IMPORTANT NOTE: These are the archived stories for Belmont News & Achievements prior to June 26, 2023. To see current stories, click here.

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Dolby Researchers Train Audio A.I. on Belmont Student’s Recordings

Emma dela Pena
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Dolby Researchers Train Audio A.I. on Belmont Student’s Recordings

In a paper recently accepted for the 2021 International Conference on Acoustics, Speech and Signal Processing (ICASSP, which is the IEEE’s premier conference on signal processing), researchers from Dolby Laboratories and the Music Technology Group at University Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona, Spain demonstrated a machine learning (ML) model for automated multitrack audio mixing that could also emulate audio effects such as compression and equalization.

Their first results highlight their model’s performance on the “SignalTrain LA2A Dataset,” a large (21 GB) corpus of audio recordings developed and recorded in Belmont’s Janet Ayers Academic Center acoustics lab by Physics/AET double-major Benjamin Colburn in 2019. Colburn, now a graduate student at the University of Florida, recorded the audio dataset of compressor effects in conjunction with Dr. Scott Hawley’s development of the “SignalTrain” machine learning model for learning to emulate audio effects. 

Referring to Hawley’s SignalTrain model as “the current state of the art,” Dolby researchers Christian Steinmetz, Jordi Pons, Santiago Pascual and Juan Serra go on to describe their improvements which bring the exciting goal of real-time ML-based audio within reach.

For the Dolby group’s new paper and demonstrations, see here (their first example includes a recording of one of Hawley’s songs mixed by AET instructor Justin Dowse). For a survey and interactive graphical demo of Colburn and Hawley’s SignalTrain work, see here.

Curb College Invests $2 Million+ in Futuristic, High-Tech Upgrades for Virtual Access

April Hefner
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Curb College Invests $2 Million+ in Futuristic, High-Tech Upgrades for Virtual Access

Known for innovation and taking students “From Here to Anywhere,” Belmont University’s Mike Curb College of Entertainment & Music Business recently invested more than $2 million in technology upgrades to give its students an unmatched advantage in acquiring skills needed for entertainment business, music industry, film and media success. The university’s strategy to augment its facilities for media, motion pictures and entertainment studies will ensure students can stay on track and accelerate toward their degree goals, whether attending on campus, remotely or in a hybrid model.

Curb College Dean Doug Howard said, “In the same way that we were the first university to have a full Dolby Atmos® mixing stage, we are again leading the field in building a virtual copy of our Johnson Center technology, allowing students and faculty virtual access to our most sophisticated systems from anywhere in the world. I am incredibly grateful to Belmont’s leadership for their commitment to invest in systems that keep our students at the forefront of the industry.” 

Among the significant enhancements in the recent upgrades are the following:

  • New S6 Mixing Console:  A new Avid S6™ control surface, one of the most sought after consoles in sound for film and television, was installed in the Johnson Center Theater. The S6 allows two mixers to work simultaneously, and the install upgraded the outputs to offer a full 128 channel Atmos mix. (See time lapse video of the install here.)
  • Remote Access:  Belmont installed 87 computers that are purposely built to be high-end video and audio editing remote workstations. Students can access these systems on their own personal computers from anywhere with an internet connection, providing them access to industry standard editing software Avid Media Composer®, Pro Tools® and Belmont’s Avid NEXIS Server (all connected via LeoStream). Students, therefore, won’t need to own an expensive high-end computer or their own software licenses to work on projects if they aren’t on campus.  
  • Server Upgrade: The central media server was upgraded to an Avid NEXIS® system with 1.6 Petabytes of storage space, increasing storage by more than six times. Students in production-oriented classes use the server to store their projects so this upgrade gives them the ability to work directly from the server at speeds as fast or faster than internal and external hard drives as well as to have seemingly infinite access to storage space.  
  • The Next Phase:  The upgrades will continue throughout the spring and summer with the addition of Avid MediaCentral, which allows even more seamless integration with servers from anywhere, and JetStream, which provides a fast and secure way for students to transfer large files to and from the server from any location.    

