Deborah Farringer, assistant professor of law, was recently quoted in The Tennessean in a discussion related to whether the Affordable Care Act preempts enactment of the new counselor’s bill signed into law by Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam last week.
Alumnus Brandon Hardy Starts Arts District Financial Firm
Massey College of Business alumnus Brandon Hardy recently launched his own business management firm, Arts District Financial, LLC, which exists to fulfill artist’s business management needs as well as providing financial services for the creative business community. With over a decade of multi-genre experience, Hardy and his team are currently serving artists in New York City, Atlanta and Nashville. Arts District Financial intersects both the creative arts community and the business community in order to assist artists in impacting culture with their creative vision.
“I am beyond excited to launch Arts District Financial as the next step in my journey of serving artists,” shares Hardy. “I picked up the guitar at a young age and found a passion for the creative process that set me on a lifelong path of service to the arts. My strength as a finance professional is my ability to create a bridge with creative individuals in which I provide peace of mind and the freedom to create. My background and personality drives my gift for balancing commerce and art, and I look forward to offering a distinctive business management solution for artists in which I act as their personal CFO and operational strategist.”
Hardy served with Capitol CMG (TobyMac, Amy Grant, Britt Nicole, Colton Dixon) for a span of nine years in both royalty accounting and financial analysis roles before shifting to a unique finance role with Big Machine Label Group (Taylor Swift, Tim McGraw, Justin Moore, Thomas Rhett). His most recent post included his position as Business Manager for Lecrae, Andy Mineo, Trip Lee and DJ Promote with 40 Deep. Hardy received his Business Administration degree from Belmont University and a Master of Business Administration from Auburn University.
Singer/Songwriter Skylar Grey Comes to Belmont’s Johnson Large Theater
On Fri., April 15, Skylar Grey came to Belmont’s campus before her show later that evening at local club 3rd and Lindsley. Students packed the Johnson Large Theater to hear Grey discuss her trials and travails as an artist, songwriter and young adult.
Grey began singing in a folk duo with her mother at the age of six and has been actively involved in the music industry since that time. She dropped out of high school at the age of 17 and moved to Los Angeles to pursue a music career. She began to gain success and recognition co-writing songs, serving as the opening act for artists and releasing original content.
However, Grey felt as though she was starting to lose her passion for music, and in her early 20s, she quit music and moved to the woods of Oregon. “I was so isolated that I was able to reconnect with who I was and reconnect with music,” said Grey. Grey came back from the cabin and from there everything in her life began to change. Her first song after Oregon was the Eminem and Rihanna hit “Love The Way You Lie.”
“One month I was in a cabin in the woods and the next month I was in Detroit writing with Dr. Dre and Eminem,” said Grey. Grey, who now owns a house in the mountains of Utah, is currently working on her own music and actively touring.
Grey has gone on to write for artists such as Brie Larsen, CeeLo Green, Christina Aguilera, Eminem, Foxes, Rihanna, T.I. and Zedd. She has also made special guest appearances on tracks with David Guetta, Deadmau5, Eminem, Fort Minor, Kaskade, Kid Cudi, will.i.am, Yelawolf, and many others.
Grey then answered various questions from the students. In regard to her writing process she noted that she, “Always starts with a little germ of an idea that is usually music based such as a chord change or lyrics.” She also answered questions regarding her tour necessities, musical heroes and favorite cities to perform in.
Nashville Symphony Representatives Discuss Internship and Academic Opportunities
On Wed., March 16, Nashville Symphony employees Katie Conwell and Kelley Bell spoke with Belmont students regarding internships for academic credit. Conwell and Bell discussed the ways students could be involved with various projects put on by the Nashville Symphony.
Conwell began the presentation by stressing the idea that all actions come back to the company’s mission statement: “The Nashville Symphony inspires, entertains and educates through excellence in musical performance.” The Nashville Symphony focuses heavily on providing an internship experience that consists of projects catered to student interests and develops the skills and work ethic necessary for being a part of the workforce post-graduation. Conwell explained, “[as an intern] you’re never coming in and sitting at a desk with nothing to do.” Bell continued by explaining the various programs that interns would be participating in if working in the Education and Community Engagement department.
