Belmont University students gained hands-on experience volunteering last week at the CMA, ASCAP and SESAC Awards. Through these unique opportunities, students were able to serve as talent escorts, seat fillers and more.
Belmont Service Corps and CMA EDU, two student organizations within the Mike Curb College of Entertainment & Music Business, allowed students to volunteer with industry partners and gain real-life experience to supplement what they learn inside the classroom. For many, the opportunity to serve on a red carpet provided insight into their career aspirations.
Gina Chappano volunteered as a talent escort for the CMA Awards. She said, “I want to go into artist management, and while being a talent escort, I get to work closely with the talent’s team and manager. I get to see firsthand what some of the responsibilities and duties of a manager are like across all facets of an award show.”
In addition, awards week was a celebration for many Belmont alumni who were honored for their accomplishments in songwriting, publishing and their impact on the music industry:
Belmont & the Curb College are proud to recognize the
hard work of its students and alumni during this special week that celebrates
music and it’s industry professionals.
With more than 40 Belmont faculty and staff serving last year, many returning and new employees are currently applying to serve as mentors through TN Achieves for the 2020-21 school year. TN Achieves is the partnering organization to the TN Promise Scholarship in 90 of the 95 counties in Tennessee. Its mission is to increase higher education opportunities for Tennessee high school students by providing last-dollar scholarships with mentor guidance.
Belmont Director of Service-Learning Tim Stewart emphasized
that Belmont faculty and staff value making a difference, not only in the lives
of Belmont students, but in the lives of those in the community. Students
who participate in TN Promise mentoring programs have a 21 percent higher
graduation rate.
“Whether it’s volunteering at a school, hosting guests at a
shelter, tutoring English language learners, serving on a non-profit board or
being a mentor to a TN Promise high school student, Belmont employees model
servant leadership for our students while they engage and transform our
community and the world,” said Stewart.
Associate Professor of Economics Dr. Marieta Velikova is
planning to serve as a mentor this year. She begins each one of her classes
with a study about what makes us happy, and the answer is simple – strength and
quality of our relationships with family, friends and community.
“As an educator, I believe in the power of education, but I
also recognize the importance of proper support system and social
infrastructure in place for an individual to succeed,” she explained. “I have
had people who inspired me, supported me, encouraged me throughout my life
journey, and I simply want to give back and do the same for another human being.”
Belmont student Tess Clare’s new song “Sleigh” was listed on Seventeen Magazine’s “8 Best New Christmas Songs of 2019.” Clare’s original Christmas song, co-written with fellow Belmont student Madie Renner, stands out among a crowd of widely-recognized major label artists. The Belmont juniors are both pursuing degrees in songwriting with minors in music business.
Clare and Renner penned “Sleigh” as a sassy, catchy, pop Christmas song to emphasize the importance of being true to oneself during the holiday season. Seventeen says about “Sleigh:” “If you’re looking to slay the holidays or just get into the right mood for that Christmas party that you’re about to head over to, play this song and it’ll be all you need.”
“I’m incredibly surprised and honored to be included
alongside Idina Menzel and Ariana Grande, the Jonas Brothers and Alessia Cara,”
said Clare. “It’s super cool that Seventeen Magazine chose an independent
artist in the company of such successful, established singers.”
In addition to Seventeen Magazine, the Spotify Editorial Playlist, “New Music Holiday” has included “Sleigh” since the day of its release. As Her Campus described the song, “The beat drops hard in this empowering Christmas tune. Can you say girl power?? As the holiday season approaches, “Sleigh” is ready to slay!”
“As Far As You Want To,” written by Belmont alumnus Rowland Folensbee and Associate Professor of Audio Engineering Technology Dr. David Tough, was featured on “The Rookie” on ABC.
Another one of Tough’s songs, “Christmas Cheer” written with JD Dohnal, is featured in the new Christmas film “Noelle” released on the new streaming service Disney+ this month.
Belmont Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) students recently performed aquatic exercises to music with residents at Somerby Senior Living Center under the direction of Dr. Natalie Michaels, professor in the Occupational Therapy Department, Dr. Timothy Jones, associate professor at Tennessee State University, and Dr. Lexie Roberts, DPT, physical therapist and one of the founders of the Aquifit program.
The Aquifit Program was developed 12 years ago by a group of students and professors including Michaels, Roberts and Jones to promote activity and participation among older adults. The program has since evolved and is now offered to people of all ages with multiple conditions. In November, it was conducted at Somerby Senior Living Center in Franklin, Tennessee. The center offers independent living, assisted living and memory care to older adults. This Aquifit event was coordinated by Somerby’s Director of Sales and Marketing Shannon Stevens, Assistant Director of Lifestyles Linda Hart and Fitness Coordinator with the Tx:Team Josh White.