Located next to Music City’s renowned Music Row creative community, the Curb College of Entertainment & Music Business is a powerful magnet for aspiring creative professionals and is consistently ranked among the top U.S. institutions for media and entertainment studies. For more than 20 years, the College has applied Avid technologies to help prepare thousands of students for professional careers in television, film, media and music. 

Avid CEO and President Jeff Rosica added, “Belmont University and Avid share a commitment not only to bring forward new generations of media professionals, but also to ensure their full command of technology that will advance the impact and reach of their ideas and stories. Today the school is moving fast on its exciting vision to create an even more extraordinary professional-grade environment for its students, and the Avid team is thrilled that our products and programs will provide the flexibility to evolve and grow.”

In signing a five-year software subscription agreement for several hundred seats of Avid’s editing and creation tools, Media Composer and Pro Tools, and the open MediaCentral® platform, Curb College students will be able to work on their stories and productions from any location on their laptop. With this upgrade, students will also be able to edit and manage projects collaboratively in real time with access to more than a petabyte of Avid NEXIS media storage. As part of this commitment, the college also upgraded the current Avid S5™ Fusion console in its state-of-the-art Johnson Center Dolby Atmos theater to a new dual-operator Avid S6 audio control surface. The Johnson Center, which opened in 2015, includes the world’s first Dolby Atmos mix stage at a higher education institution, giving Belmont students a unique opportunity to learn how to deliver immersive Dolby Atmos theater experiences.

“Belmont University’s strategic priorities are ready to adapt to change and embrace new technology so we can innovate—and this approach has prepared us for today’s very challenging environment,” said Curb College Technology Specialist Ron Romano. “Our new agreement with Avid plugs right into this philosophy and gives our programs a technical foundation to evolve and thrive over the long run. In the end, we’ll be able to do an even better job of helping our students stay focused on strengthening their creativity and storytelling expertise and then get into the workforce with confidence.”

About Avid Media Campus
With exclusive education discounts and flexible solutions specifically tailored to the needs of educational institutions like Belmont University, the Avid Media Campus program prepares students for the distinct career advantage of industry-recognized Avid certification. It facilitates a deeper engagement with Avid across its comprehensive creative tools and workflow solutions—spanning film/video/TV, sports, graphics, journalism, music/audio production, live sound and theater.

About Avid
Avid (Nasdaq: AVID) delivers the most open and efficient media platform, connecting content creation with collaboration, asset protection, distribution, and consumption. Avid’s preeminent customer community uses Avid’s comprehensive tools and workflow solutions to create, distribute and monetize the most watched, loved and listened to media in the world—from prestigious and award-winning feature films to popular television shows, news programs and televised sporting events, and celebrated music recordings and live concerts. With the most flexible deployment and pricing options, Avid’s industry-leading solutions include Media Composer®, Pro Tools®, Avid NEXIS®, Avid S6™, MediaCentral®, iNEWS®, AirSpeed®, Sibelius®, Avid VENUE™, FastServe®, and Maestro™. For more information about Avid solutions and services, visit www.avid.com, connect with Avid on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, or subscribe to Avid Blogs.

*Dolby Atmos is a registered trademark of Dolby Laboratories.

Dr. Greg Jones, Rev. Susan Jones Imagine Belmont’s Future in Chapel Event

Leah Kuhn
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Dr. Greg Jones, Rev. Susan Jones Imagine Belmont’s Future in Chapel Event

“And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high and how deep His love is.” 

Dr. L. Gregory Jones opened last Friday’s Chapel event reciting Ephesians 3:18 in reference to his hopes for Belmont’s future as a Christian University. On Feb. 1, Dr. Jones was announced as the successor to Belmont President Dr. Bob Fisher. Jones, who was born in Nashville, is an avid reader and a lover of comedy. Despite his many years of experience and expertise, Dr. Jones and his wife, Rev. Susan Pendleton Jones, have asked that members of the Belmont community refer to them as Greg and Susan. “I have plenty of crazy ideas mixed in with a few good ones,” he noted. “The title of ‘President’ doesn’t make my bad ideas any better.”

