Belmont Instructor of Music Business Dan Keen recently had two articles published in the new issue of Nashville Arts and Entertainment, an annual publication highlighting the arts and entertainment opportunities in the region. Asked to write a feature on music royalties and given the challenge to make it “fun,” Keen responded with “The Freakonomics of Making Money on Music Row.” The magazine hit newsstands this month and also included Keen’s interview with trombonist/songwriter Jimmy Pankow, co-founding member of the rock band Chicago who has moved from L.A. to Music City.
Keen Published in ‘Nashville Arts and Entertainment’
Alumna Secures Belmont Orchestra Donation, Performance Opportunity
Bob Black, the owner of the Capitol Theatre in Lebanon Tennessee, recently donated $1,000 to the Belmont Orchestra, in conjunction with an upcoming show the orchestra will be playing with a Belmont alumna. Jaimee (Paulich) Paul, a 1999 Belmont graduate, and her jazz band are putting on a James Bond show at the Capitol Theatre on Nov. 7 with legendary producer/composer Michael Omartian conducting the Belmont Orchestra on stage. The concert will feature songs from Paul’s Bonded album, a tribute to more than 50 years in the James Bond film series. The project, which was also produced by Omartian, was released in January of 2013 on Green Hill Music and reached No. 6 on the iTunes Jazz Albums chart.
Paul said, “We decided to enlist the Belmont Orchestra to help us out with this concert so the audience could have an exceptional experience. Bob Black, owner of the Capitol Theatre, is graciously donating $1,000 to the Orchestra program at Belmont because he realizes that musicians are very valuable and should be recognized for their talent. He values the education that students receive throughout their lives, and especially if they continue their musical education through college.”
Tickets for the Nov. 7 show are $20, but the Capitol Theatre is offering Belmont students and alumni a discount with proper identification. For more information on Paul’s career, visit www.jaimeepaul.com.
Alumnus Greg Walter Receives Encore Award
The Belmont University School of Music presented the 2014 Encore Award Thursday evening to actor/singer/songwriter Greg Walter during a concert in his honor. The Encore Award was created in 2008 to honor a Belmont University School of Music alumnus for achievement in the field of classical music. Walter graduated from the Belmont School of Music in 1987 as a Presser Scholar. While at Belmont, he studied classical voice under Associate Professor of Voice Marjorie Halbert.
Walter was an original cast member of Chicago’s company of “Forever Plaid” for which he received a Joseph Jefferson award in the best ensemble category. He was also nominated for a Jeff award, which celebrates excellence in Chicago theatre, for best actor in Frank McCourt’s The Irish and How They Got That Way, for which he also music directed. His voice can also be heard in commercial jingles for Michelob and Trac Auto. His songs have been recorded by various cabaret singers in Chicago, and his vocal arrangement of “Down in the River to Pray,” performed by the Chicago Chamber Choir, can be found on the disc recording At the River.
Walter is currently a professor at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts where he teaches voice and serves as musical director.
Previous Encore Award honorees include Clifton Forbis (2008), Daniel Weeks (2009), Drs. Daniel and Sharon Lawhon (2010), Maestra Teresa Cheung (2011), Dr. Alfredo Colman (2012) and Travis Cottrell (2013).
Adam Gives International Presentation on Flipped Classroom
Dr. Jamie Adam, assistant professor of nursing, presented her work on innovative teaching to the Healthcare Educators Networking Conference in Cambridge, United Kingdom, Sept. 2. Her presentation was titled “The flipped classroom approach: Evaluating student and faculty experiences.” The conference provided a unique experience for attendees from various healthcare disciplines to participate in sessions related to educational innovation, clinical practice, interprofessional learning and simulation. Attendees included educators from nursing, OT, PT, allied health, psychology and others representing both inpatient and outpatient settings. Participants remained within their chosen theme for the day to enjoy continuity of discussion and debate among faculty from all over the world. Dr. Martha Buckner, associate dean of nursing, said, “Dr. Adam’s work with the flipped classroom allows her to engage students more actively, encouraging them to clarify and apply knowledge. I am so pleased she is receiving both national and international attention to her work.”
Nashville’s Hispanic Heritage Celebration Begins at Belmont
Belmont University hosted the Hispanic Heritage Month kick-off event for the Nashville Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce on Monday in the Vince Gill Room. Click here to view photos from the event.
Hispanic Heritage Month is a nation-wide celebration that coincides with the anniversary of independence for several Latin American countries. Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Mexico and Chile all achieved independence between Sept. 15 and 18.
