Singer-Songwriter Night

Nashville is a great city for music. And this visit, I found the right spot on the right night. I was in town for a conference sponsored by the Gates Foundation and they treated us to dinner at the Country Music Hall of Fame. Afterwards a group of colleagues sought out some live music. We discovered The Listening Room Cafe and were in luck because it was singer-songwriter night.

Four writers who create music for country stars took the stage together: The Warren Brother, JT Harding, and Marv Green. They each sat on stage on a stool with a guitar. In sequence, they shared stories and songs. In one story, the Warren Brothers wrote a song with 14-year-old Taylor Swift in their office. Then nothing happened. Twenty years later, Taylor’s agent told them to be “waiting at your phone at 9:37 am tomorrow.” When she called, they learned she was finally recording their song. Dryly, one of the said, “so I told my daughter, we can pay for you to go to college after all.”

There were many more stories of artists like Keith Urban and Tim McGraw. And the stories behind the songs. They were good musicians, too.

The closing song was the “worst song ever written,” an ode to the Red Solo Cup. It was a catchy ditty that is no doubt popular among the Frat Brothers.

Red Solo Cup
I fill you up
We’re having a party
Let’s have a party!

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