Pictured (L-R): Michael Shmerling, Kent Oliver, Kelly Clarkson, Jonah Rabinowitz, Jaynee Day. Photo: Eric T. Parker
During a press conference at Nashville’s Starstruck Entertainment earlier today (Dec. 9), 2017 Grammy Awards nominee Kelly Clarkson introduced beneficiaries of her second Miracle on Broadway Christmas show next week (Dec. 16) at the Bridgestone Arena.
“What I found interesting with all the organizations we happened to pick this year is [they] are all intertwined somehow,” remarked Clarkson. “W.O. Smith kids have come to sing for Abe’s Garden. And when we were at [Abe’s Garden] they were raising money, I feel like it was for Second Harvest. Y’all are all intertwined, which I thought was really beautiful and organic.”
Also benefited this year will be the Nashville Public Library Fund.
Though the Facebook Live feed had technical difficulties and did not air, Clarkson— a Texas-native—encouraged everyone to give back in their own communities.
“I love Nashville,” Clarkson went on to say. “I’ve been here for a decade now and I feel like this is my community as well. [Giving back is] an important thing for everyone to do. Even if [a charity] doesn’t affect you on your daily, it will down the line—it’s the Domino effect. It’s really important for us to support each other. That’s more relevant now, than ever.”
Tickets are still available for the 2016 Miracle on Broadway, including various VIP experiences, at ticketmaster.com. The star lineup already includes Reba, Ronnie Dunn, Kelsea Ballerini, RaeLynn, The Steeldrivers, and Nashville’s Chip Esten.
Pictured (L-R): Jonah Rabinowitz, Michael Shmerling, Kelly Clarkson, Kent Oliver, Jaynee Day. Photo: Natalie Moorhead
Leaders of the four local charities she will be supporting with proceeds from the event offered remarks during the conference, including Jaynee Day, Pres./CEO of Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee. Second Harvest serves 46 counties—half the state of Tennessee.
“One in seven Tennesseans, and one in five children in Tennessee does not know where there next meal will be coming from,” noted Day. “Healthy/nutritious food is a critical component for all of our success and the success of our communities in being healthy and being able to read and play instruments.”
Day’s charity is the only returning charity from 2014, when $400,000 was raised. “For every dollar that we received, we can provide four meals,” noted Day. “So over 400,000 meals were provided by Kelly, her team, and the community [two years ago].”
Jonah Rabinowitz, Executive Director of the W.O. Smith Music School, touted the 100 percent high school graduation rate for the past 18 years his students have had who learned a musical instruction in his programs.
“All except three have gone on to either a two-, or four-year college, and the other three went in to the military,” noted Rabinowitz. “We provide music instruction to students qualifying for reduced/free lunch programs. They get their instruction for 50 cents, we provide students with their instrument and music if they don’t have those things available.
“It’s taking a child with great need and putting them in a lesson where they learn something about the craft of making music, but what they’re really doing is having this personal relationship [with their instructor] that makes a huge difference in a child’s life—it’s steady and their efforts are going to be appreciated.”
Founder and Chairman of Abe’s Garden, Michael Shmerling, named the charity after his father Abe, who declined with early onset of Alzheimer’s. Shmerling’s experience with care facilities led to a 12-year development process, after which Abe’s Garden opened last year, disseminating free information throughout the country and housing 42 beds. 35,000 Nashville residents have the disease.
“You think, oh that’s a memory care facility, that’s amazing because people are obviously in need because of the statistics,” noted Clarkson. “But the actual architecture and gardening and classes, and how they’re all productive.”
Kent Oliver, Director of the Nashville Public Library, was representing its foundation, which raises private dollars to promote library services, which include education with computers, robotics, 3D printer, film making, puppet shows for literacy, etc.
“Metro government does a great job at supporting us, but over the course of its lifetime, the foundation has raised $43 million for these value-added programs,” noted Oliver. “Without the foundation, we would not have the opportunity to make this difference.”
Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum Extends Dylan, Cash Exhibit
/by Jessica NicholsonThe Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum’s critically acclaimed exhibition Dylan, Cash, and the Nashville Cats: A New Music City, originally scheduled to close Dec. 31, 2016, has been extended through Dec. 31, 2017.
Museum CEO Kyle Young said Dylan, Cash, and the Nashville Cats has been one of the most popular exhibits in the museum’s history. “This is a testament not only to the enduring legacies of Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash, but also to the technical prowess and creative genius of the Nashville Cats,” he said. “Celebrating unsung session players has yielded one of the most compelling narratives we’ve ever told.
