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April 1, 2005
Belmont Copyright Society on the rise in Nashville
On Wednesday, I arrived in Nashville to beautiful sunny weather and friendly people. I was a little nervous to be doing my show for the traditionally conservative christian school of Belmont University, but also excited to be reaching out across traditional lines. The show was part of a required seminar series, so the auditorium was packed with several hundred students, my biggest show yet.
After I finished my show (along with unfortunate laptop difficulties), Dean Van Hook asked me a few questions about myself and my work. The two student questions at the end were really interesting. The first was from a skeptical student, which gave me a chance to dispel the Creative Commons vs. Copyright myth, which seems to be far too common. The second question asked if I thought that these issues were part of a larger social trend toward Do it Yourself efforts. She got us thinking about how all music used to be local, around a piano or campfire. I responded that yes, this is definitely part of a larger trend toware a more participatory culture.
The folks from the Belmont Copyright Society were not only really cool, but they also seemed to have a solid grasp on the issues and a pretty good profile on campus. I was also happy to see that the group included a politically diverse group of students, some of whom were skeptical about bringing me here, but happy with the result.
Having a drink after the show with everyone gave me the sense that they have an important role to play at this small college in the middle of one of the capital city's of the music industry. My only regret is that I haven't been able to see more of Nashville, as I've been fighting a cold over the last few days.
A sincere thanks to the Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business, all the folks at the Copyright Society, and the inspirational Michael Harrington (who I'll hopefully get to meet in the future), for a meaningful and fun time in Nashville. Keep up the good work.
Posted by Colin at April 1, 2005 5:01 PM
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