February 4, 2004
Belmont Project Up for a Grammy®
In Bright Mansions, an album featuring the famed Fisk Jubilee Singers that was produced by Belmont University’s student-run Acklen Records label, has been nominated for a Grammy® Award.
"We are the first university run label to be nominated for a Grammy," says David Herrera, instructor of music business at Belmont's Mike Curb College of Entertainment & Music Business. "In layman’s terms this is the equivalent of the Oscar. With over 200,000 musical releases last year only five were eventually nominated in this category."
In Bright Mansions is nominated in the Best Recording Package category, along with albums by Ani DiFranco, Adrienne Young, the Cathy Richardson Band, and Sigur Rós. The award in this category goes to the art director, and is considered an award for the entire team involved in the creating the packaging concept. In Bright Mansions, recorded at Belmont's Ocean Way Nashville recording studio, was produced by the Belmont University’s student-run record label, Acklen Records in a unique co-venture with Curb Records, and is distributed internationally through WEA.
"The entire concept and development, research, package design conception, and sound recording work was completed by Acklen Records," says Herrera, then general manager of Acklen Records. "This nomination reflects the peer recognition for excellence from recording industry professionals of our product."
The packaging concept was that of an antique photo album, with aged weathered leather exterior, with a collection of biographical material and photos from historical archives. The insert had 38 full color pages along with an extended enhanced CD ROM section making hundreds of additional photos available via computer.
"We researched, solicited biographic material, sorted and processed all archival photographs, collected and assembled all text and credits, and conceptualized the packaging design, while Dr. Wesley Bulla, Belmont associate professor of music, engineered, mastered, and produced the In Bright Mansions recording," says Herrera. "The artwork layout was completed by Jim McAnally, a graphic designer who worked in the university's Office of Marketing and Communications."
A digital image of the album cover for publication is available here. An online album preview is available at http://www.belmont.edu/fisk.
- For more stories from the College of Entertainment and Music Business Archive, click here.
- Office University Marketing and Communications
Greg Pillon: 615.460.6645
Belmont University
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Nashville, Tennessee 37212
615.460.6000
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