Harlan Pease presents his "Coffee Songs" played at the Pavilion Coffee House

Let me introduce Harlan Pease singing some of his "Coffee Series" songs. Harlan is from New England and has become one of the better songwriters/performers I have run across. Harlan was named the 2012 " NashvilleEar.com "Best of the Best" songwriter.
This video is him playing at the Pavilion Coffee House a few songs he has written about coffee. Excellent Lyrics with all his songs along with some pretty smooth and fancy guitar playing.

http://youtu.be/Znq1tgxvOzI

Brittany Blaire performs "Say Goodbye" at The Bluebird Cafe

The best advise for breaking up with someone you used to be in love with.. just "Say goodbye"
This is good songwriter who showed up from Utah about 4 years ago.

This is Brittany Blaire Andersen. She is an example of the kind of songwriters we need to come to Nashville.
She is a school teacher, a songwriter, a performer and an actor. Well rounded people like her make the lives of everyone around them richer from the experience. Brittany is like that. a pure joy to be around. Funny happy and full of energy is how I would describe her. Enjoy her performance of "Say Goodbye".

http://youtu.be/ZHmXfiApcsA

Bex Marshall playing some Smokin Blues in Mississippi

This tail-kicking song was played by Bex Marshall at Ground Zero Blues Club in Clarksdale, Mississippi during Juke Joint Festival 2014. Bex rightly tore the place up! Shot on location by Reed R. Radcliffe / TripleRPhotography
I met this lady in Nashville at a fellow musicians home. She is one of those people who light a room up when she walks in. Her personality is similar to the way she plays her resonator guitar. She is a joy to know. She is also one of the finest blues player I have met in Nashville. Enjoy her song "Bite Me" written about her husband Barry Marshall.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lg2jjXd1ar0&feature=share&list=PL63557741F812E804&index=9

Karla Davis is just amazingly good in this entire set

Rarely do I sit and watch a songwriter with my mouth open and hanging on each word of the lyrics. I found myself doing exactly that Saturday evening at the Pavilion Coffee House. Karla Davis is so darn good. I am surprised I had not heard of her before now. Listen to a killer set of great songs. They are all good but the last one in the set was written for her Dad... it is very moving.. you will love this set of 4 songs.
http://youtu.be/CjKc3vomPEY

Does a song change when recorded by a major star? You tell me?

Just to show how this works for you new songwriters...


There is a guy name Joel Shewmake. He is a fantastic songwriter. He is the "Best of the Best " for 2013 awarded by the NashvilleEar.com. He has several songs recorded by major country music stars.

He wrote a song called "Tough Times Dont Last Tough People Do" so he comes on to the NashvilleEar.com Songwriter Stage and sings it one Saturday morning after hanging with his good buddy Harlan Pease all night enjoying adult beverages. I have them scheduled to play at 10am on Saturday morning at Bost Harley Davidson dealership. They were very happy to find the coffee and Krispy Kreme Doughnuts.

They hit the stage and amazingly they are fine and playing like it was 10pm instead of 10am. I have always wondered how they do that??
Joel plays several songs but this one really stuck in my mind. I am thinking this is one great song, Here is what I heard on the NashvilleEar Songwriter Stage in Nashville: Joel playing his song like he hears it in his mind.
http://youtu.be/J8n1iyQTnac


Time Lapse about 6 months and I see Travis Adkins singing this same song on the Republican National Convention stage. Joel hit a home run with this song. Here is why lyrics matter!
Here is what I heard on TV six months later:
http://youtu.be/-sxxIdc7vP8

Terry Wooley is impressive at Bost Harley Davidson in Nashville TN.

This one of the few times I did not know who I was dealing with. I asked Terry Wooley  to play my Songwriter Stage not knowing he was a major songwriter and performer. He kicked off his set and I was totally blown away.
This is one of the best songwriters and performers in Nashville. Enjoy some great songs. Each song is perfectly written and performed. Terry is a true professional in the songwriting business in Nashville Tennessee.
http://youtu.be/MD6WUmQoJcM

Taylor Dukes playing at the Pavilion Coffee House.

This is one amazing performance!
Taylor Dukes was in rare form last Saturday evening at the Pavilion Coffee House.
Each song was better than the last. She has the most soft, mellow, jazzy voice I have heard in years.I could listen to her for hours. Taylor Dukes will be a big hit in this town soon.
Listen to some amazing music .
http://youtu.be/tz7ZjnLfa1M

Tommy Tietjen singing at the Pavilion Coffee House in Nashville Tn.

This is Tommy Tietjen singing at the Pavilion Coffee House in Nashville Tn.
His keyboard player got out before I caught his name.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYfb1MUN6k4&list=UUNhiLd4IaO0YPnok5nSverA&feature=share&index=8

Mike Shipley knows how to enter a Songwriters Gig in Nashville

 This is recalled by Steve McNaron the host of the NashvilleEar songwriter
stage about Mike Shipley..
When you pulled up to the songwriter stage at Bost Harley Davidson  I was
blown away!
Mike pulls up on his own fully loaded custom Harley with his guitar strapped
to the side. Not only was it strapped literately with leather but the guitar
case was made from a buffalo hide! Very cool.
Then he starts playing some of the most entertaining songs I had heard. One
was "I Wish I Was, Where I Was, When I Was Wishing I Was Here"
On that particular day you brought in Michael Mason Bromley and a guy playing the
fiddle named Critter. Ya'll kicked tail that day.
I always looked forward to you playing our stage.

Here is one of the videos I did that day that included the song I mentioned.