To learn more about Hispanic Heritage Month, which stakes place Sept. 15 through Oct. 15, visit hispanicheritagemonth.gov. For more information about Hispanic Heritage Month events in Nashville, visit www.nashvillehispanicchamber.com.
Executive Learning Networks Announce Fall Leadership Breakfast Speaker
Steven Kotler, New York Times best-selling author, innovation leader, Peak Performance Expert and co-founder and director of research for the Flow Genome Project, is set to speak at the Center for Executive Education’s annual Fall Leadership Breakfast Dec. 4 in Belmont’s Curb Event Center. Following a time of networking and breakfast, Kotler’s program will begin at 7:30 a.m. and be followed at 9 a.m. by a book signing. The $45 admission includes breakfast, the program and Kotler’s most recent book, The Rise of Superman: Decoding the Science of Ultimate Human Performance.
An award-winning journalist, Kotler also was co-author of Abundance, which was released by Simon and Schuster in 2012. Abundance received international praise and was named by CNBC as one of the Top 12 Business Books of 2012 and by Fortune as Top 5 Must-Read Business Books of 2012. Kotler is also the author of the Pulitzer Prize-nominated A Small Furry Prayer, the Pen-West finalist West of Jesus and the best-selling novel and winner of the 2000 William L. Crawford IAFA Fantasy Award, The Angle Quickest for Flight.
His articles have appeared internationally in more than 70 publications, and he writes “Far Frontiers,” a blog about innovation and entrepreneurship for Forbes.com, and “The Playing Field,” a blog about the science of sport and culture, for Psychologytoday.com.
Kotler is also the co-founder of Rancho de Chihuahua dog sanctuary, which has been nationally recognized for pioneering new methodologies in both hospice care for elderly animals and long term rehabilitation for special needs animals. Prior to this work, and alongside the LA Lakers and 826 LA, Steven was co-founder of the nonprofit, The Reporter’s Gym, a sports-writing camp for inner city high school students.
The Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce and EO Nashville are Belmont’s community partners for this event. For more information and to register, visit here.
Belmont Women Compete on ‘Family Feud’
Two Belmont alumnae and one current Belmont student were recently contestants on the game show “Family Feud.” Sarah Morgan is a School of Nursing alumna, and Bethany Thomas graduated from Belmont’s physical therapy program. Lindsey Thomas is currently enrolled in the pharmacy program at Belmont. All three women are also related to Professor of Media Studies Dr. Rich Tiner.
The family auditioned in June at the Hotel Preston in Nashville. The Thomas family episode was taped this summer and aired this past Tuesday.
Alexander Appointed to TNCPE Panel of Judges
Associate Dean and Senior Professor of Performance Excellence of the Jack C. Massey Graduate School of Business Dr. Joe Alexander has been appointed to the Tennessee Center for Performance Excellence (TNCPE) Panel of Judges.
Each year, the Panel of Judges plays an integral role in the TNCPE Award Program which recognizes local, regional and statewide organizations that demonstrate excellence in business operations and results. TNCPE recognizes high-performing organizations committed to organizational excellence and continuous improvement.
As a judge, Alexander is responsible for validating the integrity of the TNCPE award process and determining recognition levels for each award applicant. The Panel of Judges comprises experts selected from all industry sectors, including business, manufacturing, education, health care, government and nonprofit. All judges have been Baldrige National Quality Award examiners or have served on the TNCPE Board of Examiners.
Webb Published in Teaching and Learning Inquiry
Assistant Professor of Communication Studies Dr. Nathan Webb has been published in the latest edition of Teaching and Learning Inquiry. His article, “Instructor-Student Rapport in Taiwan ESL Classrooms,” examines how English teachers from the West navigate cultural differences to build effective relationships with “English as a second language” students in Taiwan. To complete his research, Webb conducted interviews and classroom observations in Taipei, Taiwan. Teaching and Learning Inquiry is the academic journal of the International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning.
Smith Publishes Chapter in ‘Ages of the X-men’
Department of Philosophy professor Clancy Smith recently published a chapter titled “Days of Future Past: Segregation, Oppression, and Technology in X-men and America” in the edited volume Ages of the X-men: Essays on the Children of the Atom in Changing Times from McFarland Publishing.
Smith’s chapter investigates the narrative of the X-men comics through the lens of the Civil Rights Movement as a metaphor for the tension between the nonviolent civil disobedience of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the more radical position of Malcolm X. The original X-men comics were first published in 1963, the same year Dr. King wrote his “Letter from a Birmingham Jail.” Smith is currently teaching a course on popular culture and philosophy this semester in conjunction with a convocation film series throughout the fall.
