February 11, 2004
Belmont Project Up for Two Dove Awards
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 Dove Award in two categories.
The album, in the running for a Grammy® award last week, is nominated for Traditional Gospel Recorded Song of the Year and Recorded Music Packaging of the Year. The Gospel Music Association's 35th Annual Dove Awards will take place April 28, 2004, at the Gaylord Entertainment Center in Nashville.
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 David Herrera, instructor of music business at Belmont's Mike Curb College of Entertainment & Music Business. Herrera was general manager of Acklen Records when In Bright Mansions was recorded. "These nominations reflect the peer recognition for excellence from recording industry professionals of our product," Herrera said
The Dove award nomination for the album packaging lists Herrera, Bulla, McAnally, Belmont University photographer Michael Krouskop, and Drew Henson, instructor of audio engineering.
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."
The second nomination, for Traditional Gospel Recorded Song, is for the song "Poor Man Lazarus," sung by Fisk University's famed Fisk Jubilee Singers for the academic year 2001-02.
A digital image of the album cover is available for publication. An online album preview is available at http://www.belmont.edu/fisk. For more information, please contact the Belmont University Office of Marketing and Communications.
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- 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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