“Much like Nashville’s present ‘it city’ status, Music City experienced a renaissance in the ’60s and ’70s, becoming a creative destination for folk and rock artists,” Young said. “This exhibition captures that relatively untold moment in time in a way that we know is beguiling museum guests. We are excited to hold it over and allow visitors one more year to explore A New Music City.”
The exhibition looks at the Nashville music scene in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Bob Dylan surprised label executives and friends by traveling to Nashville in 1966 to record his classic album Blonde on Blonde. Dylan’s work with Nashville’s ace musicians–dubbed the Nashville Cats—inspired other artists, among them Neil Young, Joan Baez, Paul McCartney and Leonard Cohen, to follow him to Music City.
Around the same time, Johnny Cash was recruiting a diverse range of folk and rock musicians—including Dylan—to appear on The Johnny Cash Show, which was filmed at the Ryman Auditorium.
Co-curated by the museum’s curatorial team and guest curator Pete Finney, Dylan, Cash, and the Nashville Cats explores this unique period in Music City’s history through dozens of artifacts and an array of audiovisual treasures.
ACM Lifting Lives Announces 2016 Fall Grant Cycle Beneficiaries
/by Jessica Nicholson“ACM Lifting Lives is excited to announce an increase in beneficiaries nationwide, and we are proud to support and recognize each of these organizations,” said Lori Badgett, Chairman of the ACM Lifting Lives Grant Committee.
Said ACM Lifting Lives Chairman, Ed Warm: “As stewards of Lifting Lives, we understand the power of music and the great things we can do through the support of our artists and our industry. We are fortunate to serve those in need through the generosity of so many who make these grants possible.”
“We are beyond grateful for the generosity and support from the artists, fans and industry members that continue to share the same vision of our mission to improve lives through the power of music,” said Tommy Moore, Secretary, ACM Lifting Lives.
Programs funded through this grant cycle include:
Alive Hospice – the grant will help the organizationto continue their music therapy program and will allow them to provide ten scholarships to the Music for Health & Transition Program, a non-profit certification program that trains musicians to provide live therapeutic music at the bedside.
Barefoot Republic, Inc – the grant will continue to build relationships among the youth representing all backgrounds through artistic and team building activities, allowing the grant to fund twenty scholarships for youth to participate.
CreatiVets – the grant will help sustain their ongoing project providing veterans the opportunity to be paired with professional songwriters from the Nashville community to help create a song that tells the veteran’s story by using art therapy, music and creative writing to help cope with the psychological and emotional needs that arise from combat-related trauma.
Kesem – the grant will support children nationwide through and beyond their parent’s cancer by offering several types of music therapy programs, fostering a long-lasting community.
Legacy Music – the grant will help support purchasing instruments and staffing clinicians to provide operational music programs for teachers and students.
Musicians on Call – the grant will support the expansion of their Bedside Performance Programs in two newer markets, Atlanta and Phoenix.
Nashville Rescue Mission – the grant will support funds for a sound system for Life Recovery Program Participants, suffering from homelessness, addiction and other life-debilitating problems.
Notes for Notes – the grant will support programming in seven Notes for Notes locations during the 2017 fiscal year.
Operation Song – the grant will help empower veterans and active duty military tell their stories through songwriting in creative and therapeutic settings, with professional songwriters leading the program.
Peggy R. McConnell Worthington Center for the Arts – the grant will go towards producing a television series featuring songwriters nationally distributed to more than 100 stations, focusing on healing and coping through the power of music.
Porter’s Call – the grant will help to underwrite counseling hours to cover the growing needs of clients who request assistance. Porter’s Call provides counsel and support to artists who are facing the unique challenges that can often accompany the vocation of performing and creating.
Possibilities, Inc – the grant will provide for the first-ever ‘Veteran Living Center’ program for those in need of emotional freedom by providing lodging, meals, song therapy and a healing concert for camp veterans.
Project C.A.M.P. Inc “The Center for Courageous Kids” – the grant will help the center to purchase new equipment and instruments to be used in their music therapy program that benefits more than 3,000 campers each year.
Songs For Sounds – the grant will help those suffering with hearing loss by bringing awareness through Heal the Music and music camp programs for kids with hearing aids and cochlear implants.
The Quest Center – the grant will support the organization’s existing music education services within their general after-school program while helping to expand reach within the community, offering more needs-based scholarships for music instruction.
