Faculty

Amy Bryson Smith, an alumna of Belmont University, is an Assistant Professor of Music Business in the Mike Curb College of Entertainment & Music Business where she has taught Copyright Law, Music Industry Contract Law, Intellectual Property Law, and Survey of Music Business.  In the Jack C. Massey College of Business, she has taught Business Law I and Business Law II.

Professor Smith has practiced law in Nashville since 1996. For many years, she was a partner of Chaffin, Burnsed, and Smith, PLLC (formerly Chernau, Chaffin & Burnsed) where she practiced corporate law and represented a variety of individuals and companies in the music and entertainment business. She served as a litigator and transactional attorney, as well as a Rule 31 Mediator. Additionally, she was General Counsel of a national Christian non-profit corporation. Dr. Smith has also taught and served as Director of the Paralegal Studies Program at a local college.

During Dr. Smith’s professional career, she has written and filed numerous court filings in state and federal courts. Academically, she has been published in a variety of journals, including the Journal of Critical Incidents, Journal of the Music & Entertainment Industry Educators Association, Midwest Law Journal, Southern Journal of Business & Ethics, and Southern Law Journal. She has also worked with PBS creating educational resources to support Country Music: A Film by Ken Burns.

Dr. Smith often provides legal consultations with individuals and businesses, including non-profits. And, she serves on several boards, including secretary of the board of trustees of Donelson Christian Academy and Jeffrey Dean Ministries. Dr. Smith is also a member of the Nashville Entertainment and IP Law Inn of Court, a part of the American Inns of Court.

Dr. Smith was born and raised in the Nashville, Tennessee area. Her husband, Jeffrey Smith, also a graduate of Belmont, is an author and pastor at Donelson First Baptist Church. They have two (2) wonderful girls, one of whom currently attends Belmont. Amy loved being at Belmont as a student, and she absolutely loves being back at Belmont as an assistant professor!

Author, Attorney, and Vocalist Cheryl Slay Carr is Professor of Music Business and Associate Dean of the Curb College of Entertainment & Music Business at Belmont University. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Michigan, received a Master of Public Administration from Clark-Atlanta University, and earned her Juris Doctor degree from The University of Maryland. Carr began her career with Belmont University in 2008. As a professor, she has taught and designed courses including Copyright Law, Music Industry Contract Law, Legal Issues in the Entertainment Industry, and Diversity in the Entertainment Industry: Understanding the Business of Jazz. She is co-author of the book Music Copyright Law, and a contributing author to ABA-BNA published book Trademark Infringement Remedies. She has published extensively on entertainment industry topics with a focus on business strategy, careers and diversity in the entertainment industry. In 2016 she was appointed Associate Dean of the Curb College, where she supports the mission of the college through oversight of its operations. Prior to joining Belmont, she worked as an intellectual property/entertainment law attorney, and has over 15 years of experience representing filmmakers, novelists, record companies, musicians, technology companies and visual artists.

Professor Carr’s entertainment industry experience is augmented by 17 years of experience in developing public policy through managing and advising public sector programs. She commenced federal service through the Presidential Management Fellowship program at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission under the chairmanship of Justice Clarence Thomas. During her years as a Fellow she also served at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and ultimately worked as Division Director for administrative appeals at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Association of Popular Music Education and is an advisor to the Nashville Mayor’s Creatives Day Committee. She has also served on the Board of Directors for Jazz Education Network, the Tennessee Jazz and Blues Society, and Maryland Lawyers for the Arts. She completed the Harvard Law School Program of Instruction for Lawyers in International and Comparative Intellectual Property, is a Maryland Bar Foundation Fellow, and is an alumna of the 2010 class of Leadership Music. In 2018 Carr will debut Diversity and the Film Industry, a new course for Belmont University that focuses on issues that combine her public policy and entertainment experience. She has been a performing artist for over 20 years, and released Invocation, an EP of jazz-inspired recordings in 2015. She recently signed a publishing deal to author a book about music and entertainment industry careers, to be published in October 2018

Don Cusic is Curb Professor of Music Industry History at Belmont and a pioneer in Music Business education, having taught courses in the music business since 1982. He is also one of the premier historians of country music, an internationally known scholar and writer. Cusic is the author of 28 books, including biographies of Roger Miller, Eddy Arnold, Gene Autry, Riders In The Sky, James Weldon Johnson and Henry Flipper, the first black graduate of West Point. He is the author of The Beatles and Country Music, Baseball and Country Music, Saved By Song: A History of Gospel and Christian Music, edited The Encyclopedia of Contemporary Christian Music and has edited books on the lyrics of Hank Williams, Merle Haggard, Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson.

