...why I hang my hat in Tennessee

Nashville has exposed me to what I believe is one of the most enlightening art forms: real music. real words. thoughts that matter. phrases inspired by a good one-liner, a broken heart or a life lesson. songs impromtuly written driving down the interstate, sitting on a front porch or on an airline sickness bag...lyrical masterpieces.

The great stereotype about Nashville is that it's a country music town...a la Kenny Chesney, Tim McGraw, Garth Brooks. Not so much. Nashville is a music town, a town that lives for the song. The heartbeat of this great city is far from the country music you hear on the radio or the seven hundred forty third cover you've heard of Dixieland Delight. It's our friends on the bar stools. Our friends singing their guts out on a Monday night. Feeling and living each word that comes out of their mouths, with long shot hopes of their song striking a chord with the one someone who may or may not be in the audience that night.

It's the songwriters: their words, their melody and their six string make Nashville a music town, a town that lives for the song.

We tend to take for granted that we can hear some of the greatest live music any time of day, any day of the week. But it's true. Since we experience this at least three times a week, it's inevitable that music become part of your life. While you'll never find me or many of my friends behind the microphone (invited, at least) or strumming chords...we live to sing each word of every song (cover or original) and to experience the feeling that runs from your gut to your toes when you hear the first chord, get the urge to make that first stomp, clap your hands and take it to the dance floor...in that moment, each note runs through your veins.

I could tell several stories where I've wept watching a songwriter sing a song for the first time, in it's rawest form. I was fortunate to witness one guy, his guitar and a bar stool capture his audience with one song and ten minutes later he had a deal with Capitol Records...and has now sold a million records. I can't count the number of songs that I hear for the first time and walk away believing that were written about my life. It can only be described as magic.

We frequent our second home (and bar) nearly every Monday night to hear some of our dearest friends play. Hands down, it's my favorite night in Nashville..yes Monday, yes EVERY Monday. Last night, one of the guys sang a song he wrote several months ago. I've heard the song no less than 20 times and can sing along to every word. This song has never been cut but is getting a few bites and deserves to be heard by the world. Last night as he began the song I quickly recollected the story behind the song and sighed wondering if he's tired of singing it yet. But one verse later the same words I've heard so many times took over. It didn't matter that this was the twenty-seventh time I'd heard it...it hit me. And in the same moment, I caught Libby's eye and we looked at each other sharing broken hearts and admiration over two absolutely amazing lines. Controlling our emotions was out of the question...she yelled "I love this town", I was silenced and shook my head in pure awe over the simple phrase that spoke volumes. His words, the symbolism and the imagery created an emotion and piece of art that cannot be experienced in any other platform.

I have several close friends chasing and living the dream and I do love and live to hear their next masterpiece (numerous songs about rivers and the riverbank and me-eee-e-e that are 12 minutes long ...every go-girl, heartbreak, rebound boy song from the reigning kissing queen...and solemn tales of a rambling music man). But thanks to this town I have gained the utmost respect and admiration for each of these brilliant minds behind the song who do what seems to be a simple task, picking up a guitar and singing. But it's more than that...they are a blank canvas, completely vulnerable as they expose themselves, their lives and thoughts to us. They bring us a song, they bring us their song, and the canvas is soon bleeding with color. And our lives are enriched because of it...let the music play.