On the Road
Award-Winning Alum shares experiences with top names in music business
Zoe Heim, O&B Staff Writer
Issue date: 11/21/08 Section: Features
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Haney is a celebrated alumnus of the College's communication department and Carson-Newman students had the opportunity to meet with him on the heels of his worldwide tour with Eric Clapton. Haney is a Live Event Director who was honored last month with the Parnelli Award for "Video Director of the Year." The Parnellis are the Oscars of the live event industry.
While students were impressed with his resume, they were most intrigued by his stories and experiences with some of the most identifiable entertainment celebrities. Barbra Streisand, Britney Spears, Bon Jovi, Kenny Chesney, Jay Z, Dixie Chicks, George Strait, Randy Travis, and Allan Jackson were among the artists he has served.
Speaking to Professor Cragwall's Mass Media class, Haney gave insights about his life as a student and openly confessed that while in school he dealt with his own uncertainties about the future. "I had all these dreams and desires, but I didn't know what I wanted to do," said Haney. While his future was not clear to him, he appreciated the education that Carson-Newman provided. Haney stressed, "Carson-Newman offered an opportunity for me to see all aspect of communication. Carson Newman communication program allowed me a good hands-on experience." He continued, "You have unique opportunity here. The smaller class sizes make a big difference."
In a moment of candor Haney spoke of one of his biggest regrets as a student, not trying harder in Spanish. During his international travels he faced many situations where it would have been of great value to speak Spanish. He said, "I didn't try hard in Spanish because I thought it would be pointless." He encouraged student to work hard because you never know how important things will be in the future.
He now calls LA a home and admits it is expensive due to the extremely high cost of living. Unfortunately he doesn't have much time to enjoy the positive attributes of the city because he spends at least two hundred and fifty to three hundred days out of the year on the road with the music artists he serves.
Haney offered the students wise counsel, "Learn, excel, and make it your own. Be efficient with time and learn to manage it." He also urged student to remember, "Relationships are the most important thing you can develop in your professional life. Whatever you do, learn to get along with people. Respect diversity" Then he closed with a familiar adage, "Keep your friendships close to you and your enemies closer."
Haney mentioned he had traveled to over 50 countries and 1100 cities. He is married to Nadia and they have two children. Nadia is a marketing professional for Universal Home Video. She specializes in developing strategies for film distribution that encompasses theater to home video. They share a passion for the entertainment business, but respect that their worlds are very different. Their lifestyle requires that they both stay very organized and work hard at staying connected to each other.
Samples of Haney's videos can be viewed at www.markhaneytv.
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