Don Cusic has had over 500 articles published since he began writing. He has been the Country and Gospel Editor for Record World and Cashbox, a columnist for Music City News, album reviewer and special correspondent for Billboard and book reviewer for Music Row Magazine.  He has worked for the Country Music Association, Monument Records (as head of Artist Development and International Liaison) and, with partner Dan Beck, had a management company that managed Dickie Lee and Riders In The Sky. He is currently the co-host of the International Country Music Conference and editor of the International Country Music Journal.

Cusic has written album liner notes for Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, George Jones, Ray Stevens, Eddy Arnold, Sonny James, Gary Paxton, George Beverly Shea, Sheb Wooley, the Oak Ridge Boys, Jimmy Long, Roy Drusky, Skeeter Davis, Lulu Belle and Scotty and Floyd Cramer as well as the liner notes for two film soundtracks, The Wild Angels (starring Peter Fonda and Nancy Sinatra) and The Trip, which featured the music of The Electric Flag, led by Mike Bloomfield. He worked with Mike Curb for the Sun Records 60^th Anniversary boxed set and produced an album on former American Idol finalist Melinda Doolittle on songs written by James Weldon Johnson. He has produced albums on Bobby Bare and Jim Ed Brown.

In addition to his books, articles and liner notes Don Cusic has had songs recorded by Bobby Bare, Jim Ed Brown, Ray Stevens, the Lewis Family, Lynn Morris, Linda Davis, Eve Goldberg, Pam Mark Hall, Carroll Baker, Darrell McCall and Chris LeDoux.

Cusic has appeared a number of times on television, including appearances on The PBS News Hour, a number of CMT programs, including the "Controversy" series, "Greatest Patriotic Songs," "Waiting in the Wings" and others; he appeared on a number of TNN shows, including "Life and Times" of Eddy Arnold" and the A&E Biography Series (on Hank Williams). He also appears on two BBC series, "Lost Highway: The History of Country Music" and “White Gospel” and is a featured guest on “Ray Stevens’ Nashville” TV series.

Originally hailing from New Mexico, I majored in Music Education before setting out for Los Angeles to become a commercial trumpet player. In California I worked with local high school and college bands as a music and marching clinician.  I performed professionally with various jazz ensembles and Latin groups, serving as a seasonal band leader/performer at Disneyland and Disney World as well. I eventually sailed away from California on a popular cruise line, performing with a big band/show band and traveling the world while playing every style of music.

I continued my studies in Nashville, completing an MBA and then a Ph.D in Business Management and Organization.  Along this path I found time to work for an artist management company, a music publishing company, and as a concert promoter. I currently serve as one of the directors of Acklen Entertainment / indiebandhub.com, an experiential learning course in our curriculum.  I teach Survey of Music Business, Record Company Operations, Concert Promotions, and a managerial overview of the music business in the Massey Graduate School of Business at Belmont University.

My undergraduate degree in music is from Ole Miss. I also received my law degree from Mercer University in 1981. Since that time, I've practiced law in Nashville on historic Music Row representing artists, songwriters, artist managers, business managers, record companies, record producers, booking agencies and publishing companies.

I taught a few years at Middle Tennessee State University in the Recording Industry department and since 2005, I have been an assistant professor in the Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business at Belmont University. I teach such courses as Music Licensing, Artist Management, Intellectual Property and Legal Issues in the Music Industry. I'm also faculty advisor to the Showcase Council and am a member of the Belmont University Faculty Senate.

For several years I played drums in the Nashville bagpipe band (yes, I wore a skirt) and I currently play drums in my Church band. My wife and I have two wonderful sons.

Holt is CEO of Chiminus Enterprises, a diverse lifestyle marketing and consulting company that is nationally recognized. He is also the Managing Partner of Chiminus’ successful subsidiary concert promotions company, The Lovenoise Group. Holt earned his Bachelor of Science degree with a concentration in Communications from Howard University in Washington, D.C., and a J.D. from Nashville’s Vanderbilt University Law School. Considered an expert in branding, marketing and urban music, Holt is a regularly sought-after speaker at universities and business groups. He also consults within the entertainment industry and business leaders on promotion and branding strategy.

Relentless in his pursuit of excellence which is complemented by his great work ethic, Holt insists on giving back to the community. He has proudly served as a board member on Nashville’s Mayor Karl Deans’ Music Business Council. Holt, also had the esteemed pleasure of serving as an Advisor and Diversity Committee Chair for Nashville chapter’s National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS/Grammy’s). Most recently, he accepted a full time professorship at Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business at Belmont University where he specializes in Urban Music, Live Music Venues, Marketing and Promotions.

In his free time you can find him at a concert or traveling around the world!

