The recently opened Frederick Hart Studio Museum was featured in the August 2019 issue of Fine Art Connoisseur, which serves art collectors and enthusiasts with articles about representational paintings, sculptures, drawings, and prints — both historical and contemporary, American and European.
The article notes that the “handsome facility… brings alive Hart’s belief that art ‘must be an enriching, ennobling and vital partner in the public pursuit of civilization.'”
For ten days, students from around the world gathered at Belmont for an intensive research project on the music industry in partnership with Universal Music. Belmont students, along with peers from China, Norway and Australia, used the “Global Perspectives in the Music Business” study abroad course as an intercultural, hands-on experience to work on an industry project.
The experience started last summer at the Australian College of the Arts (Collarts). This year, Dr. David Schreiber, chair of Belmont’s Creative and Entertainment Industries program, organized the course and hosted the experience at Belmont.
“This is really a first-of-its-kind collaboration. Belmont has a pipeline project which works with the industry to do research over the summer, and we tried to take that and bring it into this experience,” said Schreiber. “I’m excited that our students are able to participate in this opportunity, especially since our industry is one that continues to rely on global perspectives and international collaborations.”
Last year’s group worked more loosely with Mushroom Music and LiveNation in Melbourne. This year, there were more parameters and structure as the mutually beneficial partnership with Universal Music aimed to provide the company with international market perspectives.
Mike Harris, COO of Universal Music Nashville, charged the group with researching how YouTube videos – official, unofficial and lyric videos – influence music consumption. Students looked at different ways to optimize and strategize investment in music videos and examined which strategies have been successful around the world.
The student teams developed research and analyzed case studies before presenting their findings to Harris. According to their major takeaways, official music videos generate the most traction, views and engagement. Therefore, they suggested that Universal Music spend less money on behind-the-scenes type footage. Consumers want personal, relatable content, and although personal content garners the least amount of views, it has the highest engagement rate. Influencer collaborations and even cameos are wildly popular; earlier is better when it comes to release timing; and the Chinese market is way ahead of the United States on livestreaming.
Harris said he was blown away at the good work produced by the students.
Schreiber said the biggest difference this year was inviting the Norwegian students to join the class. “It’s neat to have that European perspective we were missing last year,” he said. “The idea was to have a representative from each continent there. When the students arrived, they all gave a lecture on their industry from their country of origin. They worked in interdisciplinary cultural teams for the project, so they’re all learning from each other.”
Before the week began, all three of the international faculty members indicated they wanted their students to build long-lasting relationships and learn from each other.
Jess Carroll, program coordinator of entertainment management at Collarts, said, “They all want to have careers in the music industry so it is important to build those connections and have a stronger understanding of international perspectives and intercultural awareness.”
Norwegian Assistant Professor Ola Haampland said his students anticipated how they would have to adapt to the new situation before they arrived. “I am sure they will be able to see new cultural aspects here,” he said. “China is very different from the U.S., and again the U.S. is very different from Norway. It’s going to be very interesting to observe their takeaways.”
Chinese Professor Hao Zhang agreed. “I really hope they will reach out to the students from other countries to learn about American culture because my students only have an abstract concept about American freedoms, for example. I really want them to talk with the other students about social topics but also deep cultural topics,” she said. “And, it would be fantastic if they could accomplish some good academic research while they are here.”
The week wrapped up successfully and the international colleagues are already planning to potentially extend the experience in China next summer.
Belmont O’More interior design alumni Evan Millard, Betsy Trabue and Lauren Moore–partners in Modern Remains interior design studio–were recently selected to contribute with other designers to House Beautiful magazine’s second annual Whole Home Concept House in Nashville.
Millard said, “We are humbled and thankful for the chance to not only design one room but three. While we’ve individually been designing for some time, we didn’t expect to have this opportunity so shortly after coming together as Modern Remains. To be included amongst some of the top in our industry is truly an honor.”
