Catherine Moore
The “My Music Row Story” weekly column features notable members of the Nashville music industry selected by the MusicRow editorial team. These individuals serve in key roles that help advance and promote the success of our industry. This column spotlights the invaluable people that keep the wheels rolling and the music playing.
As a Partner at Farris, Self & Moore, LLC (FSM), Catherine Moore is a trusted advisor to some of the country’s biggest touring acts, songwriters and recording artists. After getting her Bachelor’s in accounting at the University of South Carolina, Moore started her career at FBMM, where she spent six and a half years working with top-tier touring and recording artists.
In 2015, Moore joined forces with Kella Stephenson Farris and Stephanie Self to launch FSM, a boutique business management and financial planning firm that specializes in the unique needs of hit songwriters and major recording and touring artists.
A CFP-certified accountant, Moore is a member of organizations including SOURCE for whom she serves as Treasurer; the Recording Academy; CMA; ACM; and more. She is also a Society of Leaders in Development (SOLID) alumna and was included in 2015’s Nashville Top 30 Under 30 class and 2017’s Nashville Emerging Leaders class as well as the Grammy Next Class of 2017/2018. Moore is also a graduating member of the Leadership Music Class of 2020. When Moore isn’t mentoring the next generation of executives or crunching the numbers that will make an artist’s tour a reality, she’s usually enjoying time with her husband Patrick, their son Harrison and their daughter Cate, traveling to a favorite getaway or spending time outdoors.
MusicRow: Where did you grow up?
Chattanooga, Tennessee on Lookout Mountain.
Pictured (L-R): FSM Partners Catherine Moore, Stephanie Self, Kella Farris and Stephanie Alderman
What were you into as a kid?
Ballet. I started at three years old and just fell in love with it. I wasn’t particularly great at it, but I loved music. Ballet was my introduction to music. I remember being really young and buying the Nutcracker soundtrack and making up dances to it. I loved the discipline of it—I’m very Type A.
I grew up doing ballet through high school. I got to the point where I was either going to do it seriously or it was going to just be for fun. I decided I didn’t want to be a ballerina, so then in high school I did it more recreationally.
Where did you go to college?
The University of South Carolina. I wanted to go to the University of Virginia (UVA). My dad went there and I fell in love with the campus, but that was really the only reason I wanted to go there. I knew I wanted to move away from home. I was ready to be independent and I wanted something new. I didn’t even apply to the University of Tennessee because I wanted to get out of Tennessee for a while.
I didn’t end up getting into UVA—it’s very hard to get into out of state. My mom grew up in South Carolina, so I went and looked at USC and really liked it. They also had a good business program, so I went there.
Catherine Moore with Old Dominion
What was the goal with the business degree?
Well, it’s really funny. When I was in high school, I watched a movie called Almost Famous and I was like, “I want that to be my life. I’m not a journalist, but I want that.” I loved music and concerts. Simultaneously, I fell in love with the band Hanson and followed their journey. They were signed to a major label, got frustrated and started their own label. I thought that was really cool. It was the Backstreet Boys and NSYNC era, and they all seemed manufactured, whereas Hanson went and did their own thing. They played their own instruments, they wrote their own songs and I just gravitated towards that. Those two things made me fall in love even more with the business of music. But I thought, what am I going to do with that? I’m not musical.
I got my Bachelor’s in accounting and was all set to move to Charlotte and work for a big four accounting firm. I went to all the interviews and I was like, “I don’t want to do this.” I love accounting and I love numbers. I knew that’s what I was good at and I enjoyed it because I’m a nerd, but it just didn’t feel right.
When my parents first got married, they lived in Nashville [for a period of time], so they had a lot of community here. I reached out to a family friend who worked at WME and he was like, “Oh, you should go into business management.” I was like, “What is that?” He said, “It’s basically accounting for musicians.” I will never forget it. He sent me this list of five firms—FBMM, O’Neil Hagaman, Haber, Smith Wiles and Vaden. I mailed my resume and fortunately got a few interviews. I got hired at FBMM right out of college. It felt so right! This was exactly what I wanted to do.
Catherine Moore with son Harrison
That’s awesome! Tell me about your time at FBMM?
