full-time on creating, growing and operating his own digital marketing start-up, Gyrosity. Profitable within the first month, Gyrosity earned respect in the marketplace, so much so that the company was purchased this summer by New York-based Stadiumred Group, a marketing and communications holding company. Stadiumred also acquired a stake in Crosshair Music, a music influencer marketing platform Snell also founded. Snell will continue in his roles with both Gyrosity and Crosshair to help lead the companies’ future growth.
“We’re excited to be able to bring Gyrosity’s services and Nashville’s character to an international group of clients,” Snell said. “We plan to show the world, through our companies, what a Nashville-born and bred business can do. Through that, we plan to keep growing the team and providing folks in Middle Tennessee a great place to work.”
Stadiumred’s clients include BMW Bacardi, Rolls-Royce, Fiji Water and The Recording Academy, among others, and the acquisition of Gyrosity/Crosshair is said to be valued at more than $1 million. Claude Zdanow, Stadiumred’s CEO, said, “I’ve had the pleasure of working with Garrison for years and have relied on his expertise in digital advertising-focused marketing campaigns, not to mention that his experience in marketing for the music industry is second to none. Music is in our blood and, while we have done so much in music because of our history, as well as in the general digital advertising world, we really haven’t scratched the surface of what Garrison and his team are doing.”
For Snell, the journey to such tremendous success began at Belmont where he gained the skills–and met the future colleagues–who would be critical to his success.
“Belmont is the whole reason I was equipped for this adventure. I learned so much and met so many key people over my four years there. For example, my Creative Director (Shelby Wall, class of 2015) was in my Towering Traditions group as well as my Honors LEAD cohort. Belmont will always get full credit for this success; it was the perfect environment for education, practice and networking.”
Snell continued, “I want all current Belmont students to know this: their time at Belmont is what they make of it. The age of ‘get a degree = get a job,’ in most disciplines, is very dead. Instead, you’re paying for four years to work on yourself, your ambitions, your projects, risk free. You should work as hard as possible during those four years to acquire as many resources as possible so that once you graduate, your future is in your hands, not the hands of hiring managers. Belmont does a really good job of giving you access to people, access to professors and access to real decision makers. Now go get creative and use those four years to build the strongest argument as to why you should be hired over the next graduate. I’m excited to see what you all will do.”
Through years of groundbreaking digital marketing campaigns, Snell has built an impressive roster of clients in and around the entertainment industry including CeCe Winans, Kenny Loggins, Bad Company, as well as organizations like Mellow Mushroom, TEDxNashville and others. Both Gyrosity Projects and Crosshair Music clients will continue to be served by them, but they now will have access to the Stadiumred Group’s network to leverage enhanced capabilities such as brand strategy, robust creative, experiential marketing and public relations services.
“I am beyond excited to join the Stadiumred Group family and amplify our capabilities in so many areas,” Snell said. “With our combined resources, we can push what we were doing at Gyrosity to a whole new level, offering innovative services uniquely tailored to each client all within one family of brands.”
Beyond taking his company to a new level, Snell embraces this new opportunity to invest in his own personal, professional and spiritual growth while also seeking ways to serve his community. “I am first very excited to learn to be a better executive. Claude and his team are giving me a great opportunity to learn from their team, their partners and their financial backers. The value of that cannot be overstated, especially for a 24 year old. Secondly, I’m excited to grow Crosshair Music. I also plan to make a few local investments and see how I can best help the community. I’ve recently signed Gyrosity Projects up as an employment partner with Centerstone, an organization dedicated to reintegrating offenders into the workforce. My wife and I are also a part of a church plant called The Movement Church, and we’re excited to keep pouring into that.”
