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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Family Literacy Day Draws 300 Guests to Rose Park

Staff Writer
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Family Literacy Day Draws 300 Guests to Rose Park

On March 30, Belmont’s 19th annual Family Literacy Day brought more than 300 guests and volunteers together for an afternoon of reading in the Rose Park community.

The event included interactive stories, reading related games and crafts and the distribution of 500 new books donated by Book’em to children.

The purpose of Family Literacy Day is to foster and celebrate a love for reading in children ranging from pre-K through the 6th-grade. This year, the primary focus of the event was Reading Circles, hosted by various campus groups including the Black Student Alliance, foreign language majors, the Student Athlete Council and numerous fraternities and sororities.

The event was organized by Tim Stewart, Director of Service-Learning, who said he is very grateful for the partnerships of so many community organizations who come together to host Family Literacy Day.

“It was really great to see children and parents who return year after year because they enjoy the event so much and to see so many new faces this year,” said Stewart. “Seeing children’s eyes light up when they see the book table and get to pick out some books to take home with them always reminds me that the many hours of work required to make it happen are worth it!”

Family Literacy Day is designed to serve as a celebration of the year’s activities, giving the children and student participants of the ongoing programs a chance to have fun and reflect on their accomplishments. It also serves as a way of encouraging additional Belmont students, faculty and staff to get involved in literacy efforts in the Nashville community, and it provides a way for Belmont to give back in a small fashion to the community of which it is a part of and from whom it receives so much.

Belmont’s Family Literacy Day is one of many components of the Belmont Volunteers for Literacy program, including ongoing tutoring programs at Carter-Lawrence School, Easley Community Center and English tutoring with adults through the Nashville Audit Literacy Council.

Sophomore Walker Burroughs Makes ‘American Idol’ Top 14

April Hefner
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Sophomore Walker Burroughs Makes ‘American Idol’ Top 14

Sophomore music education major Walker Burroughs catapulted himself into the “American Idol” Top 14 last night as part of the show’s Celebrity Duets round in which he was paired with one of his own musical heroes, Jason Mraz.

Burroughs noted that a Mraz song was the first he ever performed publicly, and he showed the American Idol guest artist a video of that performance when Burroughs was only 9 years old. “I’m dueting with Jason Mraz, and I’m super pumped about it because I have loved this guy since I was a kid! Now it’s this really awesome full circle that I’m literally singing with the person who wrote the song I first performed live. That’s super cool, and I’m really excited.”

Burroughs wasn’t the only one who was excited, as the audience in the venue and celebrity judges Katy Perry, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie all raved about the duo’s take on Mraz’s hit “Have It All.” Richie even went so far as to call it a “perfect performance.” Mraz himself noted, “[Walker] can croon, he can rap, and he can wale. He has it all.” 

Tune in Sunday, April 14 from 7-9 p.m. Central on ABC to see Burroughs compete among the Top 14.

Last week’s recap:

Fellow Belmont alumni Kason Lester and Emma Kleinberg, were eliminated from the contest in the Showcase round after performing in front of a live audience in Ko Olina, Hawaii. In that round Burroughs impressed the judges with his performance of 5 Seconds of Summer song “Youngblood.” The performance inspired celebrity judge Katy Perry to declare, “…if you dress like Harry Potter and you sing, YOU WILL WIN THIS SHOW.”

Burroughs, a Birmingham, Alabama native, was sent into the Top 20 round in Los Angeles for another solo performance in front of a live audience. There Burroughs offered his take on the Bee Gees’ hit “How Deep Is Your Love,” leading Bryan to exclaim, “Walker, man, you just blew me away, brother… You just look like a seasoned pro to me. Good job!”

Songwriting Chair Contributes Song to No. 1 Country Album

April Hefner
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Songwriting Chair Contributes Song to No. 1 Country Album

Songwriting Department Chair James I. Elliott shares a songwriting credit on the the new album by Steven Curtis Chapman titled “Deeper Roots: Where Bluegrass Grows,” that debuted at No. 1 1 on the iTunes country album chart following its March 22 release. Elliott has been a frequent collaborator with the five-time Grammy Award-winning artist, and their song “My Redeemer Is Faithful and True” is included on the new project. Also featured on the new album are vocal collaborations with Country Music Hall of Fame inductee Ricky Skaggs and Gary LeVox of Rascal Flatts.

Retired HCA Executive Leads Conversations on Business Ethics

April Hefner
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Retired HCA Executive Leads Conversations on Business Ethics

Alan Yuspeh led two campus events recently sponsored by the Edward C. Kennedy Center for Business Ethics. His topic, “In the Trenches, 30 Years of Ethics and Compliance Leadership,” was presented to more than 125 students during the convo and 70 Middle Tennessee business Leaders during the lunch session. Yuspeh is a national and globally recognized leader on corporate ethics and compliance who retired from HCA in December 2018.