OTD students and faculty at Somerby Senior Living Center
OTD student Ashley Rabuck led a song, and fellow students Angela Bozik, Cheney Hess, Christa Schmeider, Payton Knupp and Jess VanRyzin assisted with the exercises.
“This is a wonderful way to serve individuals in the community, and our students were both professional and fun, as always,” Michaels said.
Belmont University offered a series of events that celebrated
the experiences and sacrifice of those who have served our country the week of
November 11. Formerly a one-day event on campus, Veterans Week has been
expanded to a week-long celebration in order to give greater visibility,
support and recognition to our military and veterans, including the almost 300
veterans and military dependents enrolled at Belmont.
Associate Provost for Interdisciplinary Studies and Global
Education Mimi Barnard said Veterans Week is a time to highlight an important
community within the larger Belmont community.
Belmont student veterans escorted the starting line up at the Men’s Basketball Home Opener against Samford on Monday, November 11.
“At Belmont, we are a community of people from different
backgrounds who come together to experience a transformational learning
environment. Our student veterans are a very important part of this community,
not only because of their service and sacrifice, but because they represent the
best of ourselves, our nation and our influence internationally,” she said. “I’m
particularly grateful for all of those who participated in the Yellow Ribbon
and letter writing event and for those who’ve donated pantry items over the
last few days.”
Monday kicked off the week with several events on Veterans Day, including an informational session for student veterans to learn about their education benefits, a luncheon to thank those who have served and a military appreciation night at the Belmont v. Samford Men’s Basketball Season Opener. The Bruin Vets attended the game as a group and escorted starting players for both teams to the court as they were announced with the starting line-up. The National Anthem was performed by an artist from Operation Song, an organization that empowers veterans and active duty military to tell their stories through the process of songwriting.
President of Bruin Vets Brian Bergeheger speaks as Belmont Thanks our veterans through Yellow Ribbon event.
Belmont’s fountain and Bell Tower also lit up with green lights
in honor of the national “Green Light a Veteran” campaign. The green lights are
a simple way to show appreciation and visible support to the nation’s veterans.
On Tuesday, “Wellnesspalooza” took place in the Bruin Vets
center specifically for student veterans to enjoy a variety of wellness
activities, including free chair massages, an introductory stress reduction
session, therapy dogs and free cold-pressed juice samples and juicing tips from
Urban Juicer.
Events of the week were put on by the Office of
Interdisciplinary and Global Studies and spearheaded by Marketing Specialist
Jennifer Kiev and her assistant, junior Sara Montgomery. Other events included a
takeover by Student Veteran George DeShields on Belmont’s Instagram and a professional
mixer with veteran alumni, hosted by the Massey College of Business.
Dr. Burns and President of Bruin Vets Brian Bergeheger tie the first yellow ribbon.
“I don’t have anyone in my family or who is close to me that
has served in the military, so it has been cool having this role and getting to
have relationships with the student veterans,” said Montgomery. “I think
Belmont does a great job of celebrating the student veterans and it makes them
feel special. They don’t always like the attention on them, but sometimes it’s
just a visual thing like having the ribbons up or the fountain green lets them
know that we support them.”
The Yellow Ribbon Ceremony, an all-campus event which took place on Wednesday, is about remembering those who are deployed. Students, faculty and staff gathered around the Belmont Mansion to show their support. Belmont Provost Dr. Thomas Burns and Brian Bergheger, president of Bruin Vets, spoke briefly and led the Belmont community in tying the first yellow ribbon around a prominent campus tree. The congregation followed by tying dozens of yellow ribbons around trees on campus.. The group also wrote letters to military members oversees.
Students write letters to military overseas.
Bergheger spoke during the event and explained that a lot of
military members don’t receive the letters that everybody else does and
encouraged the students to include information about themselves in their
letters, along with words of encouragement. “It feels good to know somebody
back home cares about you. That just makes the message go further and makes it
seem like a real person on the other end of the letter,” he said. “When I was
deployed on my second deployment, I received a couple letters from a college
student just like us, and it was really helpful just to hear her talk about
struggling with exams and things like that because that’s a real American showing
us they really do care on the other end.”
View a photo gallery from the week’s events here and a special gallery for the Yellow Ribbon event here.
Historically credible and carefully curated tours of one of America’s most popular cities are now available for free on your phone, thanks to the vision and innovation of Belmont University Honors Professor of Practice Dr. Mary Ellen Pethel.
