Tin Pan South 2007 (intro)

Tin Pan South 2007 is done and so is the article I submitted to “Country Music Scene,” the newsletter of the New Jersey Country Music Association (motto: “We play everything in Aaaaaaaay!”). Always good to have friends in Northern places (assuming I still have friends anywhere, after that joke).

Anyway I’m posting the intro and then each day separately. We can pretend I did this like an actual daily blog, as I had intended. But my memory hasn’t totally broken down yet, so it should be fairly reliable. Also, I've made some edits and additions here and there, so consider this the "extended remix" version of the story.

For the full TPS 2007 slideshow (and others), see http://picasaweb.google.com/markkellyhall

Tin Pan South 2007

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Tin Pan South 2007


Tin Pan South, the annual “songwriters festival” in Nashville presented by the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI), is a study in opposites. It is not unlike what happens in Nashville nearly every evening of the year, since it features groups of professional songwriters taking turns playing their hits and their “hopeful hits” to attentive audiences (often also made up of more songwriters) in nightclubs and cafes. On the other hand, it is a special time because it is part of a week that includes numerous industry events, luncheons and seminars, and a lot of dedicated music fans from all over the U.S. forming friendships; a week that generates real excitement even among the over-hyped and often jaded residents of Music City.

As writer Phil Madeira (“If I Was Jesus,” Toby Keith) points out, Tin Pan South “raises consciousness and money for NSAI and the concerns of that wonderful organization. The fact that every [TPS] performance in every club across town is a benefit speaks volumes for NSAI.”

Canadian native and now Nashville resident Victoria Banks also had high praise for NSAI. “As songwriters, we are a notoriously disorganized and insecure bunch. It comes hand in hand with being creative. We don't tend to stand up for ourselves, and we can easily be taken advantage of in the industry. That's where NSAI steps in and plays a really important role - they stand up for our rights, lobby on our behalf, and keep tabs on changes in legislation that can profoundly affect our ability to make a living.”

For an attendee, especially any who are songwriting enthusiasts or aspiring professionals, Tin Pan is like drinking from a fire hose. The following is a summary of my experience of TPS 2007 (scroll up). See www.tinpansouth.com for more related info.