Why We Are Proud To Live In Music City USA
It seems quite appropriate that we eventually ended up living in "Music City, USA" since we have a unique appreciation for songwriters, the music industry, and songs that aren't necessarily mainstream. We feel so fortunate to live in such a musically-rich town.
Did you know that Nashville plays a vital role in the making of ALL sorts of music - not just Country? Everyone knows about Nashville's rich history that gave Country music its roots. But few are aware of the fact that MANY of today's Pop acts actually record their music in Nashville's recording studios, too.
Don't get me wrong though, we actually partake in a good deal of old time Country "festivating"! ...I know that's not actually a word, but any time we hear about an opportunity to see a handful of classic Country music stars in one place, you can bet we'll be there, and it's usually an event or a festival of some sort.
And, places like the Grand 'Ole Opry and the Ryman Auditorium... You can't help but feel privileged just to enter the same buildings that the stars of yesterday got their start. Truth is, you can actually see just as many pop/rock stars performing in those places as you do the old-timers these days. The facilities are frequently rented out as concert halls for some of the biggest names today.
But without a doubt, our favorite place to spend the evening listening to music would have to be the Bluebird Cafe. It's such a well-respected establishment, both locally and nationally. I believe it was Bruce Feiler, author of "Dreaming Out Loud" who referred to it something like this: "The Ryman Auditorium is the 'mother church' of country music, and the Bluebird Cafe is its 'front porch.'"
These "songwriter nights" (held all around Nashville in places like The Bluebird, Douglas Corner and Puckett's Grocery) are so much fun to go to. It's where all the no-names who penned the popular songs you hear on the radio get together and strum on their guitars and tell about the stories behind those songs. Many are also good singers, just not good enough, or they just don't have "the look" that would make them marketable as singers. We tend to prefer the no-names who are amazingly talented over most of the famous artists, anyway.
Nashville is truly a songwriter's paradise! And we have both come to appreciate the songwriters, just as much as the singers, these days.
Photos of the singers & songwriters we've seen
Everyone -
I've never been to the two places Ben mentioned in the comment above. Here are links to their websites:
Ben just emailed me to explain that Owl's Hill is a private nature center that is owned & operated by Cheekwood. Owl's Hill is mostly a nature preserve and they run kids day camps in the summer. They also rent the area for events and have scheduled nature tours/hikes, as well as a bluebird and butterfly program.
Thanks for the info, Ben!
Hello. I just stumbled upon your blog and thought it was rather nice to see some local news on Franklin. I am originally from Franklin, but moved away for college and have since migrated to Dallas. I especially enjoy seeing pictures of the area in the banner. If you get a chance to check out Cheekwood Gardens and Owl's Hill Nature Center, do so. Take care, Ben