Belmont Professor of Philosophy Mark Anderson was recently published in The Journal of Nietzsche Studies. Anderson’s article, “Telling the Same Story of Nietzsche’s Life” contends that author Julian Young misappropriated material in his 2010 book Friedrich Nietzsche: A Philosophical Biography.
Anderson goes on to support his argument by juxtaposing Young’s words alongside Curtis Cate’s words in his 2005 book titled Friedrich Nietzsche. Anderson argues Young paraphrased and borrowed text without quotation or proper attribution; he cites several examples and demonstrates by citing all other possible sources that the only explanation for the many similarities between the two books is that Young relied on Cate without properly citing his source. Anderson’s full article can be read here.
Forbes Magazine recently included Belmont University in the rankings for its 2011 Best Colleges List.
These rankings of 650 schools – the top 20 percent of all undergraduate institutions nationwide – are exclusively prepared for Forbes by the Center for College Affordability and Productivity (CCAP), a Washington D.C. think tank.
Belmont was listed at No. 523 overall as well No. 370 in private colleges and No. 150 in the South.
Associated Professor Anthony Belfiglio performed with faculty members from the Beijing Academy of Contemporary Music while in China this summer. Belfiglio, who specializes in piano, also met with the academy’s Jazz Program Director to discuss ideas about curriculum and sat with local jazz musicians at East Shore Jazz Cafe. View photos.
Belmont’s Pipeline project, an entertainment industry solutions think tank, celebrated its final summer event Monday night at an industry gathering at Regions bank where the nine-member team summarized their progress to date. In addition to publicly thanking supporters and mentors from the music industry and Belmont–including Assistant Professor of Entertainment Industry Studies Sarita Stewart, who oversaw the project–the Pipeline team also presented a five-minute video of their findings
An initiative of the Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business (CEMB), the Pipeline project indentified Belmont’s best and brightest students and charged them with developing cutting edge concepts and solutions to influence the entertainment and music industries through their creative capital.
The team was faced with exploring and researching the music industry to identify the biggest need and from there find a solution. Pipeline participant Ross Hill, a sophomore music business and entrepreneurship double major, said, “We were challenged from the very beginning of the summer to think outside the box – we weren’t looking for band-aids, we were looking for fixes.”
Pipeline Team 2011
Thanks to the Country Music Association and CMA CEO Steve Moore, the students began their Pipeline experience attending the Billboard Country Music Summit on June 6-7 where they learned more about the important issues facing music industry professionals. In mid-June, author and music producer Reed Arvin, one of Belmont’s adjunct faculty members, led the group through a Creativity Bootcamp, challenging them to get “outside the box” and to consciously think about their creativity. Continuing to encourage their creative thought processes, the group then met with Mark Montgomery, former CEO of echomusic, with whom they discussed audience engagement.
Further exploring the impact of audience engagement, the Pipeline team hosted an event on Fri., July 22 at Nashville’s Club Roar. With performances by artists Mackenzie Scott, Natalie Royal and Foxes Have Foxholes, the evening introduced a recording format that is more affordable for up-and-coming artists and provided a unique live experience for fans.
The performance, complete with a catered meal, showcased the three artists as they performed live in the studio for an exclusive audience of 50. The event was put on for less than $3,000, including the expenses of studio time, catering, audio-engineers, video and photography. Each artist walked away from the event with a six-song EP, video footage and press pictures for use in their ongoing marketing efforts. The estimated cost for each artist had they pursued these items individually would be a minimum of $5,000, so the savings per artist could be as much as $4,000Performer Mackenzie Scott, said of the event, “The stillness and attentiveness I received from the audience was a complete gift and, honestly, every musician’s dream. I hope they felt as moved by the intimacy of the music as I did.”
Belmont University held its summer 2011 commencement ceremony for 223 graduate and undergraduate students on Aug. 12 in the Curb Event Center. During the graduation ceremony, 73undergraduate, 116 master’s and 34doctoral degrees were conferred.
Pamela Simpson, 52, delivered the student reflection for the summer 2011 graduating class. Motivated by Belmont’s “Finish What You Started” campaign, she returned to the University after a three decade hiatus to become the first in her family to earn a college diploma.
Simpson enrolled at Belmont College in 1976 while juggling a fulltime job to pay tuition, and her grades suffered. Despite her completing all of the necessary coursework in four years, Simpson’s GPA was too low for her to graduate and she was told she would have make better grades to earn her degree. Frustrated, she left Belmont, continued working and began a family. She again enrolled in 2010 to earn her Bachelor of Science degree in Liberal Studies.
Dr. Robert C. Fisher, president of the university, presided over the event and presented the commencement address.
Belmont University’s bachelor’s degree program in Audio Engineering Technology has been accredited by the Technology Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET, Inc.), the recognized accreditor of college and university programs in applied science, computing, engineering and technology. ABET accreditation demonstrates a program’s commitment to providing its students with a quality education.
This is the first program focused specifically on audio engineering to be fully accredited under ABET standards, marking a significant accomplishment for the Mike Curb College of Entertainment & Music Business (CEMB) and Belmont University as well as the audio profession.
“Most importantly,” said CEMB Dean Wesley Bulla, “this is a significant achievement for our students as accreditation ensures that our program is dedicated to the quality standards set by our constituents and demonstrates our continuing commitment to building a preeminent Audio Engineering Technology program that will open doors for our students whether they are going into the profession or on to graduate school.”
