Music Business Professor Dr. Don Cusic was recently quoted in Closer Weekly Magazine’s December 2021 issue article “Hank Williams: Harmony and Heartbreak,” looking at how the iconic country singer channeled his love, pain and difficult life into his music.
Cusic is the author of “Hank Williams: The Singer and the Songs” and spoke to Closer about Williams’s life growing up in rural Alabama and his marriage to Audrey Sheppard.
The issue is now out on stands.
Curb College student and Grammy U representative Nicole Lewis was recently mentioned in the Teen Vogue article “Pass the American Music Fairness Act, Says Grammy U.” The op-ed describes the challenges for those in the music industry and asks the readers to sign a petition for the passage of the American Music Fairness Act.
Grammy U, a national campus organization sponsored by the Recording Academy to educate those wanting to go into the music industry, had chapter representatives such as Lewis and others from across the country participate in the op-ed pushing for the passing of an act that will compensate performers for radio plays.
Read the full article here.
Drug Information Fellows Dr. Austin Mondloch and Dr. Matthew Sherman, working at the Christy Houston Foundation Drug Information Center within Belmont University, have formulated an Amazon Alexa Skill to give users precise information on what standards a website detailing health information must meet to be deemed credible.
Drs. Mondloch and Sherman crafted the skill as a follow up to the “Belmont Talk” they offered during the campus’s Presidential Inauguration Week regarding online misinformation, titled “How to Assess and Interpret Online Health Information.” With the influx of information at the hand of every consumer, it can be difficult to decipher what is reliable from what is not.
The Amazon Alexa skill “Check Online Sources” will perform the task of listing criteria for a credible website relaying health information as designated by Health on the Net (HON). HON is a nonprofit corporation that works with the World Health Organization (WHO) to certify quality of health information on the internet.
“We are trying to point people in the right direction in terms of where they get information, specifically wanting them to critically think when they are utilizing the internet,” said Dr. Mondloch.
The skill was developed in collaboration with the following Belmont University College of Pharmacy student pharmacists: Chresten Hanna 2022 PharmD Candidate, Jacquese Reed 2022 PharmD Candidate, Phuong (Ngoc) Truong 2023 PharmD Candidate, and Alyssa McIntosh 2024 PharmD Candidate.
Future steps for the project include incorporating specific HON qualified websites. Alexa would then be able to give a user specific examples of credible websites to visit for trustworthy health information online.
The Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum is set to explore the music and career of Florida Georgia Line – the duo comprised of Belmont alumni Tyler Hubbard from Georgia and Brian Kelley from Florida – in the exhibit Florida Georgia Line: Mix It Up Strong. The exhibit traces the duo’s friendship and collaboration, from their meeting in their college days at Belmont to their swift emergence as a multiple-award-winning, genre-blending, fan favorite. Florida Georgia Line: Mix It Up Strong opens Friday, January 21, and runs through January 1, 2023.
Hubbard and Kelley met in 2008 as students at a weekly on-campus student worship service at Belmont. Both were influenced by a wide variety of music styles, and they began writing songs and performing music together, hoping to earn a living as songwriters. During this time, they led worship music for a youth group in Lebanon, Tennessee, and showcased their original, secular material at local songwriter rounds – eventually booking weekend shows across the Southeast.
Florida Georgia Line burst onto the country music charts in 2012 with their first single, “Cruise.” The song became a record-breaking No. 1 country hit, and its remix featuring the rapper Nelly hit No. 4 on Billboard’s all-genre Hot 100 chart. “Cruise” earned diamond certification from the Recording Industry Association of America, becoming the first country single to attain sales and streams equivalent to 10 million units. In 2012, the duo signed a record deal with Republic Nashville/Big Machine Records and released the album Here’s To The Good Times. They went on to earn a second diamond-certified single with “Meant to Be,” a 2017 collaboration with pop singer Bebe Rexha.
“Florida Georgia Line expanded the country music audience and created some of the most popular recordings in the genre’s history by embracing hip-hop and rock influences,” said museum CEO Kyle Young. “In less than a decade, Brian Kelley and Tyler Hubbard have had twenty-five singles reach gold, platinum or multi-platinum status, with two of those singles – ‘Cruise’ and ‘Meant to Be’ – reaching the elite plateau of diamond sales certification. Very few artists in any genre accomplish that feat even once. The museum looks forward to exploring the duo’s distinctive music and career in this special exhibit.”
