WE’RE BACK!
Written by Katharine W. Poole
Nashville has a power house that is
virtually unexposed to the rest of the real world. Women. Women of
music. Women who rock the house, the writing, the scene, every day of
every week. Yet, for some reason the market still calls for “Bro Country.” The
‘Good ‘Ol Boys’ network monopolizes the industry, as if the only songs we
want to hear contain flip flop party scenes and truck driving men with tight
jeans on their mind. Contrary to popular belief, men do listen to female artists
on their personal playlists while airplay for women on Country radio continues
to be challenging at best. It’s a frustrating dilemma for a talented group
who have to take it on the road if they want to make any kind of living.
This trend in music effects women artists
country-wide. However, Nashville has the pull to be a catalyst for
change. Women of Music Music of Women (WMMW) is taking the initiative to
generate a new trend. It is our goal to not only introduce and promote
women of music, but to connect them with each other in a supportive
collaborative effort to take the public, media and industry by storm. It
is time for a change.
Cilene Bosch President and
Founder of WMMW established Women of Music Music of Women in 2000 to support,
promote and connect women in the music industry. It was an entity for
four years. Due to familial issues, the creators of WMMW were forced to take a
hiatus. The Nashville Music Guide offered us a platform to share our stories,
information and connections in hopes of supporting women musicians, artists,
writers, performers and business executives to promote and support the artistic
endeavors of women in the music industry.
To kick off our bi-monthly column,
we will be introducing readers to featured women artists, some based in
Nashville, others frequent guests of the Music City. Their stories will
not only compel, inspire and entertain but may guide and educate the
listener and the aspiring musician, singer/songwriter, music business
professional. Their travels and tales are from all walks of life, all
unified by the shared experience of the Nashville music lifestyle, each
pursuing a career in their own way.
The first four artists featured in
our upcoming articles shared with me a taste of who they are and how they chose
Nashville. As I listened to each history, path and pursuit I realized the
common thread that bonds them, (besides their desire to write and perform
music.) It is, the thread of frustration. The same story no matter
the experience, talent or style - a “you can’t get there from here” cycle, in
which women are told they are talented but not worth investing in. The
tunnel vision of what comprises marketable music has become our downfall.
Karen Waldrup has led an interesting
rollercoaster of “almost there” in her still blossoming career. Singing
her way through college she made the move to Nashville, two months after
graduation from college in 2007. Within a very short time she found
herself on a reality show, had a label backing her and looked towards what she
believed would be a recording deal. “Every one told me five years, give
it five years to get established in this town. You hear it over and
over. Well, it’s been what, eight? I’m looking at the ten year
plan,” she laughs, but it isn’t a joke.
Dana Radford and her husband Judd
Fuller thought for sure they had something extremely unique to offer
Nashville. Both had been big fish in the little pond of the Martha’s
Vineyard music scene. Both had extensive music careers but loved the
island way of life. Then Judd was offered a gig with Rodney Atkins.
This meant a move and change of lifestyle. Dana had promised
herself she would not live in a big city again and was relieved to find, upon
moving to Nashville in 2005, that it was a small city. "It was truly
'Little big town.'" The change was a challenge. “Here we were,
little fish in a small pond, there are just a lot more fish swimming
around,” Dana smiles. “But, I have a different sound, so it does not feel
competitive. I Love Nashville because I get to be me in Nashville”. Coming
from a long line of entertainers, Dana has been a professional singer since the
age of 17, starting her career in her native Canada, working in New York
City as a successful jingles singer and performing every night, singing five
nights a week on the Vineyard and eventually landing in
Nashville. "I thought I would be a hit songwriter by now.
I honestly thought we had a chance in the game, and I still do after ten
years." She too was told, "This is a five year town."
Ashlee K Thomas has created a
collaborative approach to her art, incorporating her music with yoga
instruction. Though her true focus is music, she is finding unique ways to
marry that passion with her other talents. “I love using music and yoga
together whenever I possibly can…Putting yoga in unlikely places.” She still
goes on the road to play, but her goals have changed to stretch beyond stage
performance and publishing. “I was going to get a record deal. I
was going to give it one year,” she laughs. “I heard people say, this is
a five year town, and I was like: ‘I don’t have five years,’” she laughs again
in self realization, “yeah ya’ do, you got eight. Ya’ got twenty.”
The change for her comes in a therapeutic form “I still want to write better
songs and the good thing is, that can always happen. I sing in all my
yoga classes - you open the body and you pour some music into it - it’s like
magic.”
Hilary Romaine’s approach is
soothing and grounded, a testament to her calming personality and to her craft.
There is an old world, old school presence that she brings to the scene. A bit
Joan Baez a bit Joni Mitchell. A poet who captures music from the stories
of the people around her. “I’ve always written poetry and I’ve always sung…but
then when I actually bought a guitar the two came together. I literally
started writing as soon as I learned the major and minor chords, it’s been
non-stop.” Hilary is a talented visual artist, a single mom and an
independent spirit. She makes you believe you can accomplish anything
with ease, grace and patience. Her goal is very different from any one I
have encountered in Nashville. It’s come what may approach. “I’ve
never been a planner. I’ve never been like, OK in twenty years I’m going
to do that. How the Hell do you know that? So, I never consciously
said OK so this is going to be my goal. I suppose thinking about more
now, what is it that I actually have to start doing - what do I do with my
songs now? I’m going to be doing this the rest of my life regardless,
writing. How am I going to make money doing it? Because, I think
there is money to be made.”
Each of these women has a gift. A
gift that should be heard. Not just by a small local following, but by
the world. Their words along with their music and understanding of what
this town has to offer aspiring women singer/songwriters are invaluable to our
community. They are out there performing, writing and striving to be heard,
recognized and signed. The proof is in the asking. The men who write
with, play with and attend their concerts, rounds and events will tell
you. As my neighbor Danny states: “if we sign them they will come.” He is
flabbergasted that these artists are not signed, that the road for talented
women is wrought with speed bumps and stop signs.
As for “Bro Country”…
Don’t get me wrong, I
like songs about trucks, tight blue jeans and even a well written party
song, but it’s time for a change up. There are women with equally fun and
compelling songs. They perform with intelligent grace and Rock and Roll
hearts. They are powerhouses, divas, poets and troubadours and they will
knock your socks off. Sorry boys, you’ve hogged the stage for far too
long. Here come the girls, well dressed and ready to rock!
Women of Music Music of Women is an
alliance for women in the music industry to network, support, promote, and
recognize the many talented women in the industry by bringing them together
with all aspects to include artists, attorneys, agents, managers, artist
development, label execs, publishers, media, songwriters, past present and
future talent to discuss and address the issues that concern women in the
industry.
Like our FaceBook page: Women of
Music Music of Women - you may promote yourself
Gig Swap: Group: WMMW Gig-Swap
request to join Group to interact and share gigs
Contact us at wmmwusa@yahoo.com . You may also summit material for consideration to be
a featured artist to wmmw@nashvillemusicguide.com
*The material included in this
article is the sole property of the writer, (Katharine W. Poole,) and the
photographer, (Cilene Bosch.) All elements may be used in other
publications as determined by the owners. Permission must be obtained for
reproduction.