Well, I've finally done what many songwriters and other music enthusiasts dream of doing...no, I haven't bought out the major music labels and given the executives a fake phone number to call for their last check...I've moved lock, stock and modem to Nashville.  I arrived (physically, not career-wise; that'll take at least another month or two) at the first of September, thanks to the help of some loyal friends for time and labor, and to my father for the loan of his pickup truck (very comfortable--no Beverly Hillbillies references necessary).

I spent the first couple of months settling in, looking for work, working (temp), looking for work again, praying really hard, settling in more, and now, working (the praying is still going on).  In the midst of all that, I've made a special effort to get out and enjoy some of the smorgasbord of talent that is available every night in this town...before I become jaded and comfortable and too busy to bother.  I've seen a few artists perform, and quite a few writers.  The distinction between the two may not be so important in most places; though some do both, most people have "picked a major" by the time they get here.  Some songwriters can perform well, and some artists can write well...but it never hurts to keep in mind which one they claim to be good at.  One of my favorites has been writer Don Schlitz, whose credits include "The Gambler," "Forever And Ever Amen," "I Feel Lucky Today" and more.  He is hilarious on stage, and uses a "lyric stand" as he calls it...and he agrees with my philosophy: let the pretty people do the memorizing!  Also a very nice guy.

I guess to enjoy Nashville fully, it helps to be the kind of person who likes to peek behind the curtain, to see the little man pulling the levers and making all the racket with the steam and whatnot.  In some cases (such as in that movie), it can be disillusioning, and that's one reason you meet so many depressed, angry people here.  But on the positive side, it can help you spot and appreciate the true genius of a work of art, such as a well-crafted song or a from-the-heart performance.

I've always been that read-the-credits kind of person--or at least, I have for as long as I can remember.  I would spend inordinate amounts of time poring over liner notes, song titles, lyrics, label information, etc. that came wrapped around the record or pasted onto the 8-track cassette.  And in church I had the hymnal (with the author's names at the top) to look at as I sang--one of my excuses for my particular case of "lyricosis" that still plagues me today; as I mentioned above, I'm in good company when it comes to depending on the lyric sheet. 

Actually, I'm not unusual in that desire to see how the magician does his trick.  In the United States especially, the marketing plan for every movie includes lots of publicity before, during, and after shooting, with official and unofficial press packages featuring the stars behind the characters and the stories behind the scripts.  The "making of" specials that used to be reserved for the top handful of releases are becoming as obligatory as the talk show chat, now that DVD's are released ASAP after first run, with the director's comments, extra footage, popcorn recipes...and oh, yeah, the movie.   I've wondered whether all this analysis has educated moviegoers about the process of filmmaking, creating more appreciation for film and for art in general, to everyone's benefit...OR has it made everyone so analytical and detached that we're less and less able to get caught up in the story, or in anything including our own lives.  I admire Tom Hanks' acting talent, such as it is, but in the theater I have a hard time seeing him as anyone but "Tom Hanks pretending to be an astronaut," or a stranded shipping guy, or whoever. 

I think it's easy to become that way (detached, etc.) when you're continually focusing on the process more than the product.  What's that quote about laws and sausages?  There's a saying in Nashville among those who care about the craft: "it all starts with a song."   I guess what it leads to depends on the choices you make after the writing (and critiquing, and re-writing) is done (if ever).  In any case, there's never a shortage here of opinions about the process OR the product when it comes to all things musical.

Now I've ended my nearly-two-month "fast" from TV by retrieving my 25-inch color set and VCR from my parents.  Welcome back, "Seinfeld" and PBS!  Also, I've taken a job through a temp agency with an auto insurance company where I sit in a cubicle and enter personal information about strangers into a database in order to help determine how much they will have to pay for their car insurance.  Believe it or not, it's not nearly as exciting as it sounds...but it does pay American.  Actually it's pretty cushy.  So normalcy has begun to set in, though I'm trying to keep that to a minimum.  Maybe working part-time as an usher ("Facility Host") at the Grand Ole Opry will help with that.  I'll start that in a couple of weeks, in time to work some of the Radio City Rockettes Christmas shows (they'll do at least two shows nearly every day more on weekends--that's a lot of kickin'!).  Maybe I'll get to do some Christmas gigs of my own; we'll see.  There are plenty of opportunities to play at open mics and writers nights, for what they're worth; I've done a couple of those, but mostly I've been in "observe and absorb" mode.

One performance did yield yet another collection of hair pictures; check them out in the Music & Art section.  Enjoy!

Thanks for your support!

Mark