Why Taylor Swift is so good for Nashville (a.k.a., quit your belly aching)
I had the privilege of running sound for a concert at the Factory in Franklin last night for Ashley Cleveland and a new Warner Bros. recording artist named Jason Reeves. It was a simple acoustic set for each artist but Jason did have a percussionist. I share this because our conversations shed a little little on why Nashville is such a draw right now as a Creative and Artistic center for more and more artists and different forms of music beside country. Jason was explaining to me how he recorded half of his new record in LA and the other half at a guys house here in Nashville. In the same sentence he said, "Nashville is way better." Now this is a kid who followed his dream from Iowa to LA, met some key people, co-wrote all of Colbie Caillat's material, like the hit "Bubbly," lives in LA but wants to move here. Charlie Peacock is somewhat to thank for this event. Jason's percussionist/drummer was an amazingly creative and skilled player who can't wait to move here as well. But I digress...
The real reason of this post is to give my reasons for loving what young artists like Taylor Swift, Hillary Scott (Lady A), Keith Urban and a host of others are doing to make Nashville truly "Music City." Yes their primary market is (or has been) country, but they are expanding the genre in unprecedented ways. There are many musical styles and many people enjoy several kinds of music, but Taylor, right now, is bring attention to Nashville at new levels. I think it is time to end the arguments of whether or not she can sing, or if she is only an anomaly - flash in the pan - and focus on the benefits we could all experience if Nashville continues to get the kind of national attention we are getting right now.
This morning I was going over my Grammy voting possibilities and there Taylor is for Record of the Year with "You Belong To Me" alongside Lady Gaga, Black-eyed Peas, Kings of Leon (also a Middle TN act) and Beyonce. I have to say, after listening to each of those songs, I hope she wins. If I didn't know who each artist was as I listened to the production, song quality, performance, etc. I would have chosen her song as the best I heard. Plain and simple. As an aside, I happen to love all the other artists in the category as well.
So, where do you stand? Can you embrace what Taylor has done (is doing) for Nashville?
The real reason of this post is to give my reasons for loving what young artists like Taylor Swift, Hillary Scott (Lady A), Keith Urban and a host of others are doing to make Nashville truly "Music City." Yes their primary market is (or has been) country, but they are expanding the genre in unprecedented ways. There are many musical styles and many people enjoy several kinds of music, but Taylor, right now, is bring attention to Nashville at new levels. I think it is time to end the arguments of whether or not she can sing, or if she is only an anomaly - flash in the pan - and focus on the benefits we could all experience if Nashville continues to get the kind of national attention we are getting right now.
This morning I was going over my Grammy voting possibilities and there Taylor is for Record of the Year with "You Belong To Me" alongside Lady Gaga, Black-eyed Peas, Kings of Leon (also a Middle TN act) and Beyonce. I have to say, after listening to each of those songs, I hope she wins. If I didn't know who each artist was as I listened to the production, song quality, performance, etc. I would have chosen her song as the best I heard. Plain and simple. As an aside, I happen to love all the other artists in the category as well.
So, where do you stand? Can you embrace what Taylor has done (is doing) for Nashville?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Duane Hitchings on -
I had the pleassure of standing in a long line at the Regal Movie Theatre in Hendersonville, TN with Taylor and her mother and had a great conversation with both of them. Not only are they the "real deal" but just plain people from a small town in America. HINT: The number ONE reason the Beatles exploded on the music scene in America was the record sales and concert sell outs all over America and the world were tennage girls. Women buy the majority of country and pop records - right around 80% !! I went back out to get more salt on my popcorn and I over heard a tennage girl talking to her friends about they obviosly saw her in line earlier ) mentioning in some interview about singers she loved ( Taylor) such as Patsy Cline, Reba MaEntire and George Strait as examples AND they wanted to get their recordings and was wondering if they were as young as Taylor !!!! They did not have a clue who Patsy, Reba or George were and they were going to buy there albums ! Taylor, like Garth Brooks and Shania Twain is a HUGE boost in the "arm" to country and music that don't have "MFs" in it - and I am not just talking about rap !!! Country just grew by leaps and bounds , thanks to this young lady. 'Nuff said,
Duane Hitching
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Permalink Reply by Bob Olhsson on -
Great point!