The Country Music Association named the album’s first single, “Cruise,” Single of the Year and honored Florida Georgia Line as Vocal Duo of the Year in 2013, their first of three consecutive wins in that category. The pair released many more No. 1 country radio hits, including “Get Your Shine On,” “Stay,” “H.O.L.Y.” and “Sun Daze.”
The duo’s success extends to songwriting and music business ventures. Hubbard and Kelley wrote many of Florida Georgia Line’s best-known songs and penned hits for other artists, including Jason Aldean’s “Burnin’ It Down” and Cole Swindell’s “Hope You Get Lonely Tonight.” They also launched their own label (Round Here Records) and song publishing firm (Tree Vibez Music), signing Corey Crowder, RaeLynn and Canaan Smith, among others.
Objects in the Florida Georgia Line: Mix It Up Strong exhibit feature instruments, awards, stage and screen costumes and personal artifacts. Some highlights include:
“I still remember being at the Country Q studio with BK [Brian Kelley] recording ‘Cruise,’ and having this feeling like we had created something special,” said Hubbard. “And I’ll never forget when BK said, ‘We’re gonna sell a million copies of this song.’ I thought he was shooting for the stars then! Neither of us had any idea what would happen next. To be chosen for an exhibit is the ultimate honor as an artist, and we can’t thank the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum enough. I can’t wait for opening day, when we can stand back and take in this blessing with everyone that’s supported us along the way.”
“When Tyler and I decided to go all-in and see where FGL would take us, we lived by two mottos,” said Kelley. “The first being, ‘Anywhere that would let us play our songs – didn’t matter if it was a bar, coffee shop, club or if the crowd was 10 people or 50 people – we would go just to be able to perform.’ And, the second, ‘Shake a million hands, to make a million fans.’ Fast-forward to today, and all that has happened over the past 11 years. It’s truly mind-blowing. We are both dreamers and always striving to go big. To have the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum now feature our wild ride is surreal and humbling. I couldn’t be more excited about this exhibit and to be able to relive each step of our journey. Here’s to the good times!”
In support of the exhibition’s opening, the duo will participate in a conversation and performance in the museum’s CMA Theater on Sunday, February 6, 2022, at 2 p.m., discussing their career and sharing personal stories and memories associated with the artifacts included in Florida Georgia Line: Mix It Up Strong. Tickets are available at CountryMusicHallofFame.org.
More information about this exhibit can be found at www.CountryMusicHallofFame.org.
Jace T. Wilder, a senior at Belmont, has been named to GLSEN‘s inaugural Freedom Fellowship Program cohort. GLSEN is the leading national organization working to guarantee LGBTQ+ students safe and affirming education.
After a national search and competitive application process, Wilder was selected to join GLSEN’s Freedom Fellowship, a one-year program for 18-25 year olds across the country to build their leadership skills while advising GLSEN national headquarters on decisions impacting the LGBTQ+ youth in their region. Wilder will serve the Southern region.
“As a GLSEN Freedom Fellow, I see my role as a way of ensuring accessibility for our local and community organizations here in the South to truly gain ground on inclusivity and safety in schools,” said Wilder. “Unlike many regions where GSAs are in schools, but may be struggling with resources or connectivity; we are struggling to even get into these schools both by state laws and outdated ideas. This role will act as a way to hopefully find a way to build a safe and balanced platform for LGBTQ+ students and educators to speak out without fear of being fired, suspended or expelled. Revealing your identity and expression is not a crime and this Freedom Fellowship Program’s existence says loudly, ‘We see you; now it’s time to hear you.’”
Wilder is pursuing a Bachelor’s degree of science in both political science and public health. A Tennessee native, Wilder identifies as transmasculine. He serves as the head delegate for Belmont’s Tennessee Intercollegiate State Legislature and Chair and Co-Founder of the Tennessee Intercollegiate State Legislature’s LGBTQIA+ Caucus. He has been active in the field of LGBTQ+ politics for three years aiding in education and advocacy regarding LGBTQ+ legislation alongside Tennessee Equality Project, the Nashville LGBT Chamber, GLSEN and the ACLU.
