Nashville in the Summer

This Summer I spent my time in Nashville, Tennessee working for Sony ATV Music and the BIG 98 Country radio station, and I have to say that living in Nashville was the most amazing experience of my life. I was able to spend time in a city where I had something in common with everyone around me; a passion for music.

I had never been a huge country music fan, but after working for a few country radio stations in college, I grew to really love it, and I knew that I would be immersed in it when I arrived in Tennessee. There is a different sense of emotion in country music that can appeal to just about anyone who listens, and it doesn’t matter their age or gender, which is something I love.

During my time at Sony I learned a lot about songwriters as opposed to artists. I was also able to see that a lot of really amazing music written throughout the years would never be heard because it didn’t fit into a certain album or time period. That really made me upset as a true music lover because some of the songs that I have fallen in love with this summer were better than most songs on the radio today and would never be heard outside of Sony.

It was great to simultaneously be working at a country radio station because I was able to follow the path of the songs that Sony songwriters wrote in May and hit the radio in August, becoming a huge hit. I learned about a lot of new country artists that I think ya’ll, that’s the Tennessee in me, should definitely check out.

If you haven’t heard of Brett Eldridge yet, it’s time you take a listen. He has songs all over iTunes now and his music is so real. He is the kind of country without the twang that I favorite most. His song, “Mean to Me,” is definitely my favorite on his new album. However, not the most popular, so you may have to do some digging to find it. If you are in love, or ever have been, this song is bound to touch you in some way.

Joel Crouse is also an up and coming artist who is currently on tour with Taylor Swift. Instead of listening to his new music, I would suggest looking up his older covers on YouTube and chances are you will fall in love faster than you did when Luke Bryan first came out.

Lastly, my favorite song of the summer comes from a duo that is strictly Nashville based. Striking Matches is a duo that writes most of the songs Scarlet and Gunner from ABC’s hit show Nashville. Their original, “When the Right One Comes Along,” is the best-written, heart-felt song I have heard in a long time.

Remember, I always love feedback from my articles, so if you listened to any of these suggestions, or have any opinions I’d love to hear from you at my school email address or through social media! It always helps to know if the things I suggest are received well or not so I can know what to change or keep the same when writing my articles! I cannot wait to start conducting artist interviews this year and I have so many show reviews lined up for ya’ll. Be sure to always check the bulletin boards on the first floor of Dodds for the latest shows that will be happening at The Space or Toad’s so that you can attend and read my feedback the following week to see whether or not you agree.