Country event rocks
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ISSUE: 11/08/07 > A&E > country event rocks
Break out the fiddles and acoustic guitars – it’s time for the Country Music Showcase once again. This year, it will be 7-8:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 17, in the Curb Event Center.
Nick Novak, a senior music business major who is also the producer of the showcase, said this year the show will be more visually appealing, incorporating unique lighting and 3-D physical elements.
Thirty-five people turned in application packets and CDs of their recorded music. from that number, industry judges chose eight, who then performed in live auditions on Nov. 3.
Parker Welling, Eden’s Edge, Courtney Blair and Shea Raye were the four artists chosen to perform.
“They have to perform two original songs, but that doesn’t mean they have to write it themselves,” said Novak. Performers in the showcase must also perform one cover song and the lead singer must be a Belmont student, as well as two-thirds of the band.
The winner of the showcase will perform in the Best of the Best Showcase at the end of the school year and will also have the opportunity to record their music at Belmont’s Ocean Way Studio.
This semester is the first in which convocation credit is not offered for the showcase.
“Convocation events are supposed to be held in a place where attendance can be monitered,” said Mark Bryant, associate dean of Student Affairs. But [showcases] have gotten so big, it’s hard to keep track.”
Consequently, the office of Student Affairs decided to remove convo credit from all the Mike Curb College of Music Business showcases.
“I thought it would hurt attendance, but I’ve noticed it hasn’t hurt it at all [in the previous showcases],” said Novak. “I still think they should get [convo credit], but I’ve adjusted, and it’s not as big of a deal as I thought.”
Convo credit or not, the showcase will spotlight Belmont’s finest country singers of the year. As Novak said, “You don’t want to miss it.”
