It’s quite a month for guitar aficionados as April marks the celebration of International Guitar Month as well as the one-year anniversary of the opening of The Gallery of Iconic Guitars at Belmont, also known as The GIG. International Guitar Month, which began in 1987, is an annual celebration of guitars and guitar products promoted by the Guitar and Accessories Marketing Association (GAMA) and the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) to attract awareness and develop loyalty.
It’s the perfect timing for The GIG, which opened its doors on April 25, 2017 and attracts tourists and musicians alike who seek a sneak peek at historically significant stringed instruments. The GIG is the result of a gift to Belmont University of nearly 500 vintage guitars and supporting endowment—amounting to a total value of approximately $10.5 million—from the estate of the late Steven Kern Shaw. Shaw was a collector, philanthropist and the grandson of Jerome Kern who was one of America’s foremost composers of musical theater and popular music (responsible for such classic songs as “Ol’ Man River,” “The Way You Look Tonight” and “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes”).
Steven Kern Shaw family friend George Gruhn (founder of Gruhn Guitars and vintage instrument expert) serves as co-executor of the estate and noted that Mr. Shaw’s will specified his desire that the instruments be donated to an institution capable of properly exhibiting and caring for them, preferably in the Nashville area.
Gruhn noted, “An instrument is not a servant to a musician, but rather a partner. The really great instruments are alive, and they make suggestions. Sometimes you lead them and sometimes they lead you… Belmont University was the natural choice for a permanent home for this collection since it draws students and scholars from around the world and is noted for the excellence of its music programs.”
The collection has a total of nearly 500 unique and irreplaceable instruments with approximately 100 guitars currently on display, from an 1887 Martin 0-28 to a 1989 Paul Reed Smith Custom 24 “10 Top.”
The Gallery of Iconic Guitars is open to the public Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday from 1-5 p.m. Admission is $5, and free for children under 12 as well as Belmont students, faculty and staff. Visit thegigatbelmont.com for more information and to purchase tickets.
According to Jessica Christian, current president of 629 Dance, “The 629 Dance Team is a team of diverse students who use their talent to stand against racism and sexism. We have a team that has both male and female, and our goal is to give those who have no voice a voice through dance.”
Joyce Searcy, director of community relations, Tim Stewart, director of service-learning, and Dr. Hyangsook Lee, assistant professor of media studies, recently attended the Gulf-South Summit on Civic Engagement Through Higher Education. The conference promotes networking among practitioners, research, ethical practices, reciprocal campus-community partnerships, sustainable programs and a culture of engagement and public awareness through service-learning & other forms of civic engagement. Lee presented “Service Learning: Providing an Opportunity for Professional Development and Personal Growth in Journalism Courses.”
Beyond the tennis competition and the palpable excitement on campus all week, the Davis Cup brought visitors from around the nation and the world to Belmont, and the media coverage before and throughout the event delivered astronomical marketing value to the University. Estimates from media tracking service NewsPowerOnline indicated a potential audience of more than 1.7 billion were exposed to Belmont University through broadcast hits and website posts on Davis Cup. Meltwater Media, another tracking service, also calculated a potential reach of 1.7 billion with more than 900 million of that coming from the first week of April alone, the period when Team USA was on Belmont’s campus. A Meltwater analysis also indicated the University received an estimated $12.5 million in advertising value associated with Davis Cup coverage. Belmont University received mentions nationally and internationally, including hits in USA Today, NBC Sports, ESPN, ABC News, AP, FOX Sports, Sports Illustrated, MSN.com and Yahoo, among others.
Belmont University’s Curb Event Center announced today that the OUTCRY Experience and Tour will be on campus April 26. Offering a number of different experiences, including workshops and Q&A sessions, the event promises to be both education and inspiration for attendees.