City Beat: 'Can I Get a Volunteer' getting big attention

photo David Hewgley and Heather Jakeman wrote and recorded "Can I Get A Volunteer."

The University of Georgia in Athens announced two weeks ago it is looking for a signature song to play over the public address system during football games to fire up the crowd during key moments. The Vols in Knoxville have long played "Rocky Top," much to the annoyance of every visiting player and fan, but they could have a new song to go with it this fall.

Heather Jakeman and husband Brian Hewgley, a 1995 Baylor School graduate, wrote and recorded "Can I Get a Volunteer" last year, and it drew the attention of some folks at Vol For Life Films. They do a lot of UTK athletics promotions and plan to record a video for the song this summer in Neyland Stadium. The plan is to show the video on the big screen to fire up the fans.

Hewgley grew up in South Pittsburg, Tenn. He met Jakeman, a professional musician who has sung all over the world, in China at a restaurant/bar where she was singing. The two struck up a conversation, "and we've been together ever since," Hewgley said.

The two now live in upstate New York, where he does patent licensing and technology transfer for General Electric. He is also a songwriter and has used his knowledge and experience in both worlds to create a record label, Nickajack Records, to handle publishing and developing of Jakeman's brand, he said.

"Can I Get a Volunteer" was recorded at Blackbird Studio in Nashville and can be heard at heatherjakeman.com, Spotify and Soundcloud. It is also getting some radio interest.

¦ Geoff James grew up thinking he would become a teacher like his parents and brother, but while studying at Dalton State College, he "got hooked on films."

"Like, I would watch 10 a day or something insane like that," he says.

In 2007, he got a part in "It's a Wonderful Life" at the Chattanooga Theatre Centre, fell in love with acting and moved to California to attend the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.

For the last several years, he has been making short films with former Ridgeland High School classmates Christopher Flippo and Benson Greene. The three have formed Cindicate Productions, and their latest project, "The Future West," is a 20-minute coming-of-age short shot in the North Georgia area.

It is available online at http://youtu.be/ uDj2h_4OYUc.

Contact Barry Courter at bcourter@timesfree press.com or 423-757-6354.

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