GLSEN’s new program offers Fellows the opportunity to study topics affecting LGBTQ+ students and organize community mobilization efforts in order to make school environments a safer and more affirming place for all LGBTQ+ youth. Wilder will serve as a regional contact maintaining connections and providing support for GLSEN’s network of more than 48 chapters across the country; receive monthly community mobilization training; grow their skills through working directly with Chapters and providing recommendations that affect LGBTQ+ students in their regions.
‘Tis the season to be welcoming neighbors! While many families will be sharing holiday meals together this Christmas, there are also many who will be celebrating alone. That’s why on Tuesday, Belmont welcomed local senior citizens to join the campus community for a special holiday brunch in the Harrington Place Dining Hall. Arielle Markowicz, a junior music business student, helped spearhead the whole project and rallied the campus together to pull off the event for the community.
The idea was born during a shift at Nashville’s beloved Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams, when Markowicz began helping an elderly woman with her order. The customer told Markowicz about an ice cream recipe she used to have, and when Markowicz suggested she make it for her family over the holidays, the woman responded, “It’s just me.”
“As I returned back to behind the counter, I began to think about all the people who don’t have any family or friends to spend the holidays with and what I could do to change that,” said Markowicz.
This thought was not fleeting. Markowicz emailed Belmont President Dr. Greg Jones explaining the ice cream story and proposing an idea of a shared meal with the community. To Markowicz’s surprise, Jones quickly responded to her and instantly jumped on the idea. “He connected me with Chief of Staff Dr. Susan West, who I met along with several other heads of departments of Belmont,” said Markowicz. “We met in a conference room each week, planning and figuring out the logistics of how to put on an event like this.”
The Belmont community put all their effort into helping Markowicz’s dream come to fruition and to make Belmont’s surrounding neighbors feel loved, with more than 70 students, faculty and staff showing up to volunteer, serve food and spend time with the guests.
“It’s who we are,” explained Dr. West. “As we sit in the epicenter of Nashville with needs all around us, it is refreshing to have one of our students identify a need and experience the Belmont community come alongside to address it. Arielle’s idea to serve our neighbors was such a prime example of how we equip our students, faculty and staff to be bridge building and community engaging people.”
On the day of the event, dozens of guests were greeted by volunteers eager to welcome them. They were then served a buffet-style meal served in a festively decorated room and had the opportunity to converse with all of the volunteers. Guests were given gift bags made by the University Ministries team, filled with prayer cards and Christmas tree ornaments.
“It definitely could not have been possible without the help of every person who contributed, and I am so thankful for the Belmont Community for taking a chance on me and turning this idea into an incredible reality,” said Markowicz.
“As we planned for this event, we really emphasized the fact that we are inviting people into our home here at Belmont, and therefore wanted to make sure that all volunteers, faculty and staff were as gracious and heartwarming as possible,” she continued. “To be able to give that love and warmth to our neighbors is truly a gift.”
Aside from making the guests feel welcomed, Markowicz also hopes that the volunteers in the event were able to feel the love they gave just as much as the guests hopefully felt the love they received.
One volunteer, Executive Assistant Canesha Conger, was touched by the connections she saw forming. “The Christmas Luncheon was beautiful in that it gave both the neighbors and students the opportunity to share their stories with one another,” she explained. “One of the guests made the comment that the luncheon would be the only semblance of Christmas that she would have. This comment let me and others know how important it is to go out into the community and/or bring those in the community to us here at Belmont.”
As the holiday season goes into full swing, it’s important to remember those who don’t have family to celebrate with. Just as Markowicz and the Belmont community rallied to bring together the local community, consider reaching out to people who are often forgotten about. Oftentimes the best gift a person can give is their company.
Belmont University’s School of Nursing is one of 23 nursing programs from across the country to have been named a 2021 National League for Nursing (NLN) “Center of Excellence in Nursing Education.” Belmont was formally recognized in the “Enhance student learning and professional development” category at the Honors Convocation during the 2021 NLN Education Summit this fall.