The nearly 6,000 sq. ft. home will be constructed in the English Arts and Crafts style and created in partnership with Castle Homes. Other designers involved in the project include Amy Berry, Barclay Butera, Joy Huber and Rachel Haag of Castle Homes, Chenault James, Dani Arps, Tavia Forbes and Monet Masters of Forbes+Masters, Kristine Paige Kamenstein of Jackson Paige Interiors, Matthew Quinn and Richard Anuszkiewicz of Design Galleria Kitchen & Bath Studio, and Vern Yip
The interior designers are challenged to provide their design expertise to create a home that is beautiful and with the intention to promote happier, healthier and smarter living. The Whole Home Concept House will debut in Nashville in tandem with the brand’s November 2019 issue, which hits newsstands on October 17, 2019.
“At House Beautiful, we believe your home should work for you – bringing you joy, helping you reconnect with family and recover from external stresses,” said Carisha Swanson, senior editor and market director. “This house will illustrate these concepts through layout, product, and inspiration, providing actionable ideas that readers and visitors can implement in their own homes. I look forward to seeing this exceptional group of designers bring these ideas to life and transform these spaces into more than just beautiful rooms.”
Modern Remains will deliver a top floor media room that acts as a central zone for game and movie nights, plus they are creating a breakfast area off the main kitchen and a landing area on the second floor. Millard noted, “While designing three rooms in such a short period of time will be a challenge, we believe there is strength in numbers. We will collaborate on each design, divide and conquer while leaning on each others strengths. We will pay close attention to how each space functions with each layout being beautiful and functional for a family.”
“The Breakfast Room will be a be a happy and energetic place to start your day,” he continued. “It will feature a bright and cheerful color palette filled with shades of pink, red & orange. We envision the Media Room to feel cozy and calm. It will be consist of a dark monochromatic palette layered with multiple textures and tones. It’ll be the room where you want to kick back and relax. As you enter the second floor, the Stair Landing will not only bridge the public and private spaces of the home, it will also be a space all of its own. Furnished as an intimate seating area, we envision this space filled with a carefully chosen selection of furnishings and art.”
House Beautiful will take their audience inside the home with an exclusive web series launching on HouseBeautiful.com when the issue hits newsstands. Each episode will focus on a single designer and showcase the before, during and after of their design process, including decision-making, design plans and shopping for the home. The web series will also offer viewers a chance to hear first-hand how designers solve problems, including repurposing rooms that are rarely used, and how to create a private home office to maximize work productivity.
House Beautiful’s Whole Home Concept House will be open for tours daily October 18 through November 3 in the historic Belle Meade area of Nashville. The beautiful English Arts & Crafts style home will promote happier, healthier, and smarter living and is being built by Castle Homes in partnership with ten designers from across the United States benefiting the Nashville Symphony. Tickets will be available via CastleHomes.com.
College Planning & Management announced the 2019 winners of its annual Education Design Showcase this month with Belmont’s Tall Hall earning a “Project of Distinction” nod.
Tall Hall, which opened in Fall 2018 and was awarded Gold-level LEED certification for new construction, was designed by local architectural firm ESa.
Education Design Showcase was established in 1999 to share innovative and practical solutions in planning, design and construction. The goal of the program is to share ideas that will help achieve the best possible learning environments and to recognize the firms that have made these ideas a reality.
With the recognition, Tall Hall was featured in the June 2019 edition of College Planning & Management (download above) as well as on the publication’s website and Spaces4Learning.com.
Bone McAllester Norton PLLC announced recently the hiring of two-time Belmont graduate Courtney Lutz in the firm’s Nashville office. A 2012 alumna of Belmont’s music business program and 2015 Belmont Law graduate, Lutz served as the vice president of appellate advocacy for the University’s Board of Advocates and was also the executive articles editor of the Belmont Law Review. During her time on campus, Lutz also worked as a legal intern for both the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and the 16th District Attorney General’s Office.
