Giancarlo Guerrero, acclaimed music director for the Nashville Symphony Orchestra, spoke in the Massey Performing Arts Center at Belmont University this morning in a convocation titled “A Life Shaped by Music,” sharing personal stories of his own music education and development.
“It’s a great privilege for me to be speaking with you this morning,” Guerrero began. “I am always looking for excuses to hang out with students.”
Born in Managua, Nicaragua, Guerrero and his family moved when he was 10 to Costa Rica, where his parents signed him up for the youth symphony as a way to keep their young son busy and out of trouble. “My introduction to music was accidental. In my immediate family no one knows how to read music, except now my two daughters do because they are learning piano.”
Guerrero originally dreamt of playing violin, but when he arrived to take the required aptitude test in his second year with the youth symphony, there were 50 students and parents in front of him. Rather than waiting, he decided to stand in another line with only two people: percussion. “The instructor handed me sticks and said ‘Go like this… click click.’ And I went ‘click click.’ ‘Good, you’re in!’ And I never looked back.”
While on a percussion performance scholarship at Baylor, Guerrero was encouraged to pursue conducting and fell in love with scores. “I am a medium for dead people–that is my job, to get into a composer’s head… [Your career] has to move you; otherwise it’s not worth doing. That’s not just true of music; it’s true of anything.”
Now in his second season with the Nashville Symphony, Guerrero continues to flourish as the orchestra’s music director. A fervent advocate of new music and contemporary composers, Guerrero has collaborated with and championed the works of several of America’s most respected composers, including John Adams, John Corigliano, Osvaldo Golijov, Jennifer Higdon, Michael Daugherty and Roberto Sierra. In the fall of 2009, Naxos released a recording of Guerrero and the Nashville Symphony performing works by Michael Daugherty, which earned three GRAMMY® Awards, including one for Best Orchestral Performance. Guerrero’s latest recording with the orchestra features the music of Argentine legend Astor Piazzolla. In June 2004, Guerrero was awarded the Helen M. Thompson Award by the American Symphony Orchestra League, which recognizes outstanding achievement among young conductors nationwide. He holds degrees from Baylor and Northwestern universities.
Click here to see additional photos from the event.
Giancarlo Guerrero Shares Music Passion with Belmont Students
CEMB Honors ‘Hap’ Peebles with Mulloy Award
Continuing a tradition of recognizing music industry greats who are also dedicated to the educational process, Belmont’s Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business will name the International Entertainment Buyers Association (IEBA) and founder Harry “Hap” Peebles the 2011 recipient of the Robert E. Mulloy Award of Excellence at the Best of the Best Showcase at Belmont’s Curb Event Center on March 26 at 7 p.m. Established in memory of program founder Bob Mulloy, the annual Award of Excellence recognizes an individual or organization that has achieved a level of excellence in the music business and entertainment industries with notable service to Belmont University and the Nashville community; previous recipients include Donna Hilley and Vince Gill.
Harry “Hap” Peebles was country before Barbara Mandrell was born. Peebles served the country music industry for more than 60 years. Booking artists from the age of 18, he worked with Miss Mandrell when she was 11 years old! Hap is a founder of IEBA, originally known as the International Country Music Buyers Association, as well as the Country Music Association (CMA). IEBA was founded in 1970 as a non-profit trade organization for talent buyers, concert promoters, agents, managers, artists and other related entertainment professionals. IEBA provides networking, showcasing and educational opportunities to strengthen relationships, foster growth and increase revenue for the live entertainment industry. IEBA is known for showcasing the best and brightest talent in all genres of music and all fields of entertainment—exposing buyers to the freshest acts for the buying season.
IEBA has invested in the success of Belmont students by establishing four endowed scholarships in honor of two of IEBA’s founders and legendary talent buyers, Harry “Hap” Peebles and Don Romeo, in addition to industry giants J.P. Williams and George Moffett. Collectively, these endowments represent a $300,000 investment in Belmont University.
To give to the Hap Peebles scholarship fund, make a secure gift online at www.belmont.edu/give. Be sure to clarify the gift designation to the Harry Peebles Entertainment Endowed Scholarship. If you have questions or would like more information about the Hap Peebles Endowed Scholarship, please e-mail Harry Chapman at Willie Young .
McCrickard Publishes Article, Receives Award
Matthew McCrickard, Associate Registrar, received the 2011 “Margaret Ruthven Perry Distinguished Journalism Award” from the Southern Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (SACRAO) at its annual meeting in Atlanta. The award recognizes McCrickard for his article “Accentuate the Positive: Identifying Opportunities in Enrollment Services through Appreciative Inquiry,” which appears in the current edition of the organization’s refereed journal. McCrickard also received the Perry award in 2007, making him the first member of SACRAO to receive the honor more than once.
Parry to Present Paper at Graduate Student Symposium
Pam Parry, associate professor of communication studies, will present a paper March 18 at the Graduate Student Research Symposium at the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg. Her research-in-progress paper, titled “Prescription for News: An Analysis of the Eisenhower Administration’s Medical Disclosure Policy,” was selected to represent the School of Mass Communication and Journalism at the annual graduate competition.
Cross Country Teams Earn All-Academic Honors
The Belmont men’s and women’s cross country teams were named to the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Division I All-Academic Teams, as announced late last week. It marks the fourth consecutive year both programs have received the honor.