Great lyrics and well performed live in Nashville:
 http://youtu.be/akx84ay5Ezw

Here is his buffalo hide guitar case.

Here is his bike ready to travel with his guitar strapped on the side,.

You Still Got It by EverAfter and Bronson Herrmuth

Bronson Herrmuth and EverAfter Entertaining at the Pavilion Coffee House

Bronson Herrmuth is one of the greatest harmonica players I have ever known. Bronson along with EverAfter are entertaining at the Pavilion Coffee House. The Pavilion Coffee House hosts a "free to the public" show each Saturday evening from 7 to 9pm. Sometimes it is a comedy standup routine and others are musical shows from gospel to country. Family friendly and a great place to get out with your spouse.
Here is Jeremy and Becca who makeup EverAfter along with Bronson singing to help the efforts of the Pavilion Church.
Singing "Lets Take It Slow:.. and "You Better Don't" both original songs from a couple of Nashville's finest songwriters.
http://youtu.be/PsdTp4aDhqk

Karla Davis playing at the Pavilion Coffee House

http://youtu.be/CjKc3vomPEY

Karla Davis is a wonderful songwriter and performer. I had the pleasure of hearing and experiencing her original songs at the Pavilion Coffee House. Most songwriters are trying to get their songs noticed and hopefully recorded by a major performer in Nashville. Karla is also a pretty darn good guitar player as well as singing like a bird. The Pavilion Coffee House holds a show each Saturday Evening that is free to the public. Enjoy Karla's 15 min set from last Saturday evening.

http://youtu.be/CjKc3vomPEY

5 Super Cool Music things to do in Nashville

Nashville has many open mic nights every night all over town for aspiring songwriters to introduce their music to the public.
Most of these venues are free to the public. The venue is hoping you will have some drinks and possibly food while you listen to the songwriters.Take your spouse out for an evening of original music in Music City.The quality of music will be varied from really good to WTF?

Go to the Bluebird Cafe and hear outstanding musical talent. This venue has been made Super Famous by the TV show Nashville.
At the bluebird there is NO TALKING at all! You will be asked to leave if you do not refrain for talking to the person next to you.
There is always a long line of songwriters trying to get into the Bluebird Cafe. You can count on great talent and excellent lyrics to all the songs you will hear. The food is good and not expensive along with excellent service. The downside is you will have to wait outside the venue for at least three hours just to get in.It is well worth the wait to experience the true flavor of Nashville.

Go to Centennial Park and catch the Musicians Corner in May and June every Saturday afternoon from 12 noon to 5pm. This event is put on by the city so it is a free event.There are pre-show festivities from 12 to 1:30pm where you can get wine & beer to go with your lunch from the excellent food trucks who show up and feed the masses. There is also a kidsville activities area to keep the little guys busy.Take the whole family including the dog to Centennial Park and enjoy live music in the shade of the Parthenon.

Take the whole family to lower Broadway in downtown Nashville. This city has many clubs that have live music all day and all night.
The Hard Rock Cafe is the largest venue that caters to the entire family however there are 15 to 20 other clubs that all keep their doors open to our tourists as well as to the locals. The kids can line dance while the grownups have an adult beverage at many of these venues. Downtown businesses in Nashville are created to take care of families on vacation. There is music on the Riverfront park stages most every weekend evening from May to August. Nashville is a family friendly city as you will see when you visit us.


Get the family together and go to the longest live radio show in America, The Grand Ole Opry. Classic country music is played by the best musicians in the world on the Ryman Stage. Everyone who likes country music should go here at least once in their lives. You never know who will show up at the Grand Ole Opry. Depending who is in town making a recording will determine who will be on stage. Then there are the regulars like Little Jimmie Dickens and other favorites who seem to always be around the world famous stage. Take this one off your bucket list and enjoy the real reason Nashville is called Music City.

NashvilleLife.com
2014

What do you need to know to play an open mic night in Nashville.

1. Be ready to play your set , be in tune and DO NOT tune or talk on stage while another performer is singing.Do this in a place away from the stage, do not sit at a table while another group of performers are playing and tune your guitar. This shows a disrespect for your fellow artist
2.Stay here and support the other performers whenever possible. Nashville is a community of writers and artists and we need to show total support for each other. Leaving after you set is finished shows that you do not support the other writers on your night
3. Listen to the other writers and performers because you will learn something from every performer , it might be a new chord, the way they phrase a song, the way they talk to an audience or a myriad of other things that may help you become a better performer and writer. Keep in mind that a lot the writers have cuts, hit songs and have performed in front of thousands of people.
4. Remember there may be someone in the audience that can help your career. Publishers do come to writers nights but they will usually not attract attention to themselves sitting at the bar or a corner table so they can listen to the songs. i know of 4 friends of mine who are now hit songwriters with pub deals that resulted from playing at a writers night
5. Keep in mind that you are performing in Nashville where songwriting is held in the highest esteem. If you came here it is assumed your goal is to be a hit writer a megastar or both and the way you conduct yourself while networking, performing etc will have an impact on your career.
6. Know your songs. Be sure you have rehearsed and know the songs that you are playing backwards and forwards. While some of us old guys have senior moments it is still not professional to forget a song on stage.
7. Be aware that other artists and songwriters are waiting to perform. Keep your preamble short and your songs within five minutes so everyone gets to perform
You will of course ask what qualifies me to post this. I was a songwriter night host at three different venues in Nashville over the years and hosted a open mike at a large venue in Colorado fro many years. I hope this helps everyone better understand the etiquette behind a professional writers night and I wish all my fellow songwriters and artists the very best!!

Written By Gary Cavanauagh 2014