Internship opportunities can be found in the areas of Education and Community Engagement, Human Resources, Marketing and Communications, Philanthropy Research (Development) and Operations. Internships through the Nashville Symphony require a minimum of 135 hours completed, the availability to work some evenings and select weekends during the season, and a detail-oriented work ethic. Various positions are available year round, with certain departments looking for interns in the fall versus the summer.
Conwell and Bell finished their presentation by informing students of part-time career opportunities with the Nashville Symphony. Career opportunities include ticket service specialists, stagehands and stewards.
In addition, the Nashville Symphony will be hosting a music business course (MBU 2895) specifically for Belmont students. The course available will be offered as a one-credit course outside of an internship in which students would be focusing on building a database to be used to make the contracting and licensing process easier. This class is scheduled to take place during Belmont’s first Summer Session.
Belmont University Songwriters Association Welcomes Guest Lance Carpenter
Nashville songwriter Lance Carpenter joined Belmont students on Mon., March 28 and spoke on his experiences within the music industry, his success with country hit “Love Me Like You Mean It” and advice he would give to students wishing to pursue a career in songwriting.
“If you’re in this for the money, then you’re in it for the wrong reasons,” Carpenter explains. He stressed the importance of building relationships within the industry and approaching songwriting with a relaxed attitude, “If you walk into it like a business meeting, it’s not going to be fun. Why have a dream job, if it’s not going to be fun?”
When asked about the success found in “Love Me Like You Mean It,” Carpenter relayed the fact that when the song was written, they weren’t trying to write a hit song. In fact, he and his cowriters didn’t even think it was going to be successful, but they enjoyed the writing process and thought it was catchy and conversational.
Carpenter’s advice to students was three basic principles: patience, persistence and alligator skin. Elaborating further, he advised writers to work on their craft every day and understand that improvement takes time. Persistence relates to doing whatever it takes to become good at your skill and using any and all resources available. Alligator skin, however, was one of his most important pieces of advice: “You’re going to hear a lot of No’s,” Carpenter said, “but every No is one step closer to a Yes.” He told students, “the secret of success in this business is showing up and giving yourself the chance to succeed.”
Belmont University’s Spring Commencement Ceremonies Set for Saturday, May 7
Belmont University will hold its spring 2016 commencement ceremonies for graduate and undergraduate students tomorrow, Saturday, May 7 in the Curb Event Center. Belmont anticipates the graduation of 1,189 students, with 887 bachelors, 117 master’s and 185 doctoral degrees conferred. This is the largest commencement ceremony ever for the University.
At 9:30 a.m. candidates from the Massey College of Business, Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business, College of Science and Mathematics, University College and graduate students in the College of Visual and Performing Arts will have their degrees conferred. At 2:30 p.m. candidates from the College of Law, College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, Inman College of Health Sciences and Nursing, College of Theology and Christian Ministry, College of Pharmacy and undergraduate students in the College of Visual and Performing Arts will have their degrees conferred.
Tickets, which have been distributed to the graduating students, are required for guests wishing to attend either event. Dr. Bob Fisher, president of the University, will preside over the events and present the commencement address at both ceremonies. Watch the graduation ceremony live by visiting www.belmont.edu during the ceremony and clicking the watch live link.
Baccalaureate will take place at 1 p.m. Friday, May 6 in the Curb Event Center. Covering the topic “A Service of Ordination to Daily Work,” the worship service for graduates and their families will feature students from various disciplines sharing stories of how God is calling them to use lessons learned at Belmont to serve others.
