Tiff Merritt
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Schools That Rock
5. Nashville
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Nashville isn't just the town where aspiring country singers hope to get discovered; it's also one of the best places to study for a job behind the scenes in the music industry. Middle Tennessee State University -- located in the surprisingly hip Murfreesboro, Tennessee -- boasts one of the pre-eminent recording-industry management programs in the country. In Nashville proper, Vanderbilt University's Blair School of Music offers a dual- degree program that allows students to graduate in five years with both a bachelor of music degree and a master of education degree. But the most worthwhile music program in Nashville is offered by Belmont University's Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business. Students who graduate receive a BBA (bachelor of business administration) with a concentration in entertainment and music business. Belmont, whose alumni include Lee Ann Womack and American Idol contestant Kimberly Locke, offers extensive internship-placement programs. Venues: To get a country-music education off campus, head to Ryman Auditorium; the 113-year-old venue has hosted concerts by everyone from Dolly Parton to James Brown. Nashville also has a strong rock scene, and most of the best shows are at the Belcourt Theatre. The historic building doubles as the city's reigning independent music house. And Exit/In has survived numerous closings and reopenings in its thirty-four-year history -- and, in the process, become one of Nashville's top venues. Record Stores: Though the Great Escape -- which is a stone's throw from the infamous Music Row -- stocks a reliable selection of vinyl, the best shop in town is Grimey's record store, a paradigm of indie and vintage goodness.
(Posted July 28, 2005)
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- Portions of Album Content Provided by All Music Guide © 2009 All Media Guide, LLC.
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