Born as part of Pethel’s post-graduate work in Digital Humanities, Nashville Sites has grown far beyond the first two digital walking tours she created for a class project. In fact, Nashville Sites held the official launch this week of its new online walking tour platform. Their website offers more than 20 walking tours that highlight historically and culturally significant sites.
Each mobile-friendly, self-guided, free tour has a distinct theme such as Downtown Public Art & Murals, Family Fun, and Music Row. Nashville Sites also features tours celebrating the newly-designated UNESCO site Fort Negley and the 100th anniversary of Woman’s Suffrage. Through this platform, Nashville Sites seeks to engage users by connecting them to the city’s past and present .
Pethel said, “Nashville Sites is all about digital storytelling, and we use text, audio and maps to deliver some of our city’s most compelling stories. My role in this project allows me to be an academic entrepreneur, and it’s the most exciting thing I’ve ever done.”
Indeed, with funding and support from many community stakeholders, including Belmont, Pethel saw an opportunity to include her students in her research to fully integrate the Nashville Sites project with her ongoing role as an educator. Pethel sought two primary learning outcomes for her Digital Humanities Honors course: “to explore the history and significance of Nashville in the context of cities in the human experience and to develop analytical and technical skills related to the field of Digital Humanities.”
In addition to students in her classes, a number of other Belmont students, alumni and faculty were involved in bringing the project to fruition. Alumna Ali Humbrecht serves as Nashville Sites’ director of marketing and information, and Honors audio engineering technology senior Hayden Tumlin served as lead audio engineer on the project. Students Sydney Whitten, Claire Sandberg and Jayrah Trapp all interned with Nashville Sites, and alumnus Jake Wesley Rogers as well as faculty members Dr. Don Cusic and Michael Janas narrated tours.
But Nashville Sites reflects the good work and collaboration of a number of local organizations and universities with assistance being provided on narration and tours from faculty and students at Fisk , Tennessee State, MTSU, Vanderbilt, Cumberland and the University of Virginia.
Honors Faculty, along with others around town, Launches New Nashville Sites Free, Curated City Tours at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee, November 14, 2019.
Now that the site is launched and available for public consumption, Pethel and her Nashville Sites team see a future full of possibilities.
“I couldn’t be prouder of all of the the work and of our end product,” Pethel said. “Nashville Sites is available and accessible to a wide audience, including students, visitors, residents or online users. Any and all of these groups can experience different chapters of the Nashville story on the ground or virtually. There is so much to learn, and Nashville Sites truly places history in the palm of your hand.”
Humbrecht added, “Nashville Sites has the opportunity to redefine how we present and access information. The organization has the opportunity to rewrite history and to make that history accessible to anyone anywhere. The effects of this are monumental, from the classroom to the field.”
Actors and actresses often use theater magic to portray illusions through a variety of props, precisely-timed lights or smoke bombs. However, this fall, Belmont students had the opportunity to study a different technique of storytelling through an international workshop from the Frantic Assembly. The devised movement techniques of the Frantic Method played a large role in the staging of “And the Word Became Flesh: A Re-Imagining of the Gospel According to John,” opening November 15.
India-Jane Grimsley, a senior theater performance student, is one actress of three portraying Jesus in the show. As a junior last year, Grimsley requested for her senior capstone show to be something heavy in devised movement and was pleased to find out Director Brent Maddox, associate professor of theater and dance, picked “And the Word Became Flesh.”
Maddox had seen a one-man version of the “Gospel of John,”
and it became a passion project for him to bring a group of people together who
were very interested in movement. A devised theater piece starts with an idea,
and for Maddox that was the Gospel of John. He wanted a cast that would be
sensitive to the material and take their time with the piece, but also approach
it in a storytelling manner.
Students rehearse for “And the Word Became Flesh” using the Frantic Method of movement
The students played a major role in putting the show together, especially through the movement aspect. Grimsley said, “Something we talked a lot about was not wanting this to be a ‘fluff’ piece. We didn’t want it to be corny or look like what you might expect it to look like,” she explained. “For example, we didn’t want to use theater magic to turn water into wine; instead, we wanted to use something more abstract and universal to communicate that idea because it’s more interesting. People have seen movies where Jesus turns water into wine, but using the Frantic Method to convey that is special and unique to live theater. It’s more magical in my opinion.”
Breanna Theobald, another senior theater performance major,
echoed that idea. “With the miracles, we didn’t want to do them literally; we
wanted to find out what the core message of that miracle was so that the
audience can understand it better and also relate to it. The Frantic Method is
helping us not to just find the literal message, but to discover the deeper
meaning behind each of the signs and the miracles,” she said.
