Mountains Like Wax, a southern post-rock band made up of Belmont students Alex Zimmermann, Sam Katz, Mitchell Taylor and Hunter Beckgerd, recently won Lightening 100’s Music City Mayhem competition. As a reward for winning, Mountains Like Wax will receive three days of studio time with an engineer, an original song played in regular rotation on Lightening 100 radio for one month, 50 branded t-shirts & posters and a spot on the line-up for Nashville’s coveted Live on the Green concert.
Mountains Like Wax member Zimmermann said the band entered the contest over six months ago and never expected to be listed as a finalist. “It was one of those things we submitted for and honestly forgot about because it seemed like such a long shot,” he said. “So when we found out we were a finalist, we were shocked. It started with 300 bands and was narrowed down to 32 for online voting. We won every round of online votes which put us in the final four (plus a wildcard) showcase.”
The band attributes its style to the musical backgrounds of its members. Each artist has played music in the past ranging from pop-rock to hardcore metal. “Mountains Like Wax truly is a product of many different styles coming together to make something honest and familiar with a bit of a twist,” Zimmermann said.
The band members said they are grateful for the experience the Music City Mayhem competition has given them and for the amount of support they have received. They hope to continue performing and pursuing music careers for as long as possible and feel that the exposure they’ve received throughout this process will help them achieve their goals.
Zimmermann attributed some of his knowledge of the music industry to his experience at Belmont and the guidance of faculty members. “Belmont has helped me learn how to work with people more than anything. I’ve learned through faculty and my own experiences how to build solid and meaningful business relationships that are grounded in something deeper than just ‘networking’. The faculty has always been encouraging. I’ve learned over the years that I am in control of how much I get out of a class,” Zimmermann said.
Mountains Like Wax will play at Live on the Green Saturday, September 3 at 7:15 p.m. on the 615 Stage. Check out the band’s website here.
Photo taken by Nolan Knight.
Belmont University’s Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business has recently announced the appointment of Dr. Cheryl Carr as Associate Dean. In this position, Carr will oversee all undergraduate operations of the College including accreditation assessment, student advising, academic affairs and faculty development, among other things. Carr brings an extensive entertainment, law and performance background to the position as she began with the College in 2008. As an entertainment and intellectual property law attorney prior to entering academia, Carr launched a practice focused on developing creative business and legal solutions for arts and entertainment professionals. With more than 16 years of experience in representing creatives, Carr brings an additional 17 years of experience in managing and advising public sector programs as she developed a practice providing clients with counsel on changes in the entertainment industry and trends in IP law and policy.
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