Ayers Foundation Donates $15 Million to Belmont to Support Endowed Scholarships
University honors largest gift in its history by naming cornerstone campus building the Janet Ayers Academic Center
On the heels of launching a five-year, $300 million comprehensive fundraising campaign last month, this morning Belmont University announced that The Ayers Foundation is giving the largest single donation in the institution’s 125-year history: $15 million! The eight-figure endowed scholarship gift stems from the passion for education of Ayers Foundation President Janet Ayers (a nationally recognized business and healthcare leader and former board member of the Tennessee State Board of Education) and Founder Jim Ayers (founder of FirstBank, Tennessee’s largest independently owned and operated bank). Scholarships from the Ayers endowed fund will be awarded to qualified Belmont students based on financial need.
Belmont President Dr. Bob Fisher said, “There are no better friends to education in Tennessee than Janet and Jim Ayers and the Ayers Foundation. They have worked tirelessly to help numerous causes, particularly to improve the lives of young people in Tennessee by giving them access to life-changing learning opportunities. Marshalling their resources in this fashion may just be the apex of their philanthropy to date, creating an endowment in perpetuity that can provide a transformative Belmont education to individuals who otherwise may not have the financial means to attend this University. I am incredibly grateful to have their support for our students.”
In gratitude for the gift and in consultation with Jim Ayers, Belmont is naming its largest campus building in honor of Janet. Formerly known as the Wedgewood Academic Center due to its location on Wedgewood and 15th Avenues, the newly named Janet Ayers Academic Center stands as a beacon for the Belmont campus in its highly visible site, marking the structure as a cornerstone for the University and a beautiful landmark for the city of Nashville.
Janet Ayers, who was surprised by her husband Wednesday morning with the endowed scholarship announcement and the naming in her honor, said, “I’m overwhelmed for lots of reasons. I had no 
idea my husband was going to do this. We had said all along how much we believe in Belmont and what they do… But for him to surprise me and actually put my name on a building is breathtaking almost. It’s not just about the University, it’s personal. It’s a way that he wanted to recognize the hard work we’ve done together with the Foundation… The thing that excites me the most is that I hope for generations to come that every student who comes through here—wherever they come from, from whatever background—that they will leave here a changed person, empowered to know that one person at a time, one community at a time is really how you start to change the lives of others. I want them to get that from me that when they see that name [on the building] that is what they think of, that they are there for everybody to change lives and to change them for the better.”
Jim Ayers added, “I’ve admired what Belmont has done. There’s a lot of great schools in this city and in this state, but Belmont is right at the top… We need to do things to enable people who aren’t as financially fortunate as we are to get a great education. There are people who need an education from Belmont who just can’t afford it and those are the people we want to help.”
As noted earlier, scholarships from the Ayers endowed fund will be awarded to qualified Belmont students based on financial need, marking the gift as a major step forward in one of Belmont’s priority gift areas in its recently announced campaign.
Belmont Vice President for Development and External Relations Dr. Perry Moulds said, “Over the past 15 years, Belmont University has invested efforts to build spectacular new facilities that serve our student body by providing state-of-the-art classroom, laboratory, performance and residential experiences. Now, with our new ‘We Believe’ fundraising campaign, we are expanding our reach to create opportunities that will allow more students to experience all that Belmont has to offer. Endowed scholarships like this one from the Ayers Foundation give Belmont the ability to count on funding in perpetuity and thereby recruit and retain the best and the brightest students regardless of financial circumstances.”
Janet and her husband Jim are the shared recipients of the Association of Fundraising Professionals’ 2007 Philanthropists of the Year Award. The Ayers Foundation has supported numerous projects in its 17-year history including The Ayers Foundation Scholarship Program, which has made higher education accessible for more than 3,000 students from West Tennessee, including those from Jim Ayers’ home county of Decatur. In addition, the Foundation recently celebrated the first decade of the Ayers Institute for Precancer Detection and Diagnosis at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center. The Ayers Institute was established in July 2005 to develop new diagnostic tests to detect cancer in its earliest stages, when treatment is most effective.