Accreditation is a voluntary, peer-review process that requires programs to undergo comprehensive, periodic evaluations. The evaluations—conducted by teams of volunteer professionals working in industry, government, academe and private practice within the ABET disciplines—focus on program curricula, faculty, facilities, institutional support and other important areas.
Dr. Joe Alexander of Belmont University’s Jack C. Massey Graduate School of Business has been appointed by the Board of Directors of the Tennessee Center for Performance Excellence (TNCPE) to the 2011 Board of Examiners. Alexander serves as associate dean and senior professor of performance excellence for The Massey School.
Every year, the TNCPE award program recognizes organizations in the State of Tennessee demonstrating excellence in business operations and results.
As an examiner Alexander is responsible for reviewing and evaluating organizations that apply for a TNCPE Award. The Board of Examiners is composed of experts from all sectors of the regional economy, including business, industry, education and health care organizations, professional and trade associations and government. Examiners meet the highest standards of achievement and peer recognition in their fields. All members of the board must complete extensive training in the Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence.
Established in 1993, TNCPE promotes economic development by helping companies grow more competitive in today’s global marketplace. The program is patterned after the Baldrige Performance Excellence Program, recognized as the national standard. Over the years, more than 1,100 organizations have participated in the award program.
Local musicians, Music Row artists and Belmont students will have another place to jam when BLVD Music Shop opens on at the corner of Belmont Boulevard and Bernard Avenue on Aug. 20.
Seth Whiting, a senior entrepreneurship major from Portland, Maine, has joined Eric Guroff, a junior entrepreneurship and music business double major from Pittsburgh, Penn., to open an instrument consignment store that will host in-store jam sessions to help local artists and students increase their visibility.
Whiting, who plays the drums, guitar, bass and keyboard, said Buzzy’s Candy Store inspired him to become a student entrepreneur. He teamed with Guroff, who had plans to sell strings from his dorm room, and their business plan earned them $10,000 from Belmont’s Center for Entrepreneurship.
“So I started thinking of business concepts what would work and what kind of business Belmont students would go to,” he said. “At least half of the Belmont student population plays instruments and breaks guitar strings and needs drum sticks. I’m hoping that a lot of people right across the street at Bongo Java, neighborhood musicians, famous people will see the store, be interested and walk over.”
Vyain crosses the finish line (Ken Derry for ESPN.com).
Kicking, pushing and coasting for 26.2 miles put former Belmont University student-athlete Jeff Vyain ahead of 150 competitors to set a new world record for skateboarding.
Vyain, who ran cross country for Belmont, finished a skateboarding marathon in one hour, 31 minutes, and 40 seconds on New York’s Governor’s Island, and won with the $15,000 grand prize. He topped the previous world record for a skateboard marathon of 1:40:58 that he set in the inaugural Adrenalina Skateboard Marathon in Hallandale Beach last November.
“I got two and a half hours of sleep last night,” Vyain told ESPN.com.
“I was fired up, yeah, but my roommate was moving out. It was horrible.”
He told ESPN.com he plans to use his prize money to purchase a sensory deprivation chamber.
Vyain graduated from the Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business in 2007. Now 27, he lives in Brooklyn, N.Y.
Renovations now underway for classical concert venue to open May 2012
Carolyn McAfee speaks at the 'Concert Hall Construction Kickoff' Aug. 1, 2011.
In a special “Construction Kickoff” celebration held today, Belmont University welcomed the campus community and special guests to a tour of the renovations currently underway in the Belmont Heights Baptist Church sanctuary. The university-owned building is in the midst of a $7 million construction project that will ultimately provide the campus a new, large concert venue suitable for acoustic performances. The McAfee family, which has supported Belmont University for years, provided the lead gift last fall for the project, and the actual construction began this summer with an expected completion date of May 2012.
Belmont President Dr. Bob Fisher said, “It’s exciting to see this space begin its transformation into an exceptional venue for large scale choral and instrumental concerts. Next summer this beautifully designed Concert Hall will become home to Belmont’s talented faculty and student musicians while also adding another outstanding performance site to Music City.”
Nashville Mayor Karl Dean joined Dr. Fisher for today’s event, along with campus guests who were all treated to the first musical performance in the space by Belmont Professor of Music Dr. Bob Marler. A Belmont faculty member since 1979, Dr. Marler teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in applied piano, piano literature and piano seminar. He has performed as soloist with the Nashville Symphony, Chattanooga Symphony/Opera and the ballet theatres of Nashville, Louisville and Columbus, Ohio.
Lead donor Carolyn McAfee has served on Belmont’s Board of Trustees since 2006, and her late husband Jim, president and CEO of Hallmark Systems, Inc., served on the Board from 2002 until his untimely death in 2004. In addition to their time on the Board, the McAfees also support Belmont through an endowed scholarship in their name for School of Music students with a major in organ or classical music.
“My family and I are pleased to be able to support Belmont University and its School of Music in the development of a new concert hall,” said Carolyn McAfee. “We have attended many events at Belmont and know well the quality of music performance on this campus. These exceptional music performances deserve a venue that matches their level of excellence. We are excited to be a part of providing that outstanding performance space and believe it will enrich the lives of countless students in the future.”