Yuspeh led HCA Healthcare to 10 consecutive years of receiving the world’s Most Ethical Companies designation by Ethisphere. Only 29 companies worldwide have been honored 10 times. Ethisphere is the global leader in defining and advancing the standards of ethical business practices. HCA Healthcare was among 128 companies recognized worldwide for 2018. Through the support of HCA Healthcare’s executive leadership, Yuspeh guided the company to premier status of becoming the healthcare industry leader in ethics by establishing training programs, accountability and becoming the cornerstone of HCA’s culture across the organization’s 185 hospitals and approximately 1,800 healthcare facilities spanning 21 states and the United Kingdom.

Yuspeh provided insights into his leadership at HCA as well as his leadership role in ethics and compliance for the defense industry prior to his responsibilities with HCA. The interview was conducted by Massey Business School Dean, Dr. Pat Raines. Yuspeh has served as the Advisory Board Chair for the Kennedy Center for Business Ethics for a number of years.

Cusic’s ‘Minnie Pearl’ Musical Returns to Chaffin’s Barn

April Hefner
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Cusic’s ‘Minnie Pearl’ Musical Returns to Chaffin’s Barn

“Minnie Pearl: All the News from Grinder’s Switch,” a musical written by Professor of Music Business Don Cusic, is playing at the Chaffin’s Barn Dinner Theater April 4-14. The musical is about the life of Sarah Ophelia Cannon, a graduate of Ward-Belmont, who became better known as “Minnie Pearl,” legendary Grand Ole Opry comedian.  The musical was also performed at Chaffin’s Barn last fall.

Nursing Students, Faculty Provide Free Mobile Clinic

April Hefner
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Nursing Students, Faculty Provide Free Mobile Clinic

On the weekend of March 16-17, six Belmont graduate nursing students and two faculty members participated in a free mobile clinic held in Cookeville, Tennessee. The clinic was hosted by Remote Area Medical (RAM), a major nonprofit provider of free mobile clinics.  Students and faculty provided triage, patient intake, primary care and even dental assisting. Overall, the clinic served 966 patients and provided $554,552 in services as calculated by RAM over the two days in Cookeville.

Associate Professor of Nursing Dr. Erin Shankel noted, “Working with RAM was a great place for our students to practice their clinical skills, but more than that, it opened their eyes to the healthcare needs in our own state. We were all humbled by the appreciation and warmth we felt from patients who had been waiting outside since 6 p.m. the night before just for the chance to be seen. You don’t have to go overseas to participate in medical missions!”

Alumnus Franklin Willis Empowers Students Through Music Education

Staff Writer
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Alumnus Franklin Willis Empowers Students Through Music Education

Alumnus Franklin Willis leads the Andrew Jackson Elementary Eagle Honor Choir. As founder and director, Willis specializes in providing music instruction that will empower and engage all children to achieve their best.

The Eagle Honor Choir is an after school music club for advanced 3rd and 4th grade music students. In just three short years since its creation, the choir has made a musical imprint on the Nashville music scene.

The choir has performed in some of the most historic venues in Nashville, including Nissan Stadium, Opry Mills Mall, Vanderbilt University, Andrew Jackson’s The Hermitage, various churches and retirement homes.

“It’s my mission to give my students opportunities to share their gifts and talents with our community,” said Willis.

In his classroom, students explore a wealth of music from a variety of cultures and historical periods by singing, moving and playing instruments.

“I believe the study of music is a unique creative experience that provides opportunities to reinforce skills and concepts of other disciplines, while developing lifelong learning skills,” said Willis. “I am also passionate that the cultivation of musicianship begins at a young age and that every child has musical potential.”

Last year, Eagle Honor Choir recorded its first music video, “This is Me,” which received over 20,000 views on Facebook and YouTube. The choir received hundreds of messages from viewers inspired and touched by the children’s special performance.

Willis also provides students with opportunities to explore, connect and learn about different musical cultures.

“I believe through music we can build positive experiences that will assist our children in becoming global leaders,” said Willis. “Teaching students at a young age about world music is imperative because it will build an appreciation for other cultures and their musical heritage.”

Willis has featured students’ progress in student-wide performances including Hispanic Heritage Concerts, Winter Concerts, Black History Celebrations, Spring Art Festivals and singing for the elderly at retirement homes.

Because of his passion for teaching music to young people, Willis is a three-time recipient of the prestigious Music Teacher of Excellence Award by the Country Music Association Foundation, the 2015-2016 Madison Middle School Teacher of the Year Award, 2017 Tennessee Music Educators Association General Music Division first ever Teach Spotlight and 2016 Metro Nashville Public Schools and the Nashville Public Education Foundation Blue Ribbon Teacher Award.

His mission statement and teaching philosophy is “changing the world, one song at a time.”

Willis graduated from Belmont in 2012 with a Master of Education in Nonprofit Leadership.

Billboard Magazine Praises Belmont as a ‘2019 Top Music Business School’

April Hefner
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0
Billboard Magazine Praises Belmont as a ‘2019 Top Music Business School’

One of the world’s premier music publications, Billboard magazine, recently recognized Belmont University’s Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business as one of the “2019 Top Music Business Schools” in the country.

