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鈥淟ife at Belmont is all about music,鈥� says one student. 鈥淢any people here want to make a career out of their musical abilities, and many people want to make careers out of other people鈥檚 musical abilities.鈥� Belmont鈥檚 famous music business program lets students tap into the musical lifeblood of surrounding Nashville. 鈥淵ou can get an internship or learn how to manage an artist.鈥� Other School of Music undergraduate majors include church music, commercial music, and musical theater performance. Belmont 鈥渉as one of the best nursing programs in the state,鈥� and the popular social work program boasts 鈥渆xcellent鈥� faculty. The school鈥檚 academic atmosphere emphasizes faith: 鈥淭eachers pray in class before tests and some invite the class as a group to attend their church. Some send you verses with your lessons.鈥� Belmont doesn鈥檛 鈥渆ven hire鈥� non-Christian professors, a policy that, although common to Christian colleges, stirred controversy when a Jewish candidate advanced through the faculty hiring process only to be considered ineligible for the post. Students say, however, that 鈥渞eligion is not forced on anyone.鈥� Most professors are very attentive, closely monitoring student progress; one student says, 鈥淚 had a professor call me because I was late to a class once.鈥� In general, faculty members 鈥渒now your name and face and remember you after you have finished their class.鈥� One student warns, however, that the best teachers are not always the most involved: 鈥淪o far this semester, the professors who do not know my name have taught me more than the professors who know my name and can鈥檛 communicate the time of day effectively.鈥�

鈥淎nything that would stand out at a major state university is basically the norm鈥� at Belmont, where the typical student is a 鈥渉ip,鈥� 鈥淛esus-loving,鈥� 鈥渕usic business major鈥�---a cool Christian kid who is 鈥渕ost likely in a band or working with one.鈥� The ambitious 鈥渕usic junkies鈥� are 鈥渧ery culturally aware鈥� and 鈥渒now exactly how they鈥檙e going to get where they want to be.鈥� Ethnically, Belmont is 鈥渘ot a very diverse school,鈥� but 鈥渋ndividuality鈥� reigns 鈥渋n ideas, styles of dress, taste in music, [and] philosophies.鈥� One student jokes that 鈥渢he campus looks like an indie band concert.鈥� Students are 鈥渧ery friendly鈥� and 鈥渁ccepting to atypical students.鈥� One happy undergrad says, 鈥淓veryone here is their own animal, and we all love the Zoo.鈥�

The stereotypical college party, with its keg stands and top 40 soundtrack, is definitely not the norm on Belmont鈥檚 鈥渄ry campus,鈥� located 鈥渁 block or two from [Nashville鈥檚] Music Row.鈥� Instead of partying, 鈥淧eople think about what they are going to do with the rest of their lives using the talents they have acquired. For fun, people play instruments, eat, and just watch movies or attend concerts鈥� with performers 鈥渞anging from small, unsigned artists to major recording artists.鈥� 鈥淓veryone has music on their mind鈥�; students 鈥済o downtown to the Wildhorse Saloon, The Bluebird Cafe,鈥� or the 鈥淕rand Ole Opry.鈥� The same goes on campus, where 鈥淎t any given moment, you can hear someone practicing or performing.鈥� Belmont鈥檚 predominantly religious students appreciate the option to attend 鈥渁 Bible Study every night of the week.鈥� Nontraditional students report little involvement in college life: 鈥淭he working adults have full-time jobs during the day that they have to mold class schedules around, and they pretty much stick to themselves.鈥