Having lived many years in Durham, North Carolina, where he currently serves as dean of Duke Divinity School, Dr. Jones and his wife admitted, “No other city or university in the country could have gotten us to leave Durham.” After spending some extended time on campus and in the city of Nashville, they felt that God was calling them to Belmont. They believe that their career is also their ministry. Their hope is to make Belmont a place where students and faculty can also view their careers as their ministry and adopt it as their vocation.

In addition to loving the music of Belmont students and alumni, the Joneses expressed their excitement for the entrepreneurial spirit and innovation that distinguishes Belmont. Dr. Jones has written extensively about a term he coined, “traditioned innovation.” He explained, “It became increasingly frustrating to me that so many people believed the only way to innovate was to throw away tradition and make up something entirely new.”

In these times, the innovation of tradition is the key to success. “These are difficult times for higher education. In addition to COVID-19, students are faced with struggles of mental health, financial burdens and political as well as social unrest.” 

One of Belmont’s strategic priorities as part of its Vision 2025 plan is a commitment to “creating a more diverse, inclusive environment.” Dr. Jones shared his belief that the best way to achieve those goals is to practice “humility and a willingness to learn.” 

“A consistent trouble we have in our culture is that we continually fail to recognize how much we have in common with one another,” Jones said. He believes that Christians are called to pray with the expectation of being surprised, focusing on the possibilities to be found with God rather than perceived limitations.

Dr. Jones also asked, “How will our faith animate who we are?” He expressed the importance of training, conversation and education, but recognized they are all meaningless without action. With increasing skepticism on the validity of Christian institutions and organizations, it is extremely important that now, more than ever before, “We don’t just talk the talk, but also walk the walk.”

Adopted from Marguerite “Maggy” Barankitse, a Catholic leader in Burundi, Dr. Jones shared his daily morning prayer is this: “Let your miracles break forth every day and let me not be an obstacle of that work.” He prays the same for Belmont, that as a community the University can actively play a role in living out God’s plan for the city, the nation and the world.   

Smith Whitehouse Publishes ‘Kickstart Creativity’

Haley Charlton
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Smith Whitehouse Publishes ‘Kickstart Creativity’

Honors Program Director and Professor of English Dr. Bonnie Smith Whitehouse recently published her latest writing tool, “Kickstart Creativity.” The writing tool, which launched at a virtual celebration sponsored by Nashville’s Parnassus Books on February 10, is a set of 50 interactive cards — each with a creative exercise — designed to prompt unexpected ways of thinking.  

The writing tool is made to challenge the way problem-solving is thought about and executed. “Choose an action card to learn a new skill, a perspective card to see the world in a novel way and an intention card to influence more meaningful and mindful choices,” said Smith Whitehouse, as she described how the cards are used. 

Nashville poet Ciona Rouse, who hosted the release event through Parnassus Books, called the interactive cards “fierce” and led Smith Whitehouse through the process of their creation. 

Dr. Bonnie Smith Whitehouse

“This deck is for anybody who wants to play around with things they haven’t thought about before,” said Smith Whitehouse. “They’re meant to open up your eyes to an important value or a new lesson. I wanted this to be accessible to teams, individuals, educators – it’s not just part of our jobs, it’s part of who we are as humans to be creators.” 

Smith Whitehouse decided on a set of interactive cards rather than a book because she “wanted to create a tool, not a narrative,” as she explains in a recent interview with Chapter 16’s Tina Chambers. The goal of “Kickstart Creativity” is to ease the pressure attached to creativity, by allowing time and space for interactive ways of challenging oneself.  

“The impulse to invent can lead to a more fulfilling life, but I think we also need to consider how those impulses can serve others—how they can bring about justice, encourage generosity, cultivate mercy, and so on…Exploring creative potential should include meditating on how our work can have a deeper significance, a higher aspiration,” she said. 

