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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Commercial Music Grads Celebrate Commencement On Tour

Belmont commercial music alumni Parker Daniel and Daniel Huston were forced to miss their May 4 graduation ceremony because both were putting their talents to work already, touring with country artist William Michael Morgan.

After completing their final exams, Daniel and Huston went back on the road with Morgan playing guitar and keyboards respectively. The band is on tour all year opening for Alan Jackson in major stadiums and arenas across the country.

May 4, Belmont’s commencement day, found the duo on stage backing up Morgan at the Sikeston Rodeo Grounds in Missouri, meaning they were forced to miss their own graduation ceremonies.

Parker’s mom, Georgie Daniel, knew the tour schedule would conflict with the commencement date and contacted the University to ask if it might be possible to pull off the rite of passage long distance for the two students so they could properly celebrate their achievements. Belmont’s Provost Office worked with the family and the tour to give Daniel and Huston a great surprise, one that can be viewed in the phone camera video of the on stage presentation below.

New Album from Judah and the Lion Receives Strong Reviews

New album “Pep Talks” from alumni band Judah and the Lion is receiving rave reviews. While retaining the folk-hop musical style for which the band is known, the new project delves into difficult subject areas as lead singer Judah Akers explores the impact of family turmoil within the songs. Akers and fellow band members Brian Macdonald and Nate Zuercher (banjo, vocals) met and started the band while students at Belmont.

Bre Offenberger, a reviewer for The Post in Athens, Ohio, wrote, “Every track on the album flawlessly does its job to depict the ups and downs of life. It may be the most important album you ever encounter, so don’t ignore it. Listen to it, embrace it and let it be your form of solace.”

Judah and the Lion won Best New Rock/Alternative Rock Artist at last year’s iHeartRadio Music Awards, and currently has songs from the new album charting on U.S. rock and alternative charts. The band’s members are frequent guests on campus, offering advice on the music business to Belmont students.

Wiley Research Team Awarded BRASS Grant

Claire Wiley, research and instruction librarian, along with her research teammates from American University and New York University Abu Dhabi, were named the 2019 winner of the BRASS Research Grant Award, sponsored by Emerald Publishing. The project is titled, “The Framework in business information literacy: A mixed methods study.”

This grant will support a mixed method study that aims to explore the ways that librarians – specifically those who provide support to business students and faculty – use the ACRL Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education in their instruction work. The study will include a systematic review, a survey and focus groups, with the goal of identifying best practices and new ideas for teaching as well as increasing the value of the Framework for business librarians.

Rhone Recognized with Community Service Award

Director for Media Relations, Women’s Sports, Kenisha Rhone was recently recognized with the Bob Kenworthy Communication Service Award from CoSIDA, the College Sports Information Directors of America. Click here to read more about the award.

Maxwell Speaks at CRB Momentum Summit

Curb College Adjunct Professor Mark Maxwell spoke last week at the Christian Radio Broadcasters (CRB) Momentum Summit in Chicago. CRB consists of radio leaders from around the world. The Momentum Summit is an annual two-day educational and vision-casting leadership conference. Maxwell spoke on the topic of his recent book, “Networking Kills: Success Through Serving.”

Sisson’s Poem Published in Literary Magazine

Professor of English Dr. Annette Sisson’s poem, “What Rope Is For,” was published in the fourth issue (May 2019) of Rockvale Review literary magazine.

Volker Composition Featured by Nashville Composers Collective

The Nashville Composers Collective recently performed a program that featured a new composition by Belmont associate professor of composition Dr. Mark Volker. The work, titled “The Haunted Hall of Dreams,” received an enthusiastic response from the audience.

Several Belmont alumni were also featured for their composition works at the event. Shelby Blalock (’17) performed “Invisible,” Aaron Walters (’17) performed “If There Were a Forest on the Moon” and Ben Jones (’11) performed “The Flight of Rumor.”

Gonzales Speaks at American Bar Association Conference

Belmont College of Law Dean Alberto Gonzales was recently featured as a guest speaker at the American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division’s annual spring conference in Washington, D.C.

Gonzales addressed conference attendees and shared his journey from growing up in Texas, entering the military and how he began in the legal profession that led him to a career in public service.

Alumnus Stephen Day’s Music Video Premieres on Parade Magazine

Belmont alumnus Stephen Day was recently featured by Parade Magazine for the release of his newest music video featuring his new song “22 and Some Change.”

Pursuing music at Belmont, Day came to Nashville in 2014 and since then has released an EP and several other songs that have been hits on Spotify. His most recent release includes “22 and Some Change” along with the song “For Life (Take You Out, Treat You Right).”

According to the article, Day wrote the song just before his 23 birthday and just after graduating from Belmont. “The song to me is a look inside a mind that wants to know how to be completely present and in the moment but gets wrapped up in the ‘how,'” Day said.

The music video can be viewed here.

Slay Carr Publishes Book About Careers in Music Business

Professor Cheryl Slay Carr, associate dean and associate professor in the Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business, recently authored “Music Business Careers: Career Duality in the Creative Industries,” published by Routledge/Taylor & Francis.

The book looks at careers in the music business in a new way that offers readers the opportunity to make career decisions by exploring the analytical and creative mix of abilities that many in entertainment experience, whom Carr has termed as “Dualists.” The book’s approach stems from her own experiences in deciding on a career path that either engaged her analytical side or her creative side as a vocalist, and contemplated expressing both.

“It’s a decision that can create a real dilemma that I have seen in students and experienced first-hand,” said Carr. “I wanted to understand that dilemma better and decided to research and write about it for all the Dualists out there.”

Slay Carr book cover

The book contains research, interviews with Dualists, frameworks and chapter exercises that help guide readers through their own decision-making process. Carr suggests that the book can be used as an academic textbook in career or music business courses or also as an individual career exploration.

“I envision an entertainment industry that is impacted by careerists who help to innovate the industry through authentic, purposed engagement,” Carr said. “There is a practical and profitable side to career empowerment that is a win-win for the industry and those working with in it.”

“Music Business Careers” is available on Amazon and Routledge.com.