James Elliott, Assistant Professor of Music Business, recently received a platinum video award for his song, “Time That Is Left,” which he co-wrote with Mark Schultz and is on the album, “Mark Schultz Live….A Night of Stories & Songs.” The plaque commemorates the Recording Industry Association of America certified platinum sales of more than 100,000 copies of the Word Records DVD “Mark Schultz Live…A Night of Stories & Songs.” The DVD won a Dove Award in April for Long Form Music Video of the Year. The song, “Time That Is Left,” originally appeared on Mark’s album “Stories & Songs,” and also was included on the movie soundtrack album for the film, “End of the Spear.”
Elliott Receives Platinum Video Award
ATO Reaches Out to the Community
The brothers of Alpha Tau Omega (ATO) recently participated in two community service activities to help Nashville’s children. Members of ATO helped volunteer coordinators at the Monroe Harding Children’s Home set up for a fundraising event at the home – the brothers pressure washed the stone steps in the front lawn, cleaned bathrooms and helped cut six hours of setup time out of the schedule for the event organizers.
ATO hosted a haunted house the Friday before Halloween for children in the after-school program Youth Encouragment Services (YES). Over 70 children were on the Belmont campus for their annual Fall Festival and participated in the haunted house.
Alum Finds Success With Hit Song
Hillary Lindsey, a music business alumna, was featured in The News-Reporter from Wilkes County, Georgia. Lindsey wrote the country music hit, “Jesus, Take the Wheel” that went No. 1 for Carrie Underwood. “Jesus, Take the Wheel” was named the song of the year by the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) and American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP). Click here to read the article.
PRSSA Award
The Belmont Chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA), chartered in 2005, received its first national recognition Monday night when the winners of the first Plank Center Ethics Advocacy Awards were announced at the national PRSSA conference in Salt Lake City. Belmont’s chapter received second place in the competition among 270 chapters nationwide, an award which carries a $750 cash prize to the chapter. The award recognizes the student chapter’s commitment to promoting ethical behavior, including its role in the Nashville Public Relations Society of America chapter’s “Do the Right Thing” ethics workshop hosted on the Belmont campus in September.
Physical Therapy Graduation
The Physical Therapy graduating class of 2006 is the first class in the history of the program to have every member of the class successfully pass the National Physical Therapy Examination on the first attempt. Belmont University School of Physical Therapy also enjoys a 100 percent overall pass rate for the past three years.
Belmont Men’s Basketball Opens Season Tonight in the NIT Season Tip-Off
The Belmont men’s basketball team opens its 2006-07 season tonight in the NIT Season Tip-Off in the Gaylord Entertainment Center when it plays UNC-Wilimington at 9:30 p.m. They will play again tomorrow evening in either the consolation game at 5 p.m. or the championship game at 8 p.m. Click here to read an article in The Tennessean about Belmont’s 2006-07 team.
UPDATE (11/14/06)
Despite rallying from an early double-digit deficit to take a second half lead, Belmont fell to defending Colonial Athletic Association Champion UNC-Wilmington, 88-83, in the opening round of the NIT Season Tip-Off Tournament from the Gaylord Entertainment Center.
Belmont (0-1) plays Fordham Tuesday evening in the NIT Season Tip-Off consolation game. Tip-off is set for 5 p.m. CST.
UPDATE (11/15/06)
Belmont defeated Fordham Tuesday evening in the NIT Season Tip-Off consolation game 56-49. The game marked the first time in the NCAA era that Belmont won a game without a double-figure scorer. Four Bruins led the way with nine points a piece – Justin Hare, Shane Dansby, Matthew Dotson and Keaton Belcher.
Cusic Quoted in Times-Picayune
Dr. Don Cusic, professor of music business in the Mike Curb College of Entertainment & Music Business, was quoted in a story in The Times-Picayune in New Orleans. Click here to read the article about Loyola University’s music business program and Cusic’s insights into studying the music industry.