I started my job a week after college. My very best friend from high school went to Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) and was also moving here, so we moved in together in a little apartment in Bellevue. I will never forget my first day at FBMM. I showed up in heels, a nice black dress and a blazer. Everybody else was in jeans and converse. [Laughs]
I actually started in their tax department under Trey Dunaway. I remember knowing I wanted to do business management, but they needed a tax person and I had tax experience. I learned so much right off the bat. I had such a solid accounting background, but I didn’t know anything about the music business, so it was a great intro into the music business for me.
[A year later], a position opened up on one of the business management teams, so I moved over there and worked there for the remaining five and a half years I was there. I learned so much from the business managers and partners there.
What was the next step?
Sometimes in life you are ready for a change and it is beyond your control, and I honestly just felt God pulling me in a different direction. I reached out to Stephanie [Self] as a mentor and we decided to partner together on our next venture. We were like, “Maybe we just go do this just the two of us. We can figure it out. We’ll work out of someone’s basement. We can get clients, right?” We started asking smaller business managers in town if there was room for us, if there was enough business to go around and if we were crazy. We reached out to Kella [Stephenson Farris] and she was so encouraging of us to do our own thing. Our story continued to develop – Kella followed up with us the next day and asked if we wanted to explore working together. We went to her house a few days later and just sat around her dining room table and hashed out what it would look like. Jan. 1, 2015, we hit the ground running.
Pictured (L-R): Catherine Moore, Josh Osborne and Toni Osborne
I bet that was a scary decision.
It really was. When I was doubting my decision and ability to go out and start my own thing, my friends and husband were the reason I actually was able to make that leap. I knew even if I failed, I had this incredible support system that believed in me even when I didn’t quite believe in myself! They saw my potential when I couldn’t always.
Tell me about those early days of Farris, Self & Moore.
At first, Stephanie and I moved into Kella’s office in this little blue building on Music Row. It was a law office building, and she was just renting a couple offices and the conference room from them. We had this rickety conference table and I sat at one end and Stephanie sat at the other. That whole first year was cold calling. Quickly, we realized we needed better space, so we moved into the building on Edgehill and 17th Avenue. Then we moved [into our new office] earlier this year.
Our first few clients were songwriters because they knew Kella’s reputation. Then we got our first touring client and once we took him, it was like everyone realized our doors were open. Word of mouth just kept circulating.
There was definitely a moment probably halfway through our first year where I literally was sitting in my office and had a lull in my day, where just a year prior in my old job, I was used to being slammed. I remember being like, “God, what have I done?” I had to trust that the work and the clients would come. And it did. I had to do a lot of personal growth in the sense of going from being an employee where I could depend on a business manager to be there to help to [realizing it was all on me]. My favorite thing about this whole journey is the people in the Nashville music industry that I’ve met have been so incredible. You find out most people don’t know what they’re doing all of the time. You don’t have to be the best, you just have to be a good person that works hard and cares a lot.
Catherine Moore with Alana Springsteen
Who are some of your mentors?
Kella and Stephanie, for sure, as well as our newest partner Stephanie Alderman. I’ve learned so much from them. I wanted a family and I wanted to be able to do it on my own terms. I didn’t want to feel guilty about if my kid is sick and I need to be there for them. If daycare calls, I can leave. Seeing how they manage that [has been inspiring]. I now have two children and they’ve been such a resource for the balance of parenting and work.
My mom is a mentor. She’s artistic—she paints, which I’ve always admired. She has always persevered and is very disciplined and stubborn. We have a lot of the same qualities, so seeing how she’s pushed through her life and career has been cool to see.
Someone is undoubtedly watching you and wanting to have a similar career path. What advice would you give them?
Go with your gut. At the end of the day, I feel like I have a very strong foundation morally and I have a strong faith, so I feel like I’ve always been able to know in my heart what’s right and what’s not. With starting the business, bringing on clients and bringing on employees, I’ve just gone with my gut. Knowing that it’s okay to listen to that—not everything’s black and white.
Surround yourself with good people. Some of my very best friends are people at other business management firms that I can call up and say, “Hey, what would you do in this scenario?” There’s no reason to be competitive. Be open to helping others.
Loving what you do is so important. You’re at your job at least 40 hours a week—you need to love it. I know not everyone is fortunate enough to be in a situation like that, but I’ve just always been so grateful that I love what I do. I’m so passionate about all of my clients, as people and as artists, as well as my team that I get to work with every day. That passion makes me work that much harder.