Smith Whitehouse, who has taught for 23 years, published “Afoot and Lighthearted” in 2019, an interactive journal that teaches readers how to harness the power of walking to cultivate and nourish attention, inspiration and determination, as well as combat distraction, anxiety and the dreaded creative block. 

Published by New York City-based Clarkson Potter, an imprint of Penguin Random House, “Kickstart Creativity” is organized to assist with and inspire a new take on the creative process. The card set offers its users the opportunity to engage with different cultural philosophies and insight from past trailblazers, all while challenging how creativity can be cultivated today. 

More information can be found here:  www.bonniesmithwhitehouse.com

Belmont Alumnus Performs at Super Bowl LV Halftime Show

Emma dela Pena
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Belmont Alumnus Performs at Super Bowl LV Halftime Show

Belmont alumnus Zach Walker received the opportunity to perform at the 2021 Super Bowl Halftime Show alongside award-winning artist, The Weeknd. Walker attended Belmont as a religion major and has since been signed to Xcel Talent Agency in Atlanta. 

He shared that although the choreographer selected him for the job after applying through his agency, “the circumstances that had to be in place for this to happen were all God.” Walker expressed his shock to get the call only days before the big performance but could not pass up the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. 

The Super Bowl LV Halftime Show was not Walker’s first chance at a big stage. Some of his big opportunities have been performing at multiple CMT, Dove and K-Love Award shows and on TV Shows such as American Soul (BET), Tell Me a Story (CBS) and Step Up: High Water. One of his favorite gigs was Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk, which was a Super Bowl halftime show reenactment that he expressed is ironic to him now. 

“Nothing I’ve done has compared to the energy and anticipation of the crowd, the feeling of accomplishment and the level of support I’ve received from performing at SBLV. I count it an even greater blessing to be recognizable in the madness,” shared Walker. 

Walker is currently in the midst of taking acting classes and preparing for what is ahead as he prepares to move to Atlanta.

McEntire Published in Perspectives in Religious Studies

Emma dela Pena
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McEntire Published in Perspectives in Religious Studies

Belmont Professor Dr. Mark McEntire was recently published in the National Association of Baptist Professors of Religion’s “Perspectives in Religious Studies” publication with his article “Competing Visions of the Wilderness in Numbers 10-21.” 

He provided an abstract of the piece sharing that “Numbers 10–21 is a combination of three wilderness traditions that can be adequately separated by procedures common to the Neo-Documentary Hypothesis. The test of applying a source-critical evaluation is threefold here.” 

Dr. McEntire has been teaching for more than three decades and has taught in Illinois, Kentucky, North Carolina, Zambia and Ethiopia. As an educator in the College of Theology and Ministry, he has been able to intersect his interests in the arts and biblical studies.

Belmont Professor Publishes Book on Epidemics, Pandemics

Emma dela Pena
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Belmont Professor Publishes Book on Epidemics, Pandemics

Professor Dr. Joseph Byrne, an emeritus professor of history, recently published a book entitled “Epidemics and Pandemics [2 volumes]: From Ancient Plagues to Modern-Day Threats.” The book is his seventh since coming to Belmont with the other books focusing on medical or plague history. 

Dr. Byrne’s co-author Jo N. Hays wrote the second volume consisting of 50 descriptions and analyses of historical epidemics or pandemics around the world. His contribution is 14 chapters that begin with scientific and medical foundations for understanding epidemic disease, including factors influencing emerging diseases. Later chapters explore thematically the world-historical intersections of human activity and epidemic disease. 

“The scope of this challenging project took me far afield from my home of medieval and early modern Europe, but the effort and collaboration were both fruitful and very enjoyable,” Dr. Byrne’s shared.

The newly published book can be found on Amazon. 