Two representatives from The Frantic Assembly in England, Richard James-Neale and Paulo Guidi, held three extensive workshops on campus earlier this fall for all of Belmont’s theater performance majors. The cast of “And the Word Became Flesh” observed the first two sessions and participated as a group in the third to really focus on how they could apply the lessons to their show. They also had the opportunity to have lunch with the instructors and talk more about their methodology.
Students rehearse for “And the Word Became Flesh” using the Frantic Method of movement
With Movement Theater, actors find ways to support or tell the story with their bodies; it’s not dance necessarily but a form of storytelling. The Frantic Method is a theater technique that starts with a “task” and adds on “rules” to help the players tell a story with devised movements. For example, this cast in particular had to figure out a way to illustrate the miracle of the feeding of the 5,000 with their bodies.
The simple task in that scenario is to pick up a basket, take it to the audience and come back to the actor portraying Jesus, Erik Hylko, for another basket. The rules might include only taking baskets to audience members on outside rows or having to sit down after putting a basket down. Maddox would give the cast one rule, they would try it and then add on more and more rules until the illustration became clear and more crystalized so the audience could easily understand the bigger picture.
Theobald has always been interested in movement theory but was
never exposed to it until she came to Belmont. “I remember being in movement
classes with Brent [Maddox] my freshman year and realizing it is the kind of
theater I really like to do. Movement has also showed me that people are much
more capable than they realize,” she said. “I’ve never done a lift before in my
life, and now I’m in a couple different lifts in the show. It’s pushing us all
out of our comfort zones in the best possible way, which will help all of us
make bigger, bolder choices while we trust our bodies and trust what we can
bring to the table in the future.”
This method, Grimsley agreed, is a skillset that students
will be able to use in their careers forever. “It’s out of this world that we
were able to get this experience with Frantic Assembly. In the real world when
you have to bring in a movement piece—that can be a daunting task, but we
learned how to devise these pieces. Adding a Frantic workshop to my resume is
certainly not going to hurt either.”
Students rehearse for “And the Word Became Flesh” at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee, October 24, 2019
The show has challenged the students through its use of Biblical language, parables and many perspectives. Some of the cast is playing seven or eight different characters, so the intonations and movements are more important than ever to help distinguish each one.
Trying to humanize these characters and capturing each of their different viewpoints is something Theobold said pushed the cast to use their whole bodies and “stay out of their heads.” “What’s nice about the Frantic Method is that it’s so simple. A lot of the time we overthink things, and what’s wonderful about the Frantic Method is that if you approach movement from a non-complicated way, more things will come out of you. Your natural impulses will arise from these simple tasks you’re doing. It has helped open all of us up to all these possibilities we didn’t realize before,” she said.
Both of the student actresses agreed their hope for the show is to make the audience feel something and come away being surprised from seeing the story in a new light. Through this re-imagining of the story, the cast hopes to bring John’s entire gospel to vivid life in an unforgettable, uplifting story of hope and love for everyone. Experiencing John’s gospel in this unique way has the power to touch lives and transform the world with disciplined intelligence, compassion, courage and enriched faith.
The show runs November 15 – 23 in the Belmont Black Box Theater. View show times and purchase tickets here.
Eight Belmont alumni were recognized on November 6 at the Nashville Entrepreneur Center’s 2019 NEXT Awards, winning four different awards.
The NEXT Awards recognize entrepreneurs, startups and entrepreneurial-minded businesses who make a significant impact on the economy in Middle Tennessee. All stages of companies, from emerging startups to well-established market movers, are celebrated during this event as contributors to making Nashville one of the best cities in the U.S. to start a business.
Alumnus Trevor Hinesley accepts Entertainment, Sports and Media Startup Award for Soundstripe
Alumnus Colin Polidor accepts Healthcare Startup Award for CaredFor
The following are the awards received by Belmont alumni:
English Professor Dr. Douglas Murray was invited by Vanderbilt University to introduce the Tennessee premiere of Jonathan Dove’s “Mansfield Park.” The opera, performed by students and faculty from the Blair School of Music, was held in Ingram Hall on October 19 and 21.
Murray was joined by Joy Haslam Calico, professor of music and European studies at Vanderbilt, to present to a standing-room-only crowd. Murray provided an overview of “Mansfield Park” and explained how the composer’s work constitutes a valid reading or interpretation of the novel.
He explained that Jane Austen has become one of the best-known and loved novelists. Spin-offs include sequels, films, dolls, stage plays, dresses–and now opera.