Pictured (L-R): Mandy Morrison, Catherine Moore and Mallory Mason Pascal
What is a moment that you’ve had that your teenage self watching Almost Famous would think is so cool?
In general, getting to see the behind the scenes of a show. Watching a stage go up. Seeing a band work through new music during a soundcheck. If you had told young Catherine that…being at a show and being a part of it. There’s just no greater feeling. My first show back after COVID was one of the best memories. It was the most emotional night. These people had to put their lives and careers on hold; they didn’t know what their lives were going to look like from a financial standpoint. I was able to help get them through that, so the release of them getting to play again was just incredible.
When you look back on it all, how does it make you feel?
The biggest takeaway from going out on my own has just been the support of everybody–friends, family, the industry. I learned a lot of that, too, through going through Leadership Music. There’s no pretenses. Everybody’s there because they like music and because they care very much about their piece of the industry. I am grateful for the Nashville music community as well as the support and encouragement they’ve always offered, from day one.
Toby Keith Named Pandora Billionaire
/by Madison HahnenPictured (L-R): TK Kimbrell, President/Owner TKO Artist Management; Toby Keith; Cindy Mabe, Chair and CEO of Universal Music Group Nashville
Grammy-nominated singer, songwriter, entertainer and entrepreneur Toby Keith ended a three-show run at the world-famous Dolby Live at Park MGM in Las Vegas by being named a Pandora Billionaire. This accreditation comes with Keith’s music being streamed 3 billion times on Pandora.
Toby Keith
Keith was presented with his Triple Billionaires plaque backstage along with the President/Owner of TKO Artist Management TK Kimbrell, and Chair & CEO of Universal Music Group Nashville Cindy Mabe.
During his three-show run, Keith played for a total of two hours each night. His set included No. 1 hits, top 10 singles and an acoustic set of six songs that he deemed “should have been singles.” The acoustic set was a highlight for audience members, as Keith sat centerstage to perform these. To date, he has gained over 100 million BMI performances and more than 10 billion streams across all streaming platforms.
Keith recently released his album 100% Songwriter, which highlights his most iconic 13 solo-written songs. Also showcasing his talent is his latest hit single “Don’t Let The Old Man In.” Written in 2018, this song was inspired by a conversation between Keith and Clint Eastwood, and eventually landed in Eastwood’s movie, The Mule. After giving a powerful performance of the song at this past year’s People’s Choice Country Awards, the song went to No. 1 on the iTunes Country Chart and hit the Top 3 all-genre chart.
Weekly Register: Jessie Murph & Jelly Roll Join Top Five On Country Songs Chart
/by Liza AndersonJessie Murph and Jelly Roll‘s “Wild Ones” joins the top five on the country streaming songs chart this week, scoring the fifth slot with 7.2 million new streams, adding to 86 million ATD according to Luminate data.
Zach Bryan and Kacey Musgraves‘ “I Remember Everything” remains at the top with 15 million streams, adding to 342 million ATD, and Morgan Wallen‘s “Last Night” stays at No. 2 with 11 million new streams, adding to 1.1 billion ATD. Bryan’s “Something In The Orange” is sedentary at No. 3 with 11 million streams, adding to 1.1 billion ATD as well, while Wallen’s “Thinkin’ Bout Me” follows behind at No. 4 again with 9.3 million new streams, adding to 514 million ATD.
On the country albums chart, Wallen’s One Thing At A Time resides at No. 1 with 63K in total consumption (4.5K album only/75 million song streams). Bryan’s self-titled album still stands at No. 2 with 44K (9.4K album only/45 million song streams), followed by Taylor Swift‘s Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) at No. 3 with 39K (22K album only/23 million song streams). Swift’s Red (Taylor’s Version) returns to No. 4 with 32K (16K album only/21 million song streams), and Wallen’s Dangerous: The Double Album moves back to No. 5 with 32K (857 album only/41 million song streams).
Ira Dean Readies Solo Project ‘I Got Roads’ For 2024
/by Lorie HollabaughIra Dean
Hit songwriter/producer Ira Dean is releasing a new album I Got Roads in 2024 via 8 Track Entertainment. The project will be his first solo album since 2015.
