(L-R): SunTrust Music Bankers, Front row: Michael Ribas and Blake Zanoni; Back row: Peter Erickson, Dusty Miller, Woody Hartman, Earle Simmons, Harry Chapman (Belmont University), Andrew Kintz, Mark Ford, Bryan Bolton

Brian Williams

The Florida panhandle native has played nearly 150 shows a year along the Gulf Coast, and in 2011, she was named Northwest Florida’s Regional X-Factor winner. She won Best Original Song for her composition “Poison,” and took home Best Female Vocalist at the Beachcomber Music Awards. She later moved to Nashville to pursue as career as a singer/songwriter.

Pictured (Seated): Kelsey Anna; (Standing, L-R): Denise Stevens, Loeb & Loeb; Lisa Ramsey-Perkins, Little Extra Music; Denise Nichols, The Primacy Firm

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Eric Paslay and songwriter Dylan Altman are among the performers taking part in the upcoming Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) Songwriters Series. The event will take place Sunday, Dec. 7 at The Listening Room in Nashville. The show begins at 6:30 p.m., and tickets are $10 online (available at listeningroomcafe.com) or $15 at the door.
Opening the show are MTSU Songwriting majors Kyle Crownover, Nick Carpenter, Collin Baxter, and others.

Four all-new CMA Songwriters Series episodes will tape at Nashville’s Marathon Music Works on Dec. 1 and 2 (two each day), set to air as part of “Front and Center’s” Spring season on public television (check local listings).
Sara Evans and Martina McBride will take the stage on Monday, Dec. 1 (6:30 PM/CT), followed by a performance by Hunter Hayes (9:30 PM/CT). Little Big Town will open the performances on Tuesday, Dec. 2 (6:30 PM/CT), followed by Bob DiPiero and Friends: Brandy Clark, Shane McAnally, and Charlie Worsham (9:30 PM/CT).
“CMA is extremely proud of our songwriters and their many contributions to the success of Country Music,” said Sarah Trahern, CMA Chief Executive Officer. “And we are thrilled to partner with ‘Front and Center’ again to shine a national spotlight on this important segment of our industry. It’s great knowing that we have a partner who truly appreciates the talent of Nashville’s creative community.”
“The reaction that we received as a result of our partnership with the CMA, and subsequently from the shows that we aired with Lady Antebellum and Dierks Bentley, was overwhelming,” said “Front and Center” Executive Producer Don Maggi. “The acceptance that ’Front and Center’ has received from the Nashville music community, and its fans, left no question that we should do even more for the forthcoming Spring season.”
Citi cardmembers currently have access to purchase tickets to these shows through its Private Pass program.
“Front and Center” launched in the spring of 2012 as an original one hour, commercial-free, all-music series, airing nationwide on public television, distributed by American Public Television. Last season “Front and Center” announced its partnership with CMA and taped two shows: Lady Antebellum and a special 10th Anniversary Celebration of the CMA Songwriters Series with Dierks Bentley. The episodes premiered last month as part of The 48th Annual CMA Awards celebration and will continue to air through the end of the year.
All episodes are directed by Pierre and François Lamoureux of FogoLabs.