Spending spring break in Music City.

By Mike Zawitkowski '06
Berklee.edu Correspondent
July 16, 2004

Alison Krauss
Photo by Aubrey Webber

My busmates and I were participating in Berklee's 17th annual Nashville Trip, and the long ride provided just enough time to revive myself for a week that looked like it might be almost as grueling as the midterm mayhem I had just escaped. Each of the six days in Music City promised eight hours packed with seminars, studio visits, and panels, and evenings filled with live music. The neon-lit street of Broadway, affectionately known as "The Strip," offered everything from country and folk to rock and jazz. There were more than 125 Berklee students in Nashville, joined by alumni and friends, and it was clear we wouldn't return quite the same as when we arrived.

Following the overnight bus ride, most of us took Friday to settle in at the hotel, and get the blood in our legs flowing again, while the more adventurous hit The Strip as soon as the bus door opened.

The next evening, however, the entire crowd went to the Grand Ole Opry House to see the venue in its 30th year of broadcast operations. Pete Fisher, general manager of the Grand Ole Opry, not only opened the doors of the show to the Berklee community, but invited us backstage during the show, as well as for a behind-the-scenes technical tour later that week.

Passion and the Producers

Just before taking us to the Opry, Fisher moderated the trip's first industry panel, held in the conference room of Warner/Reprise Records. Joining him was producer George Massenburg, music attorney Linda Edell-Howard, session drummer Eddie Bayers, and manager Terry Elam.

"Passion is the key word...[It] guides most of our decisions," Elam said. "Consumers, technology—everything is changing. Pay attention to what everyone around you is doing or talking about."

	Students get a taste of life on the road aboard the Nashville bus.
	Photo by Pat Pattison

For an aspiring engineer, the trip was an eye-opener. From the glory of large studios like Emerald and Sound Kitchen, to the more down-home yet very popular Hum Depot, we watched industry professionals showcase their talents in a range of settings.

"I never assume I've learned enough," said producer Richard Dodd. "I will learn a lot today if I don't talk too much or assume too much...If your phone stops ringing, then it's your fault, not the industry's."

All About the Song

For songwriters, Nashville is the capital. Lectures and meetings were held in the headquarters of ASCAP, Warner, and SESAC, and we were brought face-to-face with singer-songwriters Marcus Hummon, Tim Nichols, and Craig Wiseman. The three award-winning composers performed in the round on the trip's last evening, along with other Berklee and Nashville talent, at the venue 12th and Porter.

The previous Monday morning at ASCAP, Nichols and Wiseman even let students observe a collaborative writing session, as they created a comic song about a tow truck-drivin', tank top–wearin' "Redneck Angel."

Both writers emphasized the importance of writing regularly. "I don't catch a fish every day, but I go fishing," said Nichols.

"[If] you're in love, write a song about it, she'll love you more," said Wiseman. "Getting a divorce? Write a song; you'll need the money...vomiting out cubic feet of stuff is your gig right now."

Students watch while Tim Nichols and Craig Wiseman (in purple shirt) present their open songwriting session. Photo by Erin Vulgamore

I couldn't help but wonder if some industry professionals in Nashville were putting in applications at local service stations, after a round of layoffs one week before our trip at Warner/Reprise, the venue for most of our clinics. The layoff meant those of us who were driving had a choice of appealing parking spots in the nearly vacant corporate lot. Reid said such upheaval should embolden musicians and others who seek to enter the business.

"It's a great time for anarchy when you have decisions about art being made by corporate thinking," he said. When discussing the probability of success in today's industry, Reid concluded, "If you're willing to sleep in the back seat of your car, you have the world at your feet."

Berklee graduates who opt to relocate to Nashville can find help in the more than 400 Berklee alumni who have already made the move. One event, a night of live music at B.B. King's Blues Bar, brought us together with Nashville alumni, a first step toward getting to know our predecessors.

Whether Berklee alumni or not, few of the artists, producers, and other industry pros were Nashville natives, but they all semed to share a genuine feeling of warmth, openness, and positivity. They described the city as an excellent place to work and live, and not only because it is much less expensive than Boston. Most importantly, they said, the focus is on creating the best music possible, with less regard for hit potential.

It was tough for everyone to leave Nashville to return to reality, which for many, meant classes back at Berklee. We received a cautionary reminder from Pat Pattison: "Keep in mind that you've seen some of the best of what Nashville has to offer. You've seen in six days what most people who come down here don't see for years".

The strong sense of community, especially among Berklee alumni, as well as the value placed on a high quality of life and music, has sold me on Nashville, not just as next year's spring break destination, but also as a starting point for life after Berklee.

Mike Zawitkowski '06 is a vocalist majoring in Music Business/Management. He will be editor-in-chief of Berklee's student newspaper, The Groove during the coming academic year.