Dean’s musical talent became widely recognized when he joined the dynamic country music trio Trick Pony in the late 1990s. Serving as the bassist and contributing vocalist for the group, Dean played a pivotal role in shaping Trick Pony’s signature sound, including co-writing some of their most successful songs such as “Pour Me,” “On a Mission” and “Just What I Do.” Following his Trick Pony era, Dean embarked on a solo career, releasing his debut solo album in 2015.
Ira Dean in the studio
Dean has also established himself as a prolific songwriter, with songs recorded by artists such as Ronnie Dunn, Rascal Flatts, Joe Nichols, Chris Young, Trace Adkins, Colt Ford, Heidi Newfield, Jake Owen, Gary Allan and more. He has had seven songs cut by Montgomery Gentry, including their hit single “One In Every Crowd” and “I’ll Keep The Kids, and co-wrote Aaron Lewis’ hit “Am I The Only One.”
Featuring Vince Gill, Ronnie Dunn, Gretchen Wilson and more, Dean’s new album I Got Roads is tale of redemption, growth and finding happiness.
“This whole thing started when my friend Noah Gordon (Head of 8 Track) and I were talking and, he planted the seed and said, ‘Ya know what I’m thinkin? I think it’s time you made a record,'” recalls Dean to MusicRow. “I had just got done co-producing Aaron Lewis’ album Frayed At Both Ends and the single that I co-wrote ‘Am I The Only One’ had just debuted in Billboard at No. 1. I was writing with Ronnie Dunn later that afternoon and mentioned it to him and he said, ‘Well it’s time, you need to do it,’ so I went from writing for everyone else to buckling down and writing songs for me. We went down to Muscle Shoals to the world famous Fame Studio and cut the first six songs.”
The project includes Dunn, Allan, Jeffrey Steele, Uncle Kracker, David Lee Murphy and more, and was a labor of love for Dean.
“Making a record with all my friends and cats that I have always wanted to sing and play with, is a bonus. I’ve never had more fun or felt so blessed. The turnout and support of everyone making this record has been a real eye-opening and heart-warming experience. I really hope this record hits [listeners] as hard as it has hit me making it. I am an open book when it comes to my life so why stop that when writing songs? I hope they feel like they were on a train ride, like they boarded the train and don’t want to get off ‘til the last song ends.
“They will hear the crazy times, the wild times of the tempo songs I wrote about my party days,” he continues. “They will hear songs about me losing my mom, my dad and my musical friends along the way, and how I miss how it used to be. There’s even a love song I wrote for my fiancé that I recorded with Gretchen Wilson. This album is my life, the good the bad and the ugly, but hopefully they feel the hope and redemption that I’ve found by the last song.”
I Got Roads Track Listing:
1. “Tele-Man” feat. Ronnie Dunn, John Osborne & Vince Gill (Jeffrey Steele/Tony Mullins)
2. “I Got Roads” feat. Gary Allan & Jeffrey Steele (Ira Dean/Gary Allan/Jeffrey Steele)
3. “Everything” feat. Gretchen Wilson (Ira Dean/Dave Turnball )
4. “I Get High” feat. Shelly Fairchild (Ira Dean/Gary Allan/Dave Turnball)
5. “1 to Hank” feat. Uncle Kracker (Ira Dean/Chris Wallin)
6. “What Would Charlie Daniels Say” feat. Ted Nugent (Ira Dean/Jeffrey Steele)
7. “I Like It Like That” feat. David Lee Murphy (Ira Dean/David Lee Murphy)
8. “Amen To That” (David Lee Murphy/Jessi Alexander/Jimmy Yeary)
9. “Missing How It Used To Be” (Ira Dean/Dave Turnball)
10. “Redneck Girl Like Mine” (Ira Dean/David Lee Murphy/Justin Weaver)
11. “Raised On It” (Ira Dean/David Lee Murphy/Justin Weaver)
12. “Wreck Me” (Ira Dean/David Lee Murphy/Justin Weaver)
Jenny Reid Elevated To VP Of Ticketing At Outback Presents
/by Lorie HollabaughJenny Reid
Jenny Reid has been promoted to Vice President of Ticketing at Outback Presents.
