The Nashville Trip
By Matt Dorman
6/2005

The last time I had been in Nashville was in 1998.
So in a week, I was going to try and make up for seven years of absence.
In advance of the trip, I had 100 CD's made up, with 8 songs.
They were drop shipped to one of my publishers, so I didn't have to pack them on the plane.

We got into Nashville on Tuesday afternoon June 14th.
I called Douglas Corners to sign up for their writer's night, just making the deadline.
After checking into our hotel, which was just north of the airport, we made some daytime dry runs to some of our evening destinations.
We found the best way into Nashville was from Donaldson Pike north and left on Lebanon Pike (route 70), which took us directly into Lower Broadway.
We used that road our entire trip, avoiding the freeway.

Tuesday night, we arrived at Douglas Corners early, and got a great seat by the stage.
Soon the place was packed with guitar toting writers.
The night was filled with many different types of songs;
finger-picked ballads (lots), fast songs, funny songs, and some desperately sad.
Some songs were great, and some were not so good. But, each writer performed his song
with confidence and conviction.
Nobody said "this song sucks, but I'm going to do it anyways".
They all thought their songs were good.

Wednesday, We went to Harlan Howard Songs for a meeting with Sara Johnson.

I've been sending songs to HHS since 1995. I met Harlan while in Nashville in '98.
Being in his office is a very humbling experience.
Sara listened to three of my songs, and chose "Another You" to play for Melanie Howard.
She played some of her writer's songs, as a sample of what they were looking for.
She called it "Americana". Nice songs.
Artists that wrote their own songs without co-writers and performed
them on guitar/vocal demo's.
Plain and simple.

We had lunch at the Longhorn Steakhouse, at the North end of Music Row,
a place where last trip I saw Deana Carter, Trace Adkins, and met Harlan Howard.
No stars there that day; at least none that I recognized. Had some great Cajun shrimp.

Wednesday night, we went to Lower Broadway, had dinner,
and saw my friend (and studio owner) Galen play at the "Stage" with his band.
"Third Wheel". Galen played guitar, while Dave Brooks, (who sings on most of my current demo's),
co-fronted the band. They invited me up on stage, and we took some pictures.
We saw lots of guitar players on the sidewalk, with open cases, playing for whatever passersby would donate.
The sights and sounds of Lower Broadway are something every writer should experience.
It's unforgettable and very inspiring.

Thursday we visited my writer's rep at BMI.

I just missed a listening session, but got some great info on upcoming events.
I gave him a c.d., and he promised to let me know what he thought of it.
We had lunch just north of the BMI building at a great café in a little strip
mall by the roundabout on Division St.
The BMI building is huge, and seeing it made me proud to be a member.

Thursday night, I performed at a writer's night at the French Quarter café,

just east of the Titan's football stadium. After some scheduled "in the round" performances,
the open mic session started around 10 pm. I performed two songs, to a mostly empty house,
but had the chance to meet lots of great writers, and handed out over a dozen c.d.'s.
I gave one to the owner who told me he would listen to it.
Friday morning, we went to the Waffle House on Donaldson Pike.
The cook was really friendly, and told us Vince Gill and Amy Grant eat there a lot.
I gave him a c.d. for himself, and one for Vince Gill. He said he'd hold onto it until
the next time he saw Vince and give it to him. I told him I met Vince in Arizona in 1988,
and asked him for a guitar pick. He gave me one of his wife's "Sweethearts Of The Rodeo" picks.

I told him he needed to get his own picks, because he was a great artist that was going to be a star.
That night, I solidified my intent to become a famous songwriter. I still have that pink guitar pick.

We were going to go to the Opry that afternoon, but were tired and took a nap, since I had a late set at the
Songwriter's Festival scheduled. Good thing we stayed at the hotel.
My wife woke me up around three and told me there was water pouring from our ceiling!
Turns out, the guy upstairs was running water on a dirty dish in his sink, (which covered the drain!) and fell asleep.
I have a great video of the ceiling fountain.
Needles to say, we spent the afternoon moving to another room, which turned out to be better than the first.

Friday night, we went to the Songwriter's festival so I could perform my 11pm set.
Before and after my performance, I gave out over 25 c.d's to writers, and whom ever would take one.
(Hey, you never know!). The stage was right behind Curb Records, and got some great pics of me on stage
with Curb in the background.
Met some great writers, and saw a lot of writers' I had met at Douglas Corners, and the French Quarter.
It was nice to see them. Just like me, they came to Nashville to make a difference.
We saw the cutest little girl sing with her dad on stage. She was only four years old.

Saturday, we met with a friend, Jenny Pforr, who is from Denver, where my wife is from.
She moved to Nashville to be a star, and like others, holds a day job until her break.
She met with me before she moved there, and took four of my songs with her to pitch. She's been writing a lot,
and sings demo's for studio's.

Saturday afternoon, we went back to Music Row for my 4:30 set.
We got there early, and got to play two sets. Met a lot of writers, and gave out about 25 more c.d's.
And, saw the writer's I've been running into all week. We went back to Lower Broadway to get our souvenirs,
and visit Gruhn Guitars. We stayed in Saturday night, to take an early Sunday flight home.

One thing I love about Nashville that you don't find in Vegas too much is the ability to get up on
stage and play your songs and have the whole room listening intently. I don't go to "jam" sessions in Vegas
because the band doesn't know my songs, so they don't want to play them, and if I get up on their break to do
them by myself, nobody listens. In Vegas, you've gotta do somebody's cover songs, and in Nashville, you can do your songs.
I used to have a writer's night thing going on at Larry's Hideaway years ago, but couldn't get the interest.

So, until one of my songs is a cover song, I'll take my act to Nashville.
And, I'm going to go there more that every 5 years! I'm going to make the trip at least once a year, or more.
This trip I didn't focus on the Row as much as on the writers. Yes, I did make over 60 calls to publishers from a
list I got off the internet. Funny, most of them were no longer in business…

It's a one in a million shot, getting that cut, but I sure am enjoying the ride.
Just to be a part of the music I grew up on, and love today, is very satisfying.
I'll continue networking from Vegas, and making Nashville trips.
I'll keep my fingers crossed, and Never Say Never.

Matt Dorman