In recognition of a lifetime of leadership and community service, Mrs. Ayers was named a 2014 inductee into the Nashville YWCA’s Academy for Women of Achievement, and she quoted Albert Einstein as part of her remarks: “‘Strive not for success but rather to be of value.’” This endowed scholarship gift, and the countless lives it will touch, demonstrate Janet and her husband Jim’s ongoing commitment to that theme.
The Janet Ayers Academic Center houses three colleges—the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences (CLASS), the College of Sciences and Mathematics (CSM) and the College of Theology and Christian Ministry (CTCM). Every undergraduate student takes courses in the building as part of the University’s general education curriculum. In addition, the structure also houses a beautiful 300-seat campus Chapel, which hosts worship services and special events throughout the year. The 186,000 square foot Ayers Academic Center opened in Fall 2014, and the buildings’ top floors offer a perfect bird’s eye view of Nashville’s skyline. Last summer the facility was awarded prestigious LEED Platinum® certification by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), making Belmont the first University in Tennessee and the first LEED for New Construction project in Nashville to achieve that level, the highest in the LEED ratings system.
Tennessee Health Care Hall of Fame Announces 2016 Inductees
Hall of Fame’s second class represents Tennessee’s greatest health and health care pioneers
The Tennessee Health Care Hall of Fame announced the six health care professionals selected as the Hall of Fame’s second class of inductees at a luncheon held on Belmont University’s campus Tuesday. With a mission to honor men and women who have made significant and lasting contributions to the health and health care industries, the Hall of Fame was created by Belmont University and the McWhorter Society and is supported by the Nashville Health Care Council, a Hall of Fame Founding Partner.
Chair of the McWhorter Society and Chairman of Medcare Investment Funds Dr. Harry Jacobson said, “This group of six individuals embodies some of the greatest talent our state has ever seen. With representatives from all corners of Tennessee who have made a significant impact on their communities through their work as leaders, practitioners, executives and scientists, the Hall of Fame is honored to name such a deserving group of health care legends as inductees.”
The nomination process began in January and was open to practitioners, executives, entrepreneurs, mentors, teachers, scientists, researchers, innovators or any person with a connection to the health or health care field. Nominees must have:
- Been born, lived or have worked in Tennessee
- Made a significant impact and lasting contribution to health care at the local, state, national or international level
- Exhibit the highest ethical and professional character
- Serve as an outstanding role model in their community
Among the more than 35 highly qualified candidates nominated, the inductees were reviewed by a Selection Committee made up of health and health care leaders from across the state. Selected inductees represent some of Tennessee’s greatest health and health care pioneers, leaders and innovators.
Inducted individuals include:
- Jack Bovender: Retired Chairman and CEO of Hospital Corporation of America, Member of the National Health Care Hall of Fame, Credited with the rescue of patients in an HCA hospital during Hurricane Katrina
- Dr. Stanley Cohen: Recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in medicine and physiology, Faculty Member at Washington University and Professor of Biochemistry at Vanderbilt, Completed research on epidermal growth factors that contributed to discoveries for individual cancer and immune system dysfunction therapiesDr. Colleen Conway-Welch: Dean Emerita of Vanderbilt University School of Nursing, Past Nashvillian of the Year, Served on President Reagan’s Commission on HIV Epidemic and the National Bipartisan Commissions of the Future of Medicare, Founder of Friends of the National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Nursing Research
- Dr. Henry Foster: Professor Emeritus and Former Dean of Meharry College’s School of Medicine, Clinical Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Vanderbilt University, President Clinton’s Senior Advisor on Teen Pregnancy Reduction and youth Issues, Pioneered a national model for regionalized perinatal health care systems
- Dr. Frank Groner: President Emeritus of Memphis’s Baptist Memorial Hospital, Commissioner of the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Hospitals, Health Consultant to the federal government
- Dr. Paul Stanton: President Emeriti and Professor Emeriti of Surgery of East Tennessee State University, Served as a member of the Governor’s TennCare Roundtable, Assisted in conducting the first review and recommendation of changes to Tennessee’s Medicaid program
In addition to recognizing Tennessee’s most influential health and health care leaders, The Hall of Fame will serve as an on-going educational resource to document the rich history that has contributed to Tennessee’s position as a leader for national health care initiatives.