Reid has been with the company for four years, and in her new position, she will oversee all ticketing operations, focusing on country music and comedy events. Reid and her ticketing team have managed tours around North America for country artists and comedians including Alabama, Nate Bargatze, Bert Kreischer, Taylor Tomlinson, Shane Gillis, Leanne Morgan, John Crist and more.
Prior to Outback Presents, Reid worked as Ticketing Manager for New Orleans-based festival and concert promoter Huka Entertainment, coordinating ticketing and box office operations from 2013-2016. She then transitioned to the tech side of the business, working in client operations at Ticketfly and Eventbrite, following its acquisition of Ticketfly.
“Jenny has built an incredible team that we are extremely proud of,” says Outback Presents President Michael Smardak. “With over ten years of experience in ticketing and box office operations, Jenny has led the force to establish a powerful ticketing team at Outback.”
Josh Phillips Renews Global Publishing Deal With Warner Chappell Music
/by Lorie HollabaughPictured (L-R): Warner Chappell’s Bethany Mako, Ben Vaughn, Guy Moot, Josh Phillips, Write or Die Music’s Brantley Gilbert and Warner Chappell’s Steve Butler. Photo: Lily Nelson
Songwriter Josh Phillips has renewed his global publishing deal with Warner Chappell Music.
Originally from North Carolina, Phillips played shows all over the Southeast before moving to Nashville in 2015 to pursue a career in songwriting. His credits include “Dirt Cheap” from Cody Johnson’s latest album, Leather, as well as “Can I Get an Outlaw” and “Angels Working Overtime” recorded by Luke Combs, and “Small Town Small” recorded by Jason Aldean. Phillips has also had cuts with Brantley Gilbert, Chris Young, Michael Ray, Colt Ford and more.
“I’ve had a ringside seat in watching Josh Phillips grow as one of the finest songwriters on Music Row,” says Ben Vaughn, President & CEO, Warner Chappell Music Nashville. “Josh can truly write every kind of song and has a real knack for writing a 100% song–most notably ‘Dirt Cheap,’ which Cody Johnson so masterfully sings. Here’s to many more great years of Josh Phillips songs in country music!”
“Having Ben Vaughn, Brantley Gilbert, Bethany Mako and the entire Warner Chappell team fighting for my songs is second to none and there’s no team that I believe in more,” says Phillips. “I couldn’t be happier to continue my journey with them and I’m beyond grateful to have these folks in my corner!”
CMHOF Exhibit Celebrates 50th Anniversary Of Thomas Hart Benton Mural
/by Lorie HollabaughPhoto: Courtesy of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum has opened a new exhibit celebrating the 50th anniversary of the commissioning of Thomas Hart Benton’s iconic painting “The Sources of Country Music,“ which hangs as the centerpiece in the museum’s Hall of Fame Rotunda.
The exhibit, “An American Masterwork: Thomas Hart Benton’s ‘Sources of Country Music’ at 50,” explores Benton’s artistic process in creating the mural, which was his final painting.
Benton’s sketches, drawings, preliminary paintings and his plasticine clay maquette (three-dimensional model), which were created as part of his process of realizing “The Sources of Country Music” mural, are also included in the exhibit along with a 1975 video of Benton speaking about the painting.
Benton was a leader in American Regionalism, a modern art movement that featured realistic scenes of the nation’s rural and small-town heartland. He agreed to paint the mural for the museum in December 1973. Channeling his lifelong passion for country music, Benton created a masterwork that depicts the wide-ranging cultural contributors to the musical genre. He passed away on Jan. 19, 1975 in his Kansas City studio, having placed the finishing touches on this museum commission. The completed six-foot by 10-foot mural is a synthesis of the artist, country music subject matter and the museum’s educational mission.
This spring, the museum will also host a 90-minute program on “The Sources of Country Music” in partnership with the Frist Art Museum. Panelists will provide interpretation of the painting and discuss Benton’s technique and background as well as the story behind the commissioning of the mural for the museum.
The exhibit is now open through January 2025, and is included with museum admission. For more information, click here.
‘CMA Country Christmas’ Encore To Air On ABC
/by Madison HahnenABC is set to air its encore presentation of the 14th annual CMA Country Christmas on Wednesday, Dec. 20 at 9:00 CST. Co-hosted by Amy Grant and Trisha Yearwood, the special serves as a great way to kick off the holiday season with family and friends.