The annual review of the nation’s top music and entertainment business schools focused on the wealth of opportunities today’s students are offered in the United States and abroad to learn the industry, making particular note of Belmont’s study away options at Bonnaroo and in Australia. The author wrote, “For those seeking music careers, in front of or behind the mixing board, the following schools are at the top of their class.”

Beyond the study away opportunities with leading festivals and music companies, Billboard also noted that Belmont students also “have the opportunity to work on a number of faculty-led research projects: Associate dean Cheryl S. Carr has received a grant to study the role of women on Nashville’s Music Row; and Doyuen Ko, associate professor of audio engineering, is collaborating on an initiative to digitally replicate the acoustics of historic structures, including the Columbia Records studio in Nashville where Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Simon & Garfunkel and others recorded.”

About the Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business
In 1971, Belmont first established a music business program designed to prepare students for operational, administrative, creative and technical careers in the music industry. The program grew in both size and reputation, leading to the advent of the full Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business in 2003. Currently home to more than 2,500 undergraduates with majors in music business, audio engineering technology, entertainment industry studies, songwriting, media studies and motion pictures, Curb College boasts an impressive faculty of academic scholars and authors, entrepreneurs, songwriters, producers, journalists, filmmakers and sound and recording engineers.  The college serves as a world leader in music business and entertainment industry education and is the only freestanding college of its kind.

Alumnae Seek to Raise Awareness About Actors With Disabilities Through Video Series

Staff Writer
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Alumnae Seek to Raise Awareness About Actors With Disabilities Through Video Series

Belmont alumnae Kallen Blair and Alie B. Gorrie live in New York City and are pursuing a new project that raises awareness about actors with disabilities. The pair have created a video series to highlight these actors and start conversations around disability in the entertainment world. They were recently featured by Style Blueprint as new “FACES of the South.”

Blair hails from Memphis, Tennessee and studied theater at Belmont, while Gorrie is from Mountain Brook, Alabama and studied musical theater. The pair are the co-producers of the web series titled “ABLE: A Series,” that is directed by Cassidy Cole of Nashville. The series will consist of interviews with people in varying industries of entertainment to discuss their experiences with disability in the industry. According to their website, they aim to “fill a gap of missing conversations within the entertainment world.”

Guests interviewed in the series include actor Danny Woodburn, comedian Maysoon Zayid, actress Ali Stroker and several notable others. The goal is to discuss how people in entertainment can create more inclusive and representative stories surrounding those with disabilities.

In their interview with Style Blueprint, Gorrie said, “through ‘ABLE,’ I want our viewers to see that inclusion enhances everything. I hope ‘ABLE’ breaks down stigmas and stereotypes.”

A passion project that stems from personal experiences, both women hope that people take away from “ABLE” the importance of inclusion and that “telling real stories requires real people.”

The pair have been working on the concept since last summer and will be releasing the episodes online in the coming months.

Alumna and Press Secretary to Governor Bill Lee Encourages Students to ‘Take a Non-Linear Path’

Staff Writer
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Alumna and Press Secretary to Governor Bill Lee Encourages Students to ‘Take a Non-Linear Path’

Transferring to Belmont in 2011 after making what she calls the “best decision I ever made,” Laine Arnold went on to discover her passion for politics and public relations as a student. After graduating in 2013, Arnold worked in the communications sphere before getting involved in politics. At a recent convocation event on campus, Arnold shared not only her career history and how it led to her becoming Governor Bill Lee’s press secretary but she also shared some advice with students.

As press secretary to Governor Lee, Arnold deals with a variety of things in her day-to-day work. Her responsibilities include working on Governor Lee’s travel schedule, interacting with the press as well as working with members of his Cabinet. Being involved in all of these different aspects and more has given Arnold the opportunity to “interact with Tennesseans… and to get them to where they want to be.”

One important thing she has learned from her work as press secretary is the benefit of being aware of what you say and how conversations may be used. Her advice to students included being disciplined in what they say, adding that it’s often not necessary to say everything that comes to mind. Being mindful of what you do and say will only be beneficial, especially in the “big small town” of politics, she noted.

When reflecting on her time at Belmont and her career, Arnold noted the importance of having practical knowledge and certain strong transferable skills. For Arnold, her most transferable skill is her writing ability. She noted how this has helped her in all of her positions.

Another point Arnold made to students was to test out different fields and certain career options while in school. “Figure out what you don’t want to do,” she said, adding the benefits of taking a “non-linear path” to a career by trying out different things. Along with this, she also told students that it can be helpful to be realistic about your job and knowing that there are going to be things they may not like about it. “There are going to be a lot of things about your career you won’t like,” Arnold added. “But finding what are the points of joy in your career is important.”

Some of her final advice to students included encouraging them to approach their career being protective of who they are. “Don’t think you have to give your soul over to your career… you are multidimensional,” Arnold said. “Don’t lose sight of remembering ‘how would I be seen outside of work?’ See things for what they are.”

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