By Liz Nolan, Contributing Writer
Southborough – Southborough native Channing Moreland co-founded the award-winning digital platform EVAmore while a sophomore at Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn. She was a guest speaker at the first annual Music Entrepreneur Conference at Harvard University held April 7-8.
Music was always a part of Moreland’s life starting with playing the violin at a young age, and eventually transitioning to other instruments like the saxophone, guitar and piano. She also has written and produced songs.
The P. Brent Trottier Middle School music teacher Jamison Clark first met Moreland as a sixth-grader in his school orchestra. Moreland describes Clark as a huge mentor and advocate.
“Even then you could tell that she was an outlier – someone who would be an innovator, a game changer,” Clark said.
After graduating from Algonquin Regional High School in 2012, Moreland pursued her college degree at Belmont University in its songwriting program at a time when Nashville was experiencing a lot of growth in the music industry.
College was where she met and became fast friends with Makenzie Stokel. Moreland said there was always so much to do in Nashville and she and Stokel loved going to live shows and being fully immersed in the music scene. They would often track performances at venues online, and that is when, as sophomores, the two friends had an idea that they thought the music community needed.
With the help of developers and a team of knowledgeable people, EVAmore (Events, Venues, Artists and more) is the result of that idea – a digital platform that automates booking live musical entertainment.
Searching for live performers for an event can take a lot of time and be stressful. With EVAmore, hosts can create a free listing with their preferred criteria such as location, budget, and type of music, and artists registered on the platform will receive notifications if they meet the specified criteria.
The company has grown from booking live entertainment for college festivals and showcases at Nashville venues to expanding into other areas of the country, now including 30 southeastern college campuses and most recently the Austin, Texas, area. Venues include conventions, conferences, hotels and private parties.
Although there may be similar platforms, Moreland said that EVAmore has a premium vibe and solely concentrates on musical entertainment. There is a strict vetting process for registered artists.
“If you come to EVAmore, you will get the best,” she said.
The company is getting a lot of attention. The founders have won awards, including the 2015 Young Entrepreneur of the Year from the Nashville Chamber of Commerce.
Originally focused on the performance side of music, Moreland is thankful that she was open to other ways to incorporate music into a career.
“I knew I would be involved with music,” she said. “I love music and being around it.”
“She has achieved great things since moving to Nashville,” said Clark. “This is the beginning of what will be an astonishing career.”
Information on EVAmore can be found at www.evamore.co, on Facebook, and on the Music Entrepreneur Conference at www.musicentrepreneurconference.com.