CMA Country Christmas includes performances of beloved holiday classics by some of country music’s biggest stars. Performances include a duet from Grant and Yearwood of “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing,” “O Come All Ye Faithful” sung by Jordan Davis, Lady A performing “What Christmas Means To Me,” Lindsey Stirling accompanying Ashley McBryde for “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch,” Jon Pardi with “Beer for Santa,” rising duo The War & Treaty taking on “Christmas (Baby, Please Come Home)” and a powerful duet from Zach Williams and Lainey Wilson on “Go Tell it on the Mountain.”
The event was filmed in Nashville and was executive produced by Robert Deaton, with Milton Sneed as the Director and Jon Macks as the Writer.
The event is also available on Hulu and Disney+ for viewers now.
Bryan, Gorley & Jelly Roll End 2023 On Top Of MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart
/by LB CantrellPictured (L-R): Zach Bryan, Ashley Gorley and Jelly Roll
Zach Bryan ends 2023 as the No. 1 songwriter on the MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart. He is the author of seven of his currently charting songs.
Ashley Gorley, who was recently named Variety‘s Songwriter of the Year across all genres, ends the year at No. 2. He is a co-writer on Chris Janson’s “All I Need Is You,” Dan + Shay’s “Save Me The Trouble,” Dylan Scott’s “This Town’s Been Too Good To Us,” Hardy’s “Truck Bed,” Nate Smith’s “World On Fire,” Chris Young’s “Young Love & Saturday Nights” and Morgan Wallen’s “Everything I Love,” “Last Night” and “Thinkin’ Bout Me.”
Jelly Roll ends 2023 at the No. 3 spot with his “Need A Favor,” “Save Me” and “Wild Ones.”
Randy Montana (No. 4) and Chayce Beckham (No. 5) complete the top five on the last Top Songwriter Chart of 2023.
The weekly MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart uses algorithms based upon song activity according to airplay, digital download track sales and streams. This unique and exclusive addition to the MusicRow portfolio is the only songwriter chart of its kind.
Click here to view the full MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart.
Nate Smith Snags His Second No. 1 Single To Close The Year
/by Liza AndersonBreakout country artist Nate Smith has snagged his second No. 1 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart this year with “World On Fire,” following his Platinum-certified, multi-week No. 1 debut “Whiskey On You.”
“Whiskey On You” and “World On Fire” are two of only 19 songs that went No. 1 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart in 2023. “World On Fire” also recently topped the MusicRow CountryBreakout Radio Chart.
“If you would’ve told me back in 2018, that December of 2023, I’d be celebrating not my first, but my second number one at country radio, I certainly wouldn’t have believed it,” Smith shared with Billboard. “In December of 2018, I was absolutely devastated from the very fact that my hometown of Paradise, California had just been destroyed by a fire. I had nothing left to my name. My friends and family came around me and helped push me forward. I want to say thank you to my passionate fans–it’s all about you, country radio for still giving this random dude from the foothills of California a shot, my world-class management and Sony Music Nashville/RCA Nashville team, my incredible publisher, and Lindsay Rimes, Taylor Phillips and Ashley Gorley for writing it with me! This accomplishment goes to show that anything is truly possible. If you’re out there wishing you could go and chase your dreams, just go! Quit wasting time! Get you a few champions who will carry you all the way, and there won’t be anything stopping you!”
With over 120 million global streams to date, the breakup hit is one of 26 tracks on Nate Smith (Deluxe). Upon its release on April 28, the project marked the largest album debut from a new artist this year as well as the largest full-length album debut from a new artist since 2020. It hit No. 6 on Billboard’s Country Albums chart and No. 30 overall on the Billboard Top 200. Nate Smith (Deluxe) also includes RIAA Gold-certified songs “Wreckage” and “Under My Skin.” Currently, the artist has over a billion total career streams worldwide.
Additionally, Smith will set out on his “World On Fire Tour 2024” starting Jan. 4 in Athens, Georgia. Dylan Schneider will join the cross-country trek for the first 20 dates, and Aidan Canfield will open the final show of the tour. Following his headlining journey, the ACM and CMT Music Awards nominee will once again join Morgan Wallen for his “One Night At A Time 2024 Tour” and return to Stagecoach, after making his debut at the festival this year.