Belmont Guitar Ensemble Makes NPR Debut
The Belmont Guitar Ensemble made their NPR radio debut today on WPLN’s “Live In Studio C” with host Will Griffin. The performance featured three quartets and two duos which featured fifteen students from the group.
To listen to their performance, go to wpln.org and choose “Live in Studio C” to download the show as an mp3. The performance will be available by November 15.
Belmont Forms Tennessee’s First Student Chapter of Big Brothers Big Sisters
Belmont students have formed the first Big Brothers Big Sisters student chapter in the state of Tennessee. The Belmont Bigs Organization has partnered with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Middle Tennessee. This new campus organization will support students who are serving as a Big Brother or Big Sister or who have expressed an interest in serving as a Big. Belmont students are serving as mentors to help school aged children reach their full potential. The student officers who formed the organization are: Hannah Gentiles, Pres., Autumn Nelson, V.P, and Laura Gulker, Treasurer. The faculty and staff co-advisors are Patricia Jacobs and Mark Schenkel.
Belmont University Constructing New Theatre Complex
Belmont University is currently constructing a 350-seat proscenium theatre, black box theatre and scene shop in the former sanctuary of Belmont Heights Baptist Church to provide new venues for the Department of Theatre and Dance. Along with providing valuable new performance and teaching space for Belmont’s theatre and dance students, the new theatre complex will allow Belmont to maintain and strengthen collaborations with local professional arts organizations.
The new 350-seat proscenium theatre will be equipped with state-of-the-art lighting and audio equipment and will serve as a performance and teaching facility. The black box theatre will be able to accommodate audiences from 100 to 150 and allow students to explore a variety of types of theatre performances.
“This new theatre complex will not only provide a beautiful space for student performances, but provides additional partnership opportunities between Belmont and some of the area’s most respected arts organizations,” Dr. Robert Fisher, Belmont University president, said. “These collaborative efforts will enhance students’ learning experiences by allowing them to work with professionals in their desired fields.”
The Department of Theatre and Dance currently resides in the Belmont Little Theatre, a makeshift performance space housed in Hail Hall, the oldest residence hall at Belmont. While the Little Theatre provides an intimate setting for theatre productions, it also presents certain challenges – the types of plays available to students are limited, dance students must utilize the Massey Performing Arts Center – a concert hall more conducive for musical performances than dance – and minimal teaching space for students interested in set design, costume construction, lighting and sound. The new theatre complex will better accommodate the talents of Belmont’s theatre and dance students.
The university is enthusiastic about the inaugural season representing a year of collaborations. With the creation of two new venues, Belmont is developing even stronger relationships with professional arts organizations in Nashville including: Actors Bridge Ensemble, Nashville Shakespeare Festival, Nashville Children’s Theatre, Nashville Opera, Nashville Ballet and Rejoice! Ministries. Actors Bridge Ensemble began on Belmont’s campus 10 years ago and its artistic director serves on Belmont’s faculty in the Department of Theatre and Dance. The university recently collaborated with Nashville Shakespeare Festival on a production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream and looks forward to furthering this partnership by providing more opportunities for productions. The new theatre complex will serve as the temporary home for Nashville Children’s Theatre in their 2007-08 season while their venue undergoes renovations. Nashville Ballet will continue to collaborate with the dance program on its annual spring production. A student is participating in an internship at Rejoice! Ministries, a dance studio in East Nashville for underprivileged children in the area, and Belmont is exploring various collaborative opportunities with the dance program. In addition, the university is also collaborating with Father Ryan High School for the inaugural season and will be collaborating with a different high school each year.
The Belmont theatre complex is scheduled for completion in September 2007. A reception to celebrate this new venture at Belmont will be held at the construction site at 2100 Belmont Boulevard Thurs., November 9 at 9:30 a.m.
Pictured above: Belmont theatre students perform a scene from A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the construction site of the new theatre complex.
MORE
“Belmont excited about new theater complex” – The Tennessean, November 22, 2006