Belmont Songwriting Consultant Pat Alger Tops Hard Rock Songwriters Chart

Emma dela Pena
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Belmont Songwriting Consultant Pat Alger Tops Hard Rock Songwriters Chart

Belmont Songwriting Consultant of Curb College Pat Alger and Country music star Garth Brooks topped the Billboard: Hard Rock Songwriters chart on February 6. The accomplishment came as metal band, State of Mine, and No Resolve released a cover of Brooks and Alger’s “The Thunder Rolls.”

The Billboard article shares that “Alger also has a longstanding career in country music and on Billboard’s charts. Among the hits that he’s co-written are fellow Brooks Hot Country Songs No. 1s “Unanswered Prayers” (1991), “What She’s Doing Now” (1992) and “That Summer” (1993).”

OT Professor Dr. Natalie Michaels Receives National Award for Aquatics Research

Emma dela Pena
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OT Professor Dr. Natalie Michaels Receives National Award for Aquatics Research

Occupational Therapy Department professor Dr. Natalie Michaels was awarded the 2021 Richard Ruoti Research Award for Excellence last week by the Academy of Aquatic Physical Therapy, a section of the American Physical Therapy Association.

One of the association’s most prestigious awards, the Richard Ruoti Research Award for Excellence was established in 2002 and is named after Dr. Ruoti, whose achievements have helped to set the standards of volunteer leadership for the academy. He spent years combining bench research with the application with a focus on aquatic physiology and rehabilitation.

Dr. Michaels has been actively involved in aquatic physical therapy for many years and has published numerous articles in the field ranging from the use of aquatic exercise for weight loss in older adults to the efficacy of activity monitors on land and in the water.

She is also the recipient of the Hydroworx Research Grant and serves as a reviewer for the Journal of Aquatic Physical Therapy. She holds an Aquatic Clinical Competency Certificate through the Aquatic Section of the American Physical Therapy Association and an Aquatic Certification through the Aquatic Therapy and Rehabilitation Institute (ATRI).

Belmont University Awarded Japanese Foreign Minister’s Certificate of Commendation

Haley Charlton
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Belmont University Awarded Japanese Foreign Minister’s Certificate of Commendation

Belmont University was the only American university this year to receive the Japanese Foreign Minister’s Certificate of Commendation. At a ceremony on February 10, the Consul-General of Japan, Ms. Kayoko Fukushima, presented the award to Belmont President Dr. Bob Fisher. The award is conferred upon Belmont in recognition of the school’s contribution to promoting Japan and strengthening mutual understanding between Japan and the United States.

The Foreign Minister’s Commendations are awarded to individuals and groups with outstanding achievements in international fields, in order to acknowledge their contributions to the promotion of friendship between Japan and other countries and areas. The Commendations also aim to promote the understanding and support of the Japanese public for the activities of the recipients. This year, the Commendations were awarded to 172 individuals and 65 groups, with only 54 groups residing outside of Japan.

Director of the Japan English Teaching program of the Office of the Consulate General of Japan, Nashville, Tye Ebel wrote, “I would like to congratulate you on this auspicious occasion. We truly appreciate our friendship with you, the Asian Studies Program and the University as a whole.”

Dr. Fisher "elbow bumps" The Honorable Kayoko Fukushima, Consul-General of Japan in Nashville
Dr. Fisher “elbow bumps” The Honorable Kayoko Fukushima, Consul-General of Japan in Nashville

Dr. Ronnie Littlejohn, director of Asian Studies, wrote in the summary of collaboration, “Since 2010, the partnership between Belmont University and the Office of the Consul-General of Japan has been significant in changing the academic culture of the University, and in reaching into regional education and community culture to create greater understanding of Japan, its people and culture. We have enjoyed ongoing and productive partnerships through three different Consuls General of Japan in the Nashville, Tennessee office.”

Such activities include annual joint projects, exchange teaching programs, educational symposiums and lectures on campus, partnerships with Japanese universities and other Belmont-sponsored events that promote the history and culture of Japan. Learn more about Belmont’s Asian Studies program here.

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