Dwayne O'Brien is a native Oklahoman who moved to Nashville in 1987 after graduating college with a degree in chemistry that he earned on a music scholarship. In 1988, O'Brien co-founded the country band Little Texas which went on to chart 15 top-ten singles, three number-ones, and sell over seven million albums on the Warner Brothers label. The group also collected three Grammy nominations and garnered the Academy of Country Music award for vocal group of the year, and the CMA award for album of the year for their contribution to Common Thread: The Songs of the Eagles. O'Brien has enjoyed success as a songwriter having co-written the majority of the band's hits including the number-two "Kick a Little," and the number-one country and pop crossover hit "What Might Have Been." O'Brien also co-wrote the Hall and Oates hit "A Promise Ain't Enough."

Since earning a master's degree from Vanderbilt University in interdisciplinary communications in 2005, O'Brien has been a regular contributor to Vanderbilt's scientific journal Exploration and Vanderbilt Magazine. O'Brien continues to write, tour and record with Little Texas, and loves teaching at Belmont, flying, and golf. He makes his home in Brentwood, Tennessee with his wife Delisa, and sons Dylan and Dawson. They attend Brentwood Baptist Church.

Michael Puryear has over 40 years experience in the Music Industry, as a Songplugger, Music Publishing Executive and Songwriter.  As a Music Publisher, he has worked as a Publisher or Creative Director for such diverse writers as Marcus Hummon (God Bless the Broken Road/Ready to Run/Only Love, CBS recording artist), Steven Curtis Chapman (Capitol Christian Music Group recording artist), Ginny Owens (Rocketown Records recording artist), Archie Jordan (Almost Like a Song/What a Difference You’ve Made in My Life), Chapin Hartford (Meet in the Middle, Better Than a Hallelujah), John Tirro (So Much for Pretending), Greg Nelson (People Need the Lord), Dick and Mel Tunney (Let There Be Praise/How Excellent is Thy Name), Scott Krippayne (Word Records/Spring Hill Records recording artist), Kyle Matthews (We Fall Down/If You Want Me To/Everything and Nothing for Vince Gill, and was a Benson Records recording artist), Brian White (The Promise/If You’re Goin’ Thru Hell) Billy Smiley (Whiteheart, Starsong recording artist), Michael Anderson (Maybe It Was Memphis, Forefront recording artist) and Dwight Liles (We Are an Offering/Proclaim the Glory of the Lord). 

Michael, has written songs that’ve been recorded by Ginny Owens, Diamond Rio, The Martins, Larnelle Harris, Point of Grace, Glen Campbell, Gaither Vocal Band, Avalon, Brian Littrell (Backstreet Boys), Ricky Skaggs, Truth, Jim Ed Brown, Billy Jo Spears, Gold City Quartet, Brian Free and Assurance, Jim Nabors (Gomer) Michael Peterson, Travis Tritt, Jessy Dixon, The Singing Americans, Aaron Tippen, Phillips, Craig and Dean, Clay Crosse, John Conlee, Gordon Mote and Dallas Holm among others.  He received a Dove Award for the song “If We Only Had the Heart” by Bruce Carroll. 

Michael’s own Publishing Company, Final Four Music list cuts by Amy Grant (“Better Than a Hallelujah--nominated for a Grammy 2010), The Oak Ridge Boys, Donnie McClurkin, Michael W. Smith, Jessica Simpson, MN8 (Sony Work/UK), Vince Gill, Michael English, Bob Carlisle, Aaron-Geoffrey, Babbie Mason, Mark Lowry, Grover Levy, Ce Ce Winans, Alvin Slaughter, Take 6 and Rachel Lampa and more.

He worked with Lorenz Creative Services (Music Publishing division) from 1983-1990, BMG Music Publishing from 1990-2003, both as an employee and Joint Venture Partner.

He celebrated ASCAP’s Christian Publisher of the Year in 2001 as VP, BMG Music Publishing, Gospel Division:  He worked with Universal Music Publishing as a Joint Venture Partner to establish their 1st Christian Music Division:  He’s worked as a consultant to Hillsong Music, Opryland Music Group (now Sony Music Publishing) for veteran Jerry Bradley and West Texas A&M University in Canyon, Texas.

A graduate of Leadership Music 2002, Michael has been a GMA member and a NARAS member. Michael has been a featured speaker/panelist for Nashville Songwriter’s Assn., The Gospel Music Assn. Dove week, Taxi Road Rally, Austin Songwriter’s Group, Centricity Artist/Writer Seminar and Gospel Music’s Seminar in the Rockies (25 consecutive years) and GMA week industry panels.