Uintah School of Music and the Arts – the grant will help support weekly music group classes for young children by providing instructors, instruments, and equipment, allowing them to showcase their progress throughout the year.
Vanderbilt Kennedy Center – the grant will support the organization’s existing mission to facilitate discoveries and best practices that make positive differences in the lives of persons with developmental disabilities and their families through innovative research, services, and training for over 50 years.
W.O. Smith/Nashville Community School – the grant will pay expenses for a ‘Resident Camp’ where students will take part in various music and educational activities.
Holiday Cheer: Miracle On Broadway, Chris Young, Cumulus Media-Nashville
/by Eric T. ParkerMiracle On Broadway Requests Nonperishables From Attendees
The second Miracle on Broadway lineup already includes Reba, Ronnie Dunn, Kelsea Ballerini, RaeLynn, The Steeldrivers, and Nashville’s Chip Esten. Charities to benefit from the proceeds include Second Harvest Food Bank, the Nashville Public Library Fund, the W.O. Smith Nashville Community Music School, and Abe’s Garden.
VIP experiences and general tickets for the evening are still available at ticketmaster.com.
Chris Young Requests Unwrapped Toys For Gatlinburg Fire Victims
Chris Young displays Toys for Tots donations in Knoxville. Photo: Joy Kimbrough/JoyKPhoto
Chris Young has extended his fall tour’s Toys For Tots partnership through Friday, Dec. 16. The announcement was made Saturday (Dec. 10) in association with the CMA to collect toys from the Nashville music community for children who have been devastated by recent wildfires in Gatlinburg, Tennessee.
The drive will accept donations at CMA’s new headquarters during regular operating hours (9 a.m.-5 p.m. CT) and at its annual member party on Tues., Dec. 13 at 35 Music Square E., Suite 201, Nashville. On Tour Logistics, a Division of Averitt Express, has agreed to transport the toys from Nashville to Gatlinburg for free on Monday, Dec. 19.
Nashville Cumulus Media Stations Help Collect Thousands Of Toys At Nissan Stadium
Nashville’s Cumulus Media stations (NASH FM 103.3, 104-5 The Zone, 92Q, Super Talk 99.7 WTN and 95.5 NASH ICON) created a “Toy Field” at Nashville’s Nissan Stadium on Fri., Dec. 9, collecting thousands of toys and gifts for children and seniors in need.
The 9th annual Toy Field event, benefitting The Salvation Army’s Forgotten Angel Program, will reach almost 9,000 “angels.”
Ohio Country Music Festival Signs On To Be Streamed With LiveXLive
/by Jessica NicholsonLiveXLive has obtained the rights to produce and distribute broadcast experiences of Ohio music festival Country Night Lights. The deal also extends to EDM/Hip Hop festivals Breakaway Music Festival, both of which will be streamed live, globally, on LiveXLive’s website and mobile app, as well as via select distribution partner platforms, including VOD, and VR.
LiveXLive’s also recently teamed with Screenvision Media and KAOS Connect, offering the opportunity to create a live experience for fans in over 2,000 theaters across the U.S.
Country Night Lights Music Festival is based in Athens, Ohio and in its two years has featured artists including Jake Owen, Sam Hunt, Brett Eldredge. The country gathering’s 2017 events are said to be in the works. Breakaway Music Festival was founded in 2013 and is based in Columbus, Ohio. LiveXLive’s broadcast will provide exclusive behind-the-scenes footage, interviews, and other branded lifestyle content connected to the festivals.
“With Prime Social Group’s Country Night Lights and Breakaway Music Festival joining the list of global venues and events, LiveXLive continues to realize the company’s vision to amass hundreds of hours of premium music and other exclusive curated content,” said Robert Ellin, LiveXLive Founder and Chairman. “LiveXLive is building the first independent global live music and lifestyle network providing fans access to experience music and lifestyle content around the world like never before and all from the palm of their hand.”
“LiveXLive and Prime Social Group are going to build a great experience for users worldwide,” said Adam Lynn, President of Prime Social Group. “Both festivals continue to attract premier talent such as Chance the Rapper, Young Thug, Jake Owen, Dillon Francis and many others. Our track record speaks for itself and we continue to grow our festivals in both the U.S. and abroad.”