The men’s team compiled a team grade point average (GPA) of 3.20 to garner the recognition. Kennesaw State (3.21), Lipscomb (3.37), and Mercer (3.43) gave the Atlantic Sun a total of four men’s programs making appearances on the elite list. A record total of 152 Division I men’s teams received USTFCCCA All-Academic Team honors, up from 2009’s total of 135.
The women’s team compiled a team grade point average (GPA) of 3.54 to garner the recognition. The Bruins join only three other Atlantic Sun teams making an appearance on the elite list this year. The others are Lipscomb (3.49), Mercer (3.57), and North Florida (3.18). A record total of 192 Division I women’s programs received USTFCCCA All-Academic Team honors, up from 2009’s total of 176.
For a team to be considered for the USTFCCCA All-Academic Team award, they must have competed and compiled a team score at an NCAA Regional Championship and also have a minimum 3.00 team cumulative GPA.
Fairytale Royalty Visits Belmont Mansion This Spring
Belmont Mansion invites Nashville families to mingle with fairy tale royalty at “Happily Ever After – A Tea Party” this March. Belmont Mansion goes enchanted on Sat., March 26, as famous fairy tale princesses and princes transform the mansion into a royal court. Hosted by Cinderella and her Fairy Godmother, “Happily Ever After – A Tea Party” invites local families to meet their favorite storybook princesses and princes, play games like “Pass the Poison Apple” and “Musical Carpets” on the mansion’s front lawn and decorate their own crowns.
“Happily Ever After – A Tea Party” will be held from 1 to 3 p.m. on Sat., March 26 in the grand salon at Belmont Mansion, located on the historic campus of Belmont University. Admission is $8 per person. Although it is general seating, space is limited, so guests are advised to register in advance by calling Belmont Mansion at 615-460-5459. Click here for more information.
Saunders Named Academic All-American
Belmont men’s basketball junior forward/center Scott Saunders (New Orleans, La.) has been named to the 2010-11 Capital One Academic All-America University Division Men’s Basketball Third Team.
Saunders, who ranks among league leaders in six statistical categories, has been an invaluable part of Belmont’s Atlantic Sun Conference regular season championship team. Named Atlantic Sun Player of the Week Dec. 21, Saunders has 15 double figure scoring games and three double-doubles this season for the Bruins. The 6-10 post man ranks among the NCAA leaders in points per 40 minutes played, and recorded a career-high 24 points vs. Marist Nov. 22. Click here to read more on this story.
Freshman Wins Semester’s Tuition with Half-Court Shot
Freshman Grayson Akerly (Coppell, Texas) sunk the AT&T Yellow Pages “Long Distance Shot” during the Belmont Bruins home basketball game on Feb. 19, 2011, winning a semester’s worth of tuition for his half-court basket.
“At first I sent my parents a text saying that I had won, and when I called them they said they wouldn’t have believed me if I didn’t include a picture of me and Dr. Fisher holding the giant check,” said the Audio Engineering Technology major. “They’re still excited even days after. They’ve been telling everyone, even people I don’t know about it. It’s honestly a real blessing because it’s released a huge part of the financial burden that comes with paying for college.”
The AT&T Yellow Pages “Long Distance Shot” took place at each home basketball game this season. As students entered the Curb Event Center, they signed up to be selected as contestants for in-game promotions, one of which was the Long Distance Shot. Belmont Athletics randomly selected students from the entries received each game. All previous contestants were invited back for one last attempt at the final home men’s basketball game on Saturday, since there had not been a winner during the season.
Thrailkill, Russell, Campbell Elected to Board of Trustees
Larry Thrailkill, Anne Russell and Reverend Vincent Campbell have been elected to Belmont University’s Board of Trustees.
Thrailkill ran a private law firm and served as Chief Operating Officer of the Edward J. DeBartolo Corporation. During his tenure there, he served as President of the San Francisco 49ers NFL team for the 1998 season. Thrailkill, a former chairman of the university’s Board of Trustees, is an active member of Forest Hills Baptist Church.
Russell has practiced law in Nashville since 1984 and has served as an instructor in Wills, Probate and Trusts at the Nashville School of Law since 1995. In addition to Belmont, Russell serves on the Board of Trustees for the National Symphony Orchestra of the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., Nashville Symphony, the Cheekwood Museum of Art and Botanical Gardens, the Hermitage, and the Tennessee Performing Arts Center. Russell is also an active member of Forest Hills Baptist Church.
Rev. Campbell serves as pastor for Kayne Avenue Missionary Baptist Church. He previously served as the Dean of Student Affairs and Interim Dean of Chapel at American Baptist College from 2002-2004 and currently serves as a professor of religious studies. In 2010, Campbell began serving the Nashville community as a commissioner of the Metro Human Relations Commission.
School of Music Faculty Featured on Grammy-Winning Recording
The Nashville Symphony’s recording of Michael Daugherty’s Metropolis Symphony and Deus Ex Machina received three GRAMMY® Awards at the 53rd annual GRAMMY® Awards in Los Angeles Feb. 13. Music Director Giancarlo Guerrero and the orchestra won in the category of Best Orchestral Performance, while composer Daugherty won in the category of Best Classical Contemporary Composition for his piece Deus ex Machina. In addition, the recording’s engineers, Mark Donahue, John Hill and Dirk Sobotka, earned an award in the category of Best Engineered Album, Classical (in a tie with the engineers of Quincy Porter’s Complete Viola Works).
School of Music faculty members Chris Norton and Bob Marler are members of the Symphony, in addition to several School of Music adjuncts.