My Music Row Story: FSM’s Catherine Moore
/by LB CantrellCatherine Moore
As a Partner at Farris, Self & Moore, LLC (FSM), Catherine Moore is a trusted advisor to some of the country’s biggest touring acts, songwriters and recording artists. After getting her Bachelor’s in accounting at the University of South Carolina, Moore started her career at FBMM, where she spent six and a half years working with top-tier touring and recording artists.
In 2015, Moore joined forces with Kella Stephenson Farris and Stephanie Self to launch FSM, a boutique business management and financial planning firm that specializes in the unique needs of hit songwriters and major recording and touring artists.
A CFP-certified accountant, Moore is a member of organizations including SOURCE for whom she serves as Treasurer; the Recording Academy; CMA; ACM; and more. She is also a Society of Leaders in Development (SOLID) alumna and was included in 2015’s Nashville Top 30 Under 30 class and 2017’s Nashville Emerging Leaders class as well as the Grammy Next Class of 2017/2018. Moore is also a graduating member of the Leadership Music Class of 2020. When Moore isn’t mentoring the next generation of executives or crunching the numbers that will make an artist’s tour a reality, she’s usually enjoying time with her husband Patrick, their son Harrison and their daughter Cate, traveling to a favorite getaway or spending time outdoors.
MusicRow: Where did you grow up?
Chattanooga, Tennessee on Lookout Mountain.
Pictured (L-R): FSM Partners Catherine Moore, Stephanie Self, Kella Farris and Stephanie Alderman
What were you into as a kid?
Ballet. I started at three years old and just fell in love with it. I wasn’t particularly great at it, but I loved music. Ballet was my introduction to music. I remember being really young and buying the Nutcracker soundtrack and making up dances to it. I loved the discipline of it—I’m very Type A.
I grew up doing ballet through high school. I got to the point where I was either going to do it seriously or it was going to just be for fun. I decided I didn’t want to be a ballerina, so then in high school I did it more recreationally.
Where did you go to college?
The University of South Carolina. I wanted to go to the University of Virginia (UVA). My dad went there and I fell in love with the campus, but that was really the only reason I wanted to go there. I knew I wanted to move away from home. I was ready to be independent and I wanted something new. I didn’t even apply to the University of Tennessee because I wanted to get out of Tennessee for a while.
I didn’t end up getting into UVA—it’s very hard to get into out of state. My mom grew up in South Carolina, so I went and looked at USC and really liked it. They also had a good business program, so I went there.
Catherine Moore with Old Dominion
What was the goal with the business degree?
Well, it’s really funny. When I was in high school, I watched a movie called Almost Famous and I was like, “I want that to be my life. I’m not a journalist, but I want that.” I loved music and concerts. Simultaneously, I fell in love with the band Hanson and followed their journey. They were signed to a major label, got frustrated and started their own label. I thought that was really cool. It was the Backstreet Boys and NSYNC era, and they all seemed manufactured, whereas Hanson went and did their own thing. They played their own instruments, they wrote their own songs and I just gravitated towards that. Those two things made me fall in love even more with the business of music. But I thought, what am I going to do with that? I’m not musical.
I got my Bachelor’s in accounting and was all set to move to Charlotte and work for a big four accounting firm. I went to all the interviews and I was like, “I don’t want to do this.” I love accounting and I love numbers. I knew that’s what I was good at and I enjoyed it because I’m a nerd, but it just didn’t feel right.
When my parents first got married, they lived in Nashville [for a period of time], so they had a lot of community here. I reached out to a family friend who worked at WME and he was like, “Oh, you should go into business management.” I was like, “What is that?” He said, “It’s basically accounting for musicians.” I will never forget it. He sent me this list of five firms—FBMM, O’Neil Hagaman, Haber, Smith Wiles and Vaden. I mailed my resume and fortunately got a few interviews. I got hired at FBMM right out of college. It felt so right! This was exactly what I wanted to do.
Catherine Moore with son Harrison
That’s awesome! Tell me about your time at FBMM?
I started my job a week after college. My very best friend from high school went to Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) and was also moving here, so we moved in together in a little apartment in Bellevue. I will never forget my first day at FBMM. I showed up in heels, a nice black dress and a blazer. Everybody else was in jeans and converse. [Laughs]
I actually started in their tax department under Trey Dunaway. I remember knowing I wanted to do business management, but they needed a tax person and I had tax experience. I learned so much right off the bat. I had such a solid accounting background, but I didn’t know anything about the music business, so it was a great intro into the music business for me.
