Finding Music City

I am having an "I love Nashville" kinda night.

It started when I left the Nissan office in Franklin, and the temperature was that perfect fall, the leaves were amazing red, and the sun was low enough to make everything (and everyone) look incredible. Then, I took the scenic route home, instead of the freeway. Where you drive past incredible plantation homes, humongous trees that have been standing hundreds of years...and there's something about this state that is so authentic. It's not fake, cookie-cutter like you sometimes see in California. Maybe I feel that way because the people here are all so darn NICE. Maybe it's because of the incredible number of churches per capita. To be determined.

Anyway, then I came home and watched the show Nashville, which also helped to make me feel patriotic about my new city. And made me get VERY excited about going to the CMA Awards next Thursday! Where Tim & Faith, Taylor Swift, Little Big Town, Keith Urban, Martina McBride will all be performing...being in this city you just feel yourself surrounded by music, and talent, and dreams. There is so much earnest hope, and even the ones who have made it big still seem to have some humility. Regardless of whether or not you like country music, I don't think anyone can deny that some of the stories in these songs are pretty incredible. Case in point: watch this video of Alan Jackson at the CMA Awards in the fall of 2011. Then watch his interview about it this year (11 minute mark). "It was a horrid performance, because I'd never sung it before...", but no one can deny that emotion, and that love, and that connection.

I have always loved music and it has always been a huge part of my life...so I do, here and now, solemnly swear to experience as much of it, and get as involved as I possibly can over the next two years. Who knows, maybe I could end up playing an open mic night at the Bluebird?

Kidding.

Guess I better get me some guitar lessons...