Belmont’s President Dr. Bob Fisher said, “It is widely recognized that Tennessee is a central hub for health care in the United States, and with Nashville at the helm, our community has seen many individuals and organizations take significant strides to shape and advance the industry. Meanwhile, Belmont University has taken a significant role in undergraduate, graduate and executive health care education. The induction of these members into the Tennessee Health Care Hall of Fame will help us inspire the next generation of health care leaders, while further promoting Tennessee’s booming success as the nation’s premiere health care hub.”
Created in 2015, the Hall of Fame inducted eight inaugural members last year including Dr. Thomas Frist, Jr., Dr. Thomas Frist, Sr., Dr. Ernest Goodpasture, Jack C. Massey, R. Clayton McWhorter, Dr. David Satcher, Dr. Mildred Stahlman and Danny Thomas.
Hachtel Recognized in the Roster of Fellows for American Occupational Therapy Association
Dr. Yvette Hachtel, professor of occupational therapy at Belmont, was recently honored by the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) with the Roster of Fellows Award. The Roster of Fellows recognizes occupational therapists who have made a significant contribution over time to the profession with a measured impact on consumers of occupational therapy services and/or members of the Association through their knowledge, expertise, leadership, advocacy and guidance.
Hachtel was specifically honored for her significant contributions in education and advocacy. She was cited for affecting for infusing professionalism and activism into the education of so many students for more than 30 years.
Hachtel is the fourth faculty member from Belmont’s School of Occupational Therapy to be included in the Roster of Fellows. Dr. Susan Young, Dr. Debra Gibbs and Dr. Lorry Kleinfeld have also been recognized.
Sony/ATV’s Troy Tomlinson Honored With Belmont’s 2016 Robert E. Mulloy Award of Excellence
Veteran music publisher and industry executive, Troy Tomlinson, was presented the 2016 Robert E. Mulloy Award of Excellence from Belmont University’s Mike Curb College of Entertainment & Music Business on Tuesday, April 26. The event was held at Belmont University’s Wedgewood Academic Center and was attended by Tomlinson’s industry peers, songwriters, Belmont faculty, friends and family. Curb College Dean Doug Howard, pictured above (right) with Tomlinson (left), presided over the event.
Dean Howard commented, “Troy has worked with an unmatchable list of legendary songwriters, recording artists and music executives throughout his three decade career on Nashville’s Music Row. His rise to the top is a product of hard work, great musical instincts and his universal reputation for serving the business community with honesty and integrity.”
Longtime music executive, Jerry Bradley, and Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame songwriter, Tom Douglas, both shared stories related to Tomlinson’s career and their experiences with him. Also included were video tributes by a number of Tomlinson’s songwriters including Taylor Swift, Kenny Chesney, Luke Bryan, Brett Eldredge and Cole Swindell. Tomlinson accepted the award by paying tribute to his many mentors from the past 30 years.
Tomlinson remarked, “Bob Mulloy loved songwriters, artists, musicians, engineers, producers and Belmont University. To receive an award named for him brings me great pleasure. I appreciate Dr. Fisher, Dean Howard and the entire Belmont team for their desire to equip and prepare young people for careers in the entertainment industry. Nashville is a better music center because of Belmont’s presence here.”
Tomlinson is the president/CEO of Sony/ATV Music Publishing Nashville. He serves as the chairman of the Tennessee Entertainment Commission and is on the boards of the Country Music Association, Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Foundation, Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, Music City Music Council and the Belmont University Board of Trustees.
Past recipients of the Robert E. Mulloy Award of Excellence include Gary Overton, Donna Hilley, the International Entertainment Buyers Association, Vince Gill, Mike Curb, Clair Audio and Bandit Lites.