Other LiveXLive partnerships include Verizon, Rock in Rio, Outside Lands Music & Art Festival, and venues Tao, The Saban Theater, OneLive, Marquee, Complex and the tech company LiveOne. LiveXLive has also streamed artists like Katy Perry, Rihanna, Rod Stewart, Metallica, Radiohead, Sam Smith, Elton John, Maroon 5, One Republic, Bruce Springsteen, Fergie, John Legend, Motley Crue, among others.
Warner/Chappell Music Promotes Alicia Pruitt To Sr. VP, A&R
/by Jessica NicholsonAlicia Pruitt
Warner/Chappell Music, the music publishing arm of Warner Music Group, has promoted Alicia Pruitt to Senior Vice President, A&R. She previously served as Senior Director, A&R. During her tenure at Warner/Chappell, Pruitt has signed new talent, secured top cuts for the publisher’s songwriters, and furthered their careers. She has worked closely with songwriters Kacey Musgraves, Michael Dulaney, Chris Stapleton, Derek George, Brantley Gilbert, Lauren Alaina and Lee Miller, among others.
“Warner/Chappell has given me the opportunity to work alongside such amazing talent – both in my colleagues and across our amazing songwriting roster,” said Pruitt. “I’m committed to fostering the careers of songwriters at every level, and my Warner/Chappell family provides the freedom and resources to do just that. I’m excited to continue to be a part of this team and expand my role here at Warner/Chappell. I consider myself very blessed to have the opportunity to work with music and songwriters that I love dearly.”
“Alicia Pruitt is dedicated to songwriters,” said Ben Vaughn, Executive Vice President, Warner/Chappell Nashville. “Her passion and integrity across all parts of the business is known throughout the halls of Warner/Chappell and beyond, and it’s a great honor to announce her well deserved promotion today.”
Weekly Register: Kane Brown Debuts Atop Country Albums Chart; “Humble and Kind” Goes Platinum
/by Jessica NicholsonKane Brown debuts in the top spot on this week’s country albums charts, with his self-titled, full-length album selling 45K. The new album follows Brown’s Chapter 1 EP, which debuted in the Top 10 of Nielsen Soundscan’s country albums rankings in April.
Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood hold two of the top 5 country album titles this week, with Christmas Together moving 30K to land at No. 2, and the Christmas Together/Gunslinger package moving 17K to land at No. 4. Brook’s solo effort, Gunslinger, sits just outside the Top 5 this week at No. 6, moving 14.4K.
Miranda Lambert’s The Weight Of These Wings, last week’s No. 1 effort, moves 23K this week to land at No. 3, while Chris Stapleton’s Traveller is at No. 5, with 16K sold.
Other notable debuts this week include Ned Ledoux, son of rodeo legend Chris LeDoux, who debuts at No. 44 on the country albums chart with his EP Forever A Cowboy (1.9K). Also, Phil Vassar’s American Soul debuts at No. 55 on the country albums chart, with 1.4K.
This week, Thomas Rhett’s Tangled Up reached the 500K sales mark, enough to be certified Gold, as did Joey+Rory’s Hymns album.
On the overall albums rankings, Hamilton Mixtape from Original Broadway Cast debuts at No. 1, selling 187K (169K album only).
Overall album sales have declined 16.2 percent year to date, while overall digital album sales have declined 20.5 percent. Country album sales have declined 6.6 percent year to date, while country digital album sales have declined 16.5 percent.
Country Tracks Rankings
This week, Tim McGraw’s Grammy-nominated “Humble and Kind” moves 5.9K, and tops the 1 million mark at 1.005 million.
On the country tracks chart, Keith Urban continues his reign with “Blue Ain’t Your Color” moving 27K. Little Big Town’s “Better Man” moves 23K to land at No. 2, while The Voice contestant’s Sundance Head’s rendition of “Love Can Build a Bridge” moves 21K to land at No. 3.
Florida Georgia Line ft. Tim McGraw’s “May We All” lands at No. 4 with 17K sold, while another The Voice contestant, Josh Gallagher, lands at No. 5 with his version of “Danny’s Song” moving 16K.
On the overall track sales chart, former child country star Billy Gilman’s rendition of Celine Dion’s “I Surrender” lands at No. 16 overall, selling 26K. Machine Gun Kelly and Camila Cabello’s “Bad Things” topped the overall digital tracks rankings, moving 58K.
Overall track sales have declined 24.7 percent year to date, while country tracks sales have declined 22.7 percent.
Information courtesy of Nielsen Soundscan.