Lutz focuses her legal practice on commercial litigation, with broad previous experience in the areas of business disputes, personal injury, legal and medical malpractice, premises liability, entertainment law, criminal defense and highly contested divorces. She is licensed to practice law in Tennessee and Kentucky.
Prior to joining Bone McAllester Norton, Lutz practiced at Leitner, Williams, Dooley & Napolitan, PLLC, where she represented both large corporations and small businesses in personal injury and professional liability lawsuits. She also represented attorneys and healthcare professionals in malpractice actions.
“Courtney’s passion for litigation, ability to connect with clients and deep breadth of experience in successfully managing and resolving cases in multiple practice areas makes her an outstanding addition to our firm,” said Charles Robert Bone, president and CEO of Bone McAllester Norton. “We look forward to supporting Courtney as she embarks on the next chapter of her career at Bone McAllester Norton.”
A native of Madisonville, Ky., Lutz is also an avid musician. When not practicing law, she sings gospel music with her family band, The Childress Family, across the Southeastern U.S.
During summer 2019 five Belmont nursing students participated in the Behavioral Health Internship Program (BHIP) engaging in service learning at TriStar Centennial Medical Center-Parthenon Pavilion and TriStar Skyline Madison Hospital. This is the second year for BHIP.
The students completed 252 hours of hands-on training in a variety of specialty units at both TriStar Centennial Parthenon Pavilion and TriStar Skyline Madison Hospital which serve patients across the lifespan with diagnoses such as mood disorders, chemical dependency, dementia and psychosis.
The United States is experiencing a growing shortage of qualified behavioral health professionals which in turn leads to an increased lack of access to care at a time when suicide rates and opioid addiction are on the rise. For the past two years, Belmont has partnered with TriStar Health to offer a Behavioral Health Internship Program for nursing students who have interest in learning more about this career option.
Mrs. Diane Allen, the lead faculty member, and Dr. Leslie Folds, who helped with coordination of BHIP for Belmont School of Nursing, indicated that all involved were deeply appreciative of the nurse preceptors and the interprofessional team that mentored these nursing students.
The Belmont University Wind Ensemble, under the direction of Dr. Barry Kraus, was invited to perform as part of the 2020 College Band Directors National Association Southern Division Conference at Northwestern State University in Louisiana in February.
This marks the first regional conference performance invitation extended to the Wind Ensemble in school history.
The ensemble was one of twelve collegiate bands selected via audio recordings by a panel of conductors through competitive blind audition.
The CBDNA Southern Division includes schools in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia.
School of Music students Sam Carullo and Wade Voris placed first in the open duo category of the Great Plains Marimba Competition, June 27-30 at Oklahoma City University.
The students were selected for the live-round competition after submitting an audio recording to the adjudication panel in the spring. The pair gave a performance of ‘Book of Grooves’ by Alejandro Viñao, ‘Octabones’ by Adi Morag and ‘Sweet Dreams and Time Machines’ by Michael Burritt.
Carullo and Voris are percussion performance majors in the studio of Chris Norton.
Belmont is one of nine recipients of the 2019 Governor’s Environmental Stewardship Awards, announced by Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee and Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation Commissioner David Salyers.
The Governor’s Environmental Stewardship Awards program recognizes exceptional voluntary actions that improve or protect the environment and natural resources with projects or initiatives not required by law or regulation.
Belmont has taken the initiative and made major sustainability commitments to make its campus as sustainable as possible. The University was a 2016 Governor’s Environmental Stewardship Award winner in the building green category for the Janet Ayers Academic Center and a 2017 winner in the sustainable performance category for the Johnson Building. This year, the University is a winner in the Pursuit of Excellence category, which recognizes past award winners who continue to demonstrate a high regard for environmental stewardship.
Vice President of Finance & Operations Steve Lasley said conservation and sustainable practices are incorporated into every new and old building on campus. “Faculty, staff and students at Belmont continuously look for new and innovative ways to include a commitment to conservation and sustainability in all areas of campus life,” he said. “Belmont offers students several ways to explore and express their passions through academic research in the classroom, service opportunities such as local clean-ups and planting trees, as well as several sustainability and environmental clubs.”