The Center of Excellence designation is a public expression of the ongoing, high quality, day-to-day work that Belmont faculty and staff do in preparing the next generation of professional nurses and nurse practitioners, reflective of a sustained pattern of excellence in nursing education set long ago.
Associate Dean of Nursing Dr. Martha Buckner said, “I am so grateful for the heritage of strong past leadership of this program and for our current faculty, staff and students who give their all in pursuit of excellence.”
Buckner said the designation came after a year-long process of faculty reflection, planning, collaboration, data collection and writing. The lengthy application describes the School of Nursing as “a community of learners that fosters high levels of student engagement and professional development.” The key emphases of the application included dynamic curricula at both undergraduate and graduate levels, Belmont’s nationally accredited simulation center, a focus on interprofessional education and rich opportunities for service learning and community service.
The NLN Centers of Excellence in Nursing Education program, established in 2004, publicly recognizes schools of nursing and health care organizations that set high standards, are committed to continuous quality improvement and demonstrate sustained, evidence-based and substantive innovation. These organizations are applauded for their vision to go beyond the norm and achieve excellence in student learning and professional development, pedagogical expertise of faculty or the science of nursing education.
“National League for Nursing Centers of Excellence help raise the bar for all nursing programs by role modeling visionary leadership and environments of inclusive excellence that nurture the next generation of a strong and diverse nursing workforce to advance the health of the nation and the global community,” said NLN President and CEO Beverly Malone, PhD, RN, FANN.
Since its opening in 1972, the School of Nursing at Belmont University has remained focused on its mission of fostering a Christ-centered community that creates a culture of openness and mutual respect, excellence in teaching and the privilege of service. Belmont’s School of Nursing offers a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, an accelerated second degree program, a Masters of Nursing and a Doctor of Nursing Practice. The school prides itself in its student’s exceptional success rates. In 2019, the NCLEX passing rate was 93 percent and the FNP Certification pass rate was 100 percent. The School of Nursing takes pride in being a Center of Excellence and looks forward to future successes to come.
The 2021 NLN Centers of Excellence include honorees in the following categories:
Enhance student learning and professional development
Promote the pedagogical expertise of faculty
Creating workplace environments that promote the academic progression of nurses
Advance the science of nursing education
Dr. Qingjun (Joan) Li, associate professor of Asian studies and Chinese language, led a delegation of six of the University’s promising women student leaders to the Seventh Annual Japan-America Society’s Leadership Forum on December 3 at the Tennessee State Museum.
Featured speakers included the Honorable Kayoko Fukushima, Consul-General of Japan in Nashville; Jennifer Butler, Senior Manager, Student Relations Team, Ashinaga Foundation; and Masami Izumida Tyson, JAST Board Chair, Global Director of FDI and Trade, Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development.
The forum theme “Living Our Best Lives: Leading the Way to a Shared Future” focused on the critical need to invest in the advancement of women in the U.S. and Japan. The participation of Belmont’s delegation of women leaders was sponsored by Mitsui & Co. (USA) and Vice President Mike Fedele. The event was part of the Japan Currents national series and was presented in partnership with the National Association of Japan-America Societies and the Embassy of Japan in Washington D.C.
Dr. Hope Campbell, associate professor in Belmont’s College of Pharmacy, has been selected as a member of the American Association Colleges of Pharmacy’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Anti-racism Advisory Panel.
Campbell and the other members will provide recommendations on how AACP can enhance programs and services to achieve the Association’s DEIA goals.
Campbell is a co-writer of the paper “Teaching Systemic Racism in Pharmacy Curriculum is Essential to Improving Health Equity,” which analyzes several pharmacy program curriculums and their teachings of racial issues within the healthcare system. The paper was recently published in Pharmacy Times, and Campbell’s passion for educating future pharmaceutical employees on the issues in our healthcare system is evident.
Commercial Music Alumna Emily Peacock, class of 2012, was named Senior Creative Director of Tree Vibes Music, also known as TVM. TVM is a music publishing company founded by Florida Georgia Line’s Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley, also Belmont alumni.
Peacock has been with TVM since 2018 and is featured in MusicRow’s NBT Industry Directory among rising Nashville music business professionals who are having a major impact on the industry.
