Cheryl Carr

Author, Attorney, and Vocalist Cheryl Slay Carr is Professor of Music Business at Belmont University. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Michigan, received a Master of Public Administration from Clark-Atlanta University, earned her Juris Doctor degree from The University of Maryland, and received her Doctor of Education from Fairleigh Dickinson University. Dr. Carr began her career with Belmont University in 2008. As a professor, she has taught and designed courses including Copyright Law, Music Industry Contract Law, Building Your Authentic Career in the Music & Entertainment Industry, Legal Issues in the Entertainment Industry, and Law and Justice in the Movie and Music Industries. She is author of the book Music Business Careers: Career Duality in the Creative Industries, co-author of the book Music Copyright Law, and a contributing author to ABA-BNA published book Trademark Infringement Remedies. She speaks and writes extensively on entertainment industry topics with a focus on the intersection of law and art, entertainment industry careers and leadership, and diversity in the entertainment industry. Her doctoral research combined her interdisciplinary bases of knowledge, focusing on the intersection of DEI policymaking in higher education and film-Inspired leadership. In 2016 she was appointed Associate Dean of the Curb College, where she supported the mission of the college through oversight of its operations. Prior to joining Belmont, she worked as an intellectual property/entertainment law attorney and maintains a base of experience in representing filmmakers, novelists, record companies, musicians, technology companies and visual artists. Dr. Carr’s entertainment industry background is augmented by 17 years of experience in public policy through managing and advising federal public sector programs. She commenced federal service through the Presidential Management Fellowship program at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission under the chairmanship of Justice Clarence Thomas. During her years as a Fellow, she also served at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. She has served as an Attorney-Advisor for the Departmental Appeals Board of Health & Human Services, and as Division Director of administrative appeals at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. She completed the Harvard Law School Program of Instruction for Lawyers in International and Comparative Intellectual Property, is a Maryland Bar Foundation Fellow, and is an alumna of the 2010 class of Leadership Music. She has served a number of arts organization boards of directors, including Nashville Opera as Board President, Opera America, Maryland Lawyers for the Arts, Tennessee Jazz and Blues Society, Jazz Education Network, the Association for Popular Music Education, Creatives Day, and the Association of Arts Administration Educators. She has been honored as a recipient of the Nashville Business Journal Women of Influence award, Nashville Business Journal Women in Music City award, and is an nFocus magazine Model Behavior honoree. She is an experienced singer and producer of Invocation, an EP of her jazz-inspired recordings  (www.musicarr.com).