Lots of folks forget that Elvis Presley turned the world on to R&B music and never considered himself nearly as great a singer as the artists he idolized. Sometimes what looks like a trend turns out to really be a bridge.
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Permalink Reply by Joe Pasquale on -
Kudos Bret- in the mid 80's in Mpls- Prince was popping- and the eyes of the industry followed him to Mpls where they found Jam & Lewis, the Replacements, Husker Du, INSOC, the Jets, Paula Abdul, SOS band, Human League, Janet Jackson, Mint Condition, Alexander O'Neal and of course the Time- i am leaving out a lot of other acts- but all these bands had hits all in the same 5-10 year period- and all were an out growth of the attention that was afforded MPLS by virtue of Princes success. Your comments are absolutely on point !!
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Permalink Reply by Pete Warren on -
Paula Abdul came out of Mpls? (yeah, I can't spell it either) I remember Dann talking about playing on her first record. He said something to the tune of, "it was the most boring music ever, I had no idea it'd be such a hit."
AHHH..... Paula fits VERY WELL into this discussion on this thread, but need I say more?
Question is, are artists that are big hits good for the business? Yes, they allow us to make more music. Period. I'd love to produce a girl-band with Taylor, Miley, LIndsey, Paris and Brittany. I'd make so much freaking money from it. Plus, there'd be the videos to sell to the paparazzi. I can spell that. Sad. Anyway... Idea is, that the HIGHLY COMMERCIAL stuff supports the artistic stuff that fewer people want to buy. Reality. So let's find more Taylor Swits, so we can produce more Merry Ellen Kirks.
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Permalink Reply by Judy Whiting on -
All of these comments are great feedback. Me I have been here 29 years now and have seen many different turns and spins on what is termed Country Music. I also came from LA and go back periodically. But our town has an awesome reputation and now
once again the tied turns. All I can say is YEA Taylor and all the other great stylists. Most of us publishers also would give their
right arm to have a CUT BY HER our Keith, and many of the newbies or are they. Look at Sugarland WOW Hillary Scott.
Their is a feeling in our town too, RECORDING, Songwriting, The best is here and alot of us know that! so all I can say is
I am GLAD I STAYED and I know where my votes are going. Would like to see more of OUR MUSIC ON THE GRAMMY's
Merry Christmas, to all
JUDY WHITING
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Permalink Reply by Charlotte Autry on
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When you examine the Taylor Swift issue.. you have to consider the average age of her fans, excluding those who are actually paying for the tickets/cd's/mp3 downloads.... aka the legal guardians of her fans... I'm going to guess 15.... Taylor is actually a peer to the median fan that she draws, and has struck a nerve with an age group that is being introduced, however it is engineered, to a genre of music that is based in Nashville and is basically still called 'country', with her label based in Nashville... These fans would not be caught listening to the 'Possum', no disrespect.. I am a huge fan, but they simply can't relate... not even to 'He Stopped Lovin' Her Today'.... Thankfully Taylor is bringing in country fans that will eventually broaden their musical spectrums as she 'hooks' 'em in... GREAT JOB TAYLOR!! Who else could've brought in this generation??
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Permalink Reply by Casey Stark on -
My daughter is ten years old this December. She adores Taylor Swift and Miley Cyrus....plays their music and sings to their songs using her hairbrush as a microphone in front of her mirror every day. She also adores the classics (which thankfully, I introduced her to). A budding new songwriter herself, she has written four songs just this year alone. I am excited about her future, and the fact that there is finally such great music to inspire her on the radio again!
The appeal is younger than everyone thinks...younger than 14 - a genius figured out how to appeal to a much younger audience and win the parents too! As a mother and a songwriter I can honestly say - there was this perfect little lost audience..... really; those whose mother's refused to let their daughters listen to Britney and the others because they were just TOO DANG MATURE.
They won me, with Miley and Taylor, Lady A....etc.
I proudly turned on the radio again.
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Permalink Reply by Penny Campbell-Loewen on -
I can totally embrace what Taylor is doing. I admire the girl, she is a very intelligent. Who knows if the momentum she has now will last, it may die down as her core fan base grows up, but she is doing everything right at the moment, and no one can deny that. And she is a savvy little songwriter too, and even if her singing career wains her songwriting should just get better and better. Wish she was my daughter… (grin)
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