Since winning GESA awards in 2016 and 2017, the university has continued to make sustainability a significant focus through education and service learning, sustainable construction projects, energy efficiency retrofits and the installation of a 250 kW photovoltaic solar array on the Curb Event Center.
Belmont recently completed construction of a 243,000-square-foot building on campus, making it the fourth LEED certified building. Most existing buildings now have LED lighting and web-based controls installed throughout, which utilize stand-alone sensors to turn lights on/off automatically. Many of Belmont’s parking garages are underground in order to avoid contributing to the urban heat island effect in the area, while also preserving green space around campus.
Fourteen green roofs across five buildings serve as gardens for native plant and bug species, including two honeybee hives, lawn and green spaces and serve as outdoor laboratories for biology and environment science research. The University is designated as an arboretum, featuring more than 100 species of trees and shrubs, as well as being recognized as a Tree Campus USA by the Arbor Foundation.
Other winners include The Compost Fairy, Cumberland International, Cumberland River Compact, Mitchell Heights Neighborhood Association, Norris Water Commission, Ruby Falls, Tennsco Corporation, Turnip Green Creative Reuse and Urban Green Lab. The winners will be formally recognized for their achievements and positive impact on the state’s natural resources and communities in an awards ceremony in Franklin on August 1. The Robert Sparks Walker Lifetime Achievement award will also be announced at the awards ceremony.
“We applaud those who proactively look internally at their own operations and capabilities to better our environment,” Lee said. “Tennessee is fortunate to have these passionate and innovative organizations committed to improving our state.”
A panel of 16 professionals representing agricultural, conservation, forestry, environmental and academic professionals judged more than 65 nominations and selected this year’s award recipients based on criteria including on-the-ground environmental achievement, innovation, transferability, partnerships and public education.
“The projects and organizations recognized by this year’s Governor’s Environmental Stewardship Awards reflect the best of environmental protection, conservation, community engagement and partnerships,” Salyers said. “These award winners are taking the initiative to go above and beyond what is required.”
In its 33rd year, the awards program covers nine categories: building green; clean air; energy and renewable resources; environmental education and outreach; environmental education and outreach (school category); land use; materials management; natural heritage; and sustainable performance.
For more information, visit the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation website.
Written and directed by Belmont alumna Allison Alonzo, the short film “Through the Door” was officially selected by the International Independent Shorts Awards Festival in Los Angeles, and the team won three awards.
“Through the Door” won Gold for Best Student Short, Alonzo won Gold for Best Student Director (Female), and alumna Taylor Perdue won Silver for Best Sound Design in the professional international category.
“The wonderful Motion Pictures professors at Belmont provided all areas of advice that I used in my process of making the film,” said Alonzo. “I received practical aspects of filmmaking at Belmont that I will be taking with me into the start of my career.”
Alonzo and Perdue both graduated in May 2019 with their Bachelor’s of Fine Arts in Motion Pictures. Alonzo worked on the film for about a year to meet the capstone course film requirement. With about 35 people working on the film, 30 were Belmont students or faculty.
Alonzo’s idea for the film came from a personal experience. A young woman, Bernadette, has a near death experience that pushes her to deal with a tragedy from a year ago that she ignored. After Alonzo lost a best friend to suicide, she used her feelings from that time to write a story about grief and finding peace.
This is Alonzo’s third student film to direct. As a motion pictures major with an emphasis on directing and cinematography, she directed films for her Production I (5 minute film), Production II (10 minute film) and Capstone (12-15 minute film) classes. She also worked in many other roles and departments on more than 20 other student films at Belmont.
The International Independent Shorts Awards Festival was the first festival to which “Through the Door” was submitted, but Alonzo entered it into many more festivals in the upcoming nine months. And while the film cannot be shared online during the film festival entry period, it may be available afterward. Learn more about the film on iMDB.