Inside ‘MusicRow’s’ Touring Issue: Agents Talk Acting
/by Sarah SkatesMusicRow recently welcomed a select group of Nashville’s top talent agents to our offices for a roundtable discussion. Here’s what Steve Lassiter (APA Sr. VP/partner), Nick Meinema (UTA Sr. VP), Darin Murphy (CAA Nashville co-head), and Jay Williams (WME partner) had to say about artists who want to venture into the world of film and TV.
Pick up a copy of MusicRow’s new Touring Issue for their in-depth discussion with the agents about the country music touring landscape.
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MusicRow: What advice do you give artists who want to expand their careers into acting?
Darin Murphy: Acting is definitely an option if you have a client who is great in front of the camera. We’ve all seen the success of Blake Shelton on The Voice, and it was great for Keith Urban on American Idol. Kellie Pickler on CMT is a hit. Trace Adkins just finished filming his twelfth movie. But you have to dedicate time to it.
Jay Williams: Artists should make the decision early in their careers, so we can plug them in with [WME’s] L.A. office for film or TV. They will have to take a lot of acting classes. I think they should be open to it, because there are so many more outlets like Netflix, Hulu, and other platforms. A lot of the artists I work with get requests all the time, but they are too busy to stop their main focus of music. That said, it might come later down the road for Dierks or somebody.
Nick Meinema: On the other hand, the number of outlets now dilutes the number of eyeballs. The reality is that building up that side of a career is a process. It’s not an Ed Sullivan situation where you go on TV and all of a sudden your business is flipped. Dwight Yoakam is in Goliath with Billy Bob Thornton, and that will build an audience. Tim McGraw has done it really well; he’s committed to it. An artist has to be committed to it.
Steve Lassiter: Television is an exposure vehicle for the artist. It’s equal to a couple of No. 1 records. But the acting talent has to be there. Travis Tritt is probably not going to get on major country radio anymore, but he is a good actor and he had three or four bit parts this year. What makes it tough is that he is playing 130 shows a year, so we have to pass on a lot of acting opportunities because he’s not available. He lives in Atlanta, which has a major television and film industry, so if he has two days at home, he can go do that. Billy Ray Cyrus has a new show on CMT and it’s doing great. They ordered a second season before the first was over.
Pictured at the offices of MusicRow magazine. (L-R): Darin Murphy, Jay Williams, Nick Meinema, and Steve Lassiter.
Brad Paisley Extends Tour With Guests Chase Bryant, Lindsay Ell
/by Sarah SkatesBrad Paisley
Brad Paisley will continue his successful Life Amplified World Tour with new dates added in February 2017. The tour will be making stops in eastern Canada and the northeast U.S. with special guests Chase Bryant and Lindsay Ell.
Chase Bryant
Paisley’s Life Amplified World Tour 2016 has traveled across North America, while his Country Nation College Tour presented by Frontier Communications visited nine campuses last fall.
His current single, “Today,” is resonating with people around the globe and the music video has been viewed over 30 million times.
2017 Life Amplified World Tour dates:
Feb. 1: Essar Centre, Sault Ste. Marie, ON
Feb. 2: Sudbury Arena, Sudbury, ON
Feb. 3: Peterborough Memorial Centre, Peterborough, ON
Feb. 4: Rogers K-Rock Centre, Kingston, ON
Feb. 9: Augusta Civic Center, Augusta, ME
Feb. 10: Moncton Coliseum, Moncton, NB
Feb. 11: Centre 200, Sydney, NS
Feb. 16: Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza, Wilkes-Barre, PA
Feb. 17: Giant Center, Hershey, PA
Feb. 18: Event Center @ Turning Stone Casino, Verona, NY
Lindsay Ell
Word Music Publishing Signs Jonathan Lee
/by Jessica NicholsonPictured (L-R, back row):Rod Riley, Joel Timen, Janine Appleton, Trevor Mathiesen, Josh Bailey. (L-R, front row): Jonathan Lee, Jonathan Mason
Word Music Publishing has signed a worldwide exclusive songwriting agreement with worship leader and Dove-nominated songwriter Jonathan Lee.
Formerly with Brentwood-Benson Music Publishing and Centricity Publishing, Lee’s songs have been recorded by for King & Country, Newsboys, Selah, and Phillips, Craig & Dean. Lee is a co-writer of for King & Country’s “Proof of Your Love.”
