Belmont Breaks Ground On New Curb College Facility On Music Row

Pictured (L-R): Rev. Sunsan Jones, Dr. Greg Jones, Mike and Linda Curb, Brittany Schaffer and Milton Johnson. Photo: Sam Simpkins

Belmont University has broken ground on the new Curb College Facility at 15 Music Circle South, expanding the Mike Curb College of Entertainment & Music Business’s Music Row footprint with an industry-immersive learning center.

The building will feature audio engineering labs, a content capture and podcast production studio, a multi-function ballroom, and a dedicated band practice space. It will also house the Center for Mental Health in Entertainment, made possible through support from the Country Music Association, offering resources and programming across music, film, TV and sports.

The project was made possible by a $58 million lead gift from Mike and Linda Curb and the Mike Curb Foundation, the largest gift in Belmont’s history. The facility, designed by ESa and constructed by R.C. Matthews, reflects both the history of Music Row and Belmont’s commitment to the industry it has served for half a century.

“Fifty years ago, the music industry came to Belmont with a need, and Belmont said yes,” says Belmont University President Dr. Greg Jones. “That instinct has always been at the heart of who we are: a university that believes education is about more than career preparation. It is about forming people of character who go into their industries and make them better. We break ground today because we believe the best of this industry is still ahead, and we intend to help build it.”

“Music Row has been at the center of everything we do and preserving it for future generations has always been a priority,” says Mike Curb, chairman and owner of Curb Records, and namesake of Belmont’s College of Entertainment & Music Business. “Belmont has been an extraordinary partner in making sure the next generation of music industry leaders are ready to carry this industry forward. This building is an investment in that future, and I could not be prouder to see it become part of Music Row’s story.”

Located near the heart of Nashville, Belmont University consists of nearly 9,000 students who come from every state and 33 countries. The University is nationally recognized for its innovative approach as well as its commitment to undergraduate teaching, and with more than 115 areas of undergraduate study, 41 master’s programs and eight doctoral degrees, aims to be the leading Christ-centered university in the world.