It’s Deb…
Another trip to Nashville for our annual CMA broadcast is in the books! Another CMA Awards show has come and gone, with artists like Garth (Entertainer of the Year) and Miranda Lambert or Chris Stapleton (Female Vocalist and Male Vocalist, respectively) taking home hardware for their wins. (Careful, those glass ‘bullets’ can shatter. I have the leftover shards of a trophy to prove it!) CMA Week means another trip for fried pickles at Roberts, sore toes from tight-fitting boots, grabbing an Uber to music labels for artist interviews, and seeking out a fried bologna sandwich because, well, you don’t leave Music City without having indulged in the tavern staple. This CMA Week was also another year of locating the nearest Starbucks (priorities, folks!), sifting through souvenir shops for that perfect keepsake, and strolling by honkytonks on Broadway where the vocals of someone performing on stage trigger thoughts of how long have they been trying to break into the business?
CMA Week also means another year of laughing until we were crying, finishing each other’s sentences and poking fun at ourselves when necessary. (Which is usually ALWAYS.) Pretty sure that’s in the job description when you’ve worked with friends for 16+ years, right? As much as we like each other, there are those few moments where it’s certainly brother-sister annoyance. (Kevin chewing on a straw in the car almost had me jumping out of my skin, but he would argue that Jim’s hundreds of unopened emails produces the same feeling of irritation. Hence, we all have our ‘thing.’
Kidding aside, CMA Week is also another year of hearing the stories of the many talented men and women trying to leave their mark on Music City. Everyone has a story. Some artists will make it and others will be forced to eventually close the door on their journey when money, or perseverance, runs out, whichever comes first. One new artist recently signed to a label described to us the moment he packed up his things and hit the road for Nash Vegas. He told us he graduated college and was working what he called a ‘real’ job, but growing bored by the minute. In his heart, he knew he was destined to write music. He knew it was a risk, but he knew if he didn’t try, didn’t give it his best effort, he would always wonder ‘What if?’ A fire burning within told him he was destined for something different.
That was 3 years ago.
This artist told us he is grateful for the opportunity to make music and he revealed something that stayed with me even as we shared an elevator leaving his record label’s offices, even after he mentioned that he had no idea where to find his Uber he had just called, even as he thanked us for our time and disappeared into the busy Nashville streets where horns were honking and a nearby high school had just released students for the day. I found his words fascinating:
‘This may all go away one day & I may not make it in Nashville. But, I had to try. I will live with no regrets.’
As we jumped in an Uber vehicle of our own, I wondered how many people, in the music industry or not, could use those words today? How many could change their lives if they lived by that motto? I loved his hunger to chase a dream, to follow his heart even if it isn’t the popular choice, the ‘norm,’ so to speak. Life is short and should be spent doing what you love. So, take risks. Step outside your comfort zone. Do that one thing you’ve been avoiding but you know is worth trying.
And like Jordan Davis, live with no regrets.
~Deb
Jordan Davis this week, in Nashville!