“It’s been crucial to our team to make sure we are building a strong group of worship leaders that see the local church as the major leagues when it comes to how we partner together,” says Jonathan Mason, Director of Word Worship Music. “Jonathan’s love for the local church cannot be denied and we believe new songs of worship will continue to rise through his continued ministry.”
As part of this new partnership, Lee will write songs to lead and release through his own recordings as well as for other artists as a staff songwriter for Word Music Publishing.
Kelly Clarkson Introduces Nashville Beneficiaries For 2016 Miracle On Broadway
/by Eric T. ParkerPictured (L-R): Michael Shmerling, Kent Oliver, Kelly Clarkson, Jonah Rabinowitz, Jaynee Day. Photo: Eric T. Parker
During a press conference at Nashville’s Starstruck Entertainment earlier today (Dec. 9), 2017 Grammy Awards nominee Kelly Clarkson introduced beneficiaries of her second Miracle on Broadway Christmas show next week (Dec. 16) at the Bridgestone Arena.
“What I found interesting with all the organizations we happened to pick this year is [they] are all intertwined somehow,” remarked Clarkson. “W.O. Smith kids have come to sing for Abe’s Garden. And when we were at [Abe’s Garden] they were raising money, I feel like it was for Second Harvest. Y’all are all intertwined, which I thought was really beautiful and organic.”
Also benefited this year will be the Nashville Public Library Fund.
Though the Facebook Live feed had technical difficulties and did not air, Clarkson— a Texas-native—encouraged everyone to give back in their own communities.
“I love Nashville,” Clarkson went on to say. “I’ve been here for a decade now and I feel like this is my community as well. [Giving back is] an important thing for everyone to do. Even if [a charity] doesn’t affect you on your daily, it will down the line—it’s the Domino effect. It’s really important for us to support each other. That’s more relevant now, than ever.”
Tickets are still available for the 2016 Miracle on Broadway, including various VIP experiences, at ticketmaster.com. The star lineup already includes Reba, Ronnie Dunn, Kelsea Ballerini, RaeLynn, The Steeldrivers, and Nashville’s Chip Esten.
Pictured (L-R): Jonah Rabinowitz, Michael Shmerling, Kelly Clarkson, Kent Oliver, Jaynee Day. Photo: Natalie Moorhead
Leaders of the four local charities she will be supporting with proceeds from the event offered remarks during the conference, including Jaynee Day, Pres./CEO of Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee. Second Harvest serves 46 counties—half the state of Tennessee.
“One in seven Tennesseans, and one in five children in Tennessee does not know where there next meal will be coming from,” noted Day. “Healthy/nutritious food is a critical component for all of our success and the success of our communities in being healthy and being able to read and play instruments.”
Day’s charity is the only returning charity from 2014, when $400,000 was raised. “For every dollar that we received, we can provide four meals,” noted Day. “So over 400,000 meals were provided by Kelly, her team, and the community [two years ago].”
Jonah Rabinowitz, Executive Director of the W.O. Smith Music School, touted the 100 percent high school graduation rate for the past 18 years his students have had who learned a musical instruction in his programs.
“All except three have gone on to either a two-, or four-year college, and the other three went in to the military,” noted Rabinowitz. “We provide music instruction to students qualifying for reduced/free lunch programs. They get their instruction for 50 cents, we provide students with their instrument and music if they don’t have those things available.
“It’s taking a child with great need and putting them in a lesson where they learn something about the craft of making music, but what they’re really doing is having this personal relationship [with their instructor] that makes a huge difference in a child’s life—it’s steady and their efforts are going to be appreciated.”
Founder and Chairman of Abe’s Garden, Michael Shmerling, named the charity after his father Abe, who declined with early onset of Alzheimer’s. Shmerling’s experience with care facilities led to a 12-year development process, after which Abe’s Garden opened last year, disseminating free information throughout the country and housing 42 beds. 35,000 Nashville residents have the disease.
“You think, oh that’s a memory care facility, that’s amazing because people are obviously in need because of the statistics,” noted Clarkson. “But the actual architecture and gardening and classes, and how they’re all productive.”
Kent Oliver, Director of the Nashville Public Library, was representing its foundation, which raises private dollars to promote library services, which include education with computers, robotics, 3D printer, film making, puppet shows for literacy, etc.
“Metro government does a great job at supporting us, but over the course of its lifetime, the foundation has raised $43 million for these value-added programs,” noted Oliver. “Without the foundation, we would not have the opportunity to make this difference.”