I surrendered to the music industry before I finished my undergraduate degree. Several of my friends decided, one dark and stormy night at the local hamburger stand, to start their own record company. As soon as I found out about it I wanted to play too. I spent the next seven years balancing school, paying jobs, and the record company.

I graduated from Louisiana State University in 1980 with a B.S. degree in Marketing. In December of 1983 I received my Masters in Marketing from L.S.U. In that time Centaur Records Inc. went from a fun distraction to a serious classical label with 3 full-time employees and sales of three-quarters of a million dollars. Not bad considering none of us had a clue as to what we were doing when we started.

After a brief diversion into commercial real estate I entered the Ph.D. program at Temple University in Philadelphia. While continuing my work with the record company I was also pursuing another personal goal, to be a college professor. Little did I know at the time that I could blend the two careers together.

After completing my course work at Temple I returned to Baton Rouge to work with the record label. I was taking a break from academics before writing my dissertation when a classmate of mine called. She had just interviewed for a one year appointment at this little college in Nashville and found out they had a music business program. She said they were looking to hire faculty in music business and thought I might be interested. Needless to say, I was, and here I am.

I was hired to teach marketing courses, initially a merchandising class we no longer offer, and Survey of Music Business. Now I teach the Marketing of Recorded Music class as well as classes for the Massey School and undergraduate classes in marketing.

I firmly believe that you learn best from hands-on experience and that is how I design my upper level courses. Making the class as close to 'real-world' as possible is difficult for me and the students, but in the long run it pays real dividends. One learns so much more from doing than from just reading or hearing about something.

My publishing and research interests include the impact of the Internet on music marketing, the effect in internships on salaries and hiring, and general music marketing.

These are tough times for the music industry. Some of it is self inflicted and some of it is the slow adjustment to a business market that embraces new technology. Still, the hard workers, the people with vision, will find or make a place for themselves in the industry. It is very rewarding to me to know that I play a part in the shaping of the future of the industry.

Mr. Schrum is an entertainment attorney with over 25 years experience advising clients in the areas of music, celebrity issues, endorsements, licensing and entrepreneurship. He has litigated several high-profile copyright infringement actions as an experienced litigator at the Federal level. 

As adjunct over the last ten years, Mr. Shrum teaches entertainment law, licensing, copyright, cyberlaw, music publishing, and other legal issues classes. 

Ronald P. Stroop is a native of Nashville and was a guest lecturer in the Music Business program at Belmont University in the mid-1980’s. He has seen Music City and Belmont grow and expand their influence and vision throughout the world over the years. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Samford University and a Doctor of Jurisprudence from Cumberland School of Law at Samford University. The career path has included a legal practice of corporate and business law with a specialty in entertainment, music, copyright, trademark, right of publicity and intellectual property law. Representation included all types of clients from artists, songwriters, artist managers, recording and publishing companies and movie and television producers of several network and cable shows. Entrepreneur ventures, consulting services and most recently managing contract negotiations, administration and intellectual property matters for a book publishing company has brought him full circle in 2011 to an adjunct position at Belmont teaching Copyright Law, Entertainment Law and Licensing, Survey of Music Business and Senior Capstone classes.

These years at Belmont University have been rewarding and I am enjoying the experience with a professional and knowledgeable faculty along with first class students and am excited to join them in continuing the vision of providing the entertainment industry with excellent future leaders.

Larry Wacholtz is a Full Professor for the CURB College of Entertainment & Music Business at Belmont University. He has taught a variety of courses within the college over his career and has a background in entrepreneurship, audio and visual production, industry related research in psychographics, marketing, event creation, management, music publishing, concert promotion, history, label operations and administration.

Wacholtz was the former Director for the Center of Entertainment Industry Entrepreneurship Education at Belmont University, President of Entertainment Media Research (MCA, & Word Records) and owner of Thumbs Up Publishing. He has consulted and contributed to industry-related companies (Musicnet.com, artistgrowth.com, and others). He has written several books on the industry including a Billboard publication and has been invited to many industry professional conferences for research papers presentations, panels and lectures. Wacholtz also developed the first audio engineering program for high school students in the U.S., worked as an audio engineer, created curriculum adapted by different universities, worked as an IATSE stage hand and was in the Special Forces, United States Air Force, serving in Vietnam.

Wacholtz has a passion to provide a solid foundation of industry-related information to help students achieve their industry related career goals. "I truly believe there are ways for artists to become financially successful by doing their own thing as part of the industry." 

Wacholtz is a charter member of the Collegiate Entrepreneurs Organization, C/o Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies, the Music and Entertainment Industry Educators Association, the United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship and the The National Recording Academy of Arts and Sciences (Grammy Awards).