Music Industry Professionals Nancy Moran and Fett to Speak on March 30

SMYRNA -- Singer-Songwriter/Artist Development Coach Nancy Moran and Producer/Recording Engineer Fett will provide insight on the Nashville music industry during a Zoom session from 12:30-1:30 p.m. March 30 (Wednesday) at Motlow State Community College.

Moran’s and Fett’s presentation, “The Ins and Outs of a Music Industry Career,” is part of Motlow’s “Famous Communicator Speakers Series.” The talk is open to all students, faculty, administrators and staff. 

Moran and Fett, who represent Azalea Music Group, are leading educators, entertainers, and decision-makers in Music City. 

“We will discuss our roles in the music industry and what students should do to prepare for full-time careers,” said Fett, who oversees a state-of-the-art recording studio in Brentwood, Tennessee. 

To access their Nashville music industry talk on Zoom, visit https://mscc.zoom.us/j/92500036184?pwd=T1BGSW44c1llNUl2MnZuRlFvNlNIUT09 Meeting ID: 925 0003 6184 Passcode: 707290 Attendees will be placed in the waiting room until the presentation begins.

Nancy Moran is an independent, folk-rock/Americana singer-songwriter who has been singing and performing professionally for more than 25 years at notable folk clubs, performing arts centers, house concerts, and festivals across the nation. With four solo albums to her credit, The Richmond (VA) Times-Dispatch called her “a [modern-day] Joni Mitchell,” as well as “a major force to be reckoned with.” 

From 2005-2012, Moran also toured as a member of The Four Bitchin’ Babes, an all-female group nationally renowned for their four-part vocal harmonies and highly entertaining and comedic performances. 

As co-founder of Azalea Music Group, she teaches musicians, singer-songwriters, indie artists, and other music-moguls-in-training how to get out of their own way so they can get their music out of their basement and into the world at large where it can make a difference. She specializes in working with the not-quite-mainstream and those “second-timers” coming back to music after a long hiatus. But she’s also been known to work with actors, writers, storytellers and other creatives because the principles of pursuing a creative life are often the same regardless of the medium. Learn more by visiting her website at musicmogulcoaching.com .

Fett is an independent music producer and engineer, author, music career coach, co-founder of the Azalea Music Group in Nashville, and recording/mixing engineer for the 2015 Australian number one album, Jason Owen’s “Friday Night.” He is the author of the popular book “Fett’s Mixing Roadmap: A Step-by-step Guide To Mixing Music In The Studio,” host of www.EmpoweringWomenInAudio.com, and teacher of hands-on recording and production clinics for women. 

Fett is the former technology editor for Performing Songwriter magazine, and occasional journalist for CMA Close Up, Drum!, and Keyboard magazines. His diverse list of clients includes Davy Jones of The Monkees, Grammy-winning songwriter Don Henry, and international guitar virtuosos Tommy Emmanuel and Muriel Anderson.

The “Famous Communicator Speakers Series” is sponsored by the Smyrna Entertainment Arts and Media Club and the Mass Communications program at Motlow State Community College. Upcoming speakers include Appalachian Photographer/Author Clark Wheeler on April 13 (Wednesday). To learn more about this event, contact Professor Charles Whiting at cwhiting@mscc.edu.  

Motlow to Stage First-Ever ‘Debbie Zimmerman Oratorical Contest’

SMYRNA -- The Smyrna Entertainment, Arts and Media Club and Motlow Humanities program are teaming up to stage the first-ever “Debbie Zimmerman Oratorical Contest” in April 2022.

The contest, which is named in honor of Professor Emeritus Debbie Zimmerman, is open to students from all four campuses who have already completed the COMM 2025 Fundamentals of Communication course, including dual-enrollment students. The registration deadline is April 1 (Friday).

Students who wish to participate in this activity will be asked to prepare and deliver a 10 to 15-minute persuasive speech on a topic of their choosing. Presentations may revolve around societal issues, medical topics, political topics, or topics dealing with other important issues or concepts. The participants will be eligible to receive award certificates and prizes. The overall contest winner will receive an engraved trophy.

Students can enter the contest by e-mailing Professor Robert Davenport at rdavenport@mscc.edu or by calling his office at (615) 220-7963 between now and April 1. They should provide their name, the Motlow campus where they attend, and the semester and year they completed the speech course (COMM 2025). Speech requirements will be e-mailed to students promptly after their contest registration is confirmed.

“Debbie Zimmerman was a longtime Motlow communication professor who was instrumental in building the speech curriculum at the College,” said Davenport, event coordinator and assistant professor of speech. “She is thrilled to have her name placed on the title of this contest and honored to be involved with this opportunity for students.”

The speech contest will feature one semifinal round on the Moore County campus on April 11 (for Moore County and Fayetteville students) and another semifinal round on the Smyrna campus on April 12 (for Smyrna and McMinnville students). The top five speakers from the semifinal rounds will advance to the final round on the Smyrna campus on April 18. 

The Dean of Students Office will help promote the event with flyers and announcements in their shell on D2L. Feel free to submit any questions or comments to Professor Davenport at rdavenport@mscc.edu. 

“This will be a great opportunity for Motlow students to gain more public speaking experience,” Davenport continued. “It is something they can include on resumes and applications for college and potential jobs.”

Davenport added that the plan is to make the “Debbie Zimmerman Oratorial Contest” an annual event for Motlow students. The SEAM Club and Humanities program are encouraging students to help Motlow make history by supporting this historic event.