[A year later], a position opened up on one of the business management teams, so I moved over there and worked there for the remaining five and a half years I was there. I learned so much from the business managers and partners there.
What was the next step?
Sometimes in life you are ready for a change and it is beyond your control, and I honestly just felt God pulling me in a different direction. I reached out to Stephanie [Self] as a mentor and we decided to partner together on our next venture. We were like, “Maybe we just go do this just the two of us. We can figure it out. We’ll work out of someone’s basement. We can get clients, right?” We started asking smaller business managers in town if there was room for us, if there was enough business to go around and if we were crazy. We reached out to Kella [Stephenson Farris] and she was so encouraging of us to do our own thing. Our story continued to develop – Kella followed up with us the next day and asked if we wanted to explore working together. We went to her house a few days later and just sat around her dining room table and hashed out what it would look like. Jan. 1, 2015, we hit the ground running.
Pictured (L-R): Catherine Moore, Josh Osborne and Toni Osborne
I bet that was a scary decision.
It really was. When I was doubting my decision and ability to go out and start my own thing, my friends and husband were the reason I actually was able to make that leap. I knew even if I failed, I had this incredible support system that believed in me even when I didn’t quite believe in myself! They saw my potential when I couldn’t always.
Tell me about those early days of Farris, Self & Moore.
At first, Stephanie and I moved into Kella’s office in this little blue building on Music Row. It was a law office building, and she was just renting a couple offices and the conference room from them. We had this rickety conference table and I sat at one end and Stephanie sat at the other. That whole first year was cold calling. Quickly, we realized we needed better space, so we moved into the building on Edgehill and 17th Avenue. Then we moved [into our new office] earlier this year.
Our first few clients were songwriters because they knew Kella’s reputation. Then we got our first touring client and once we took him, it was like everyone realized our doors were open. Word of mouth just kept circulating.
There was definitely a moment probably halfway through our first year where I literally was sitting in my office and had a lull in my day, where just a year prior in my old job, I was used to being slammed. I remember being like, “God, what have I done?” I had to trust that the work and the clients would come. And it did. I had to do a lot of personal growth in the sense of going from being an employee where I could depend on a business manager to be there to help to [realizing it was all on me]. My favorite thing about this whole journey is the people in the Nashville music industry that I’ve met have been so incredible. You find out most people don’t know what they’re doing all of the time. You don’t have to be the best, you just have to be a good person that works hard and cares a lot.
Catherine Moore with Alana Springsteen
Who are some of your mentors?
Kella and Stephanie, for sure, as well as our newest partner Stephanie Alderman. I’ve learned so much from them. I wanted a family and I wanted to be able to do it on my own terms. I didn’t want to feel guilty about if my kid is sick and I need to be there for them. If daycare calls, I can leave. Seeing how they manage that [has been inspiring]. I now have two children and they’ve been such a resource for the balance of parenting and work.
My mom is a mentor. She’s artistic—she paints, which I’ve always admired. She has always persevered and is very disciplined and stubborn. We have a lot of the same qualities, so seeing how she’s pushed through her life and career has been cool to see.
Someone is undoubtedly watching you and wanting to have a similar career path. What advice would you give them?
Go with your gut. At the end of the day, I feel like I have a very strong foundation morally and I have a strong faith, so I feel like I’ve always been able to know in my heart what’s right and what’s not. With starting the business, bringing on clients and bringing on employees, I’ve just gone with my gut. Knowing that it’s okay to listen to that—not everything’s black and white.
Surround yourself with good people. Some of my very best friends are people at other business management firms that I can call up and say, “Hey, what would you do in this scenario?” There’s no reason to be competitive. Be open to helping others.
Loving what you do is so important. You’re at your job at least 40 hours a week—you need to love it. I know not everyone is fortunate enough to be in a situation like that, but I’ve just always been so grateful that I love what I do. I’m so passionate about all of my clients, as people and as artists, as well as my team that I get to work with every day. That passion makes me work that much harder.
Pictured (L-R): Mandy Morrison, Catherine Moore and Mallory Mason Pascal
What is a moment that you’ve had that your teenage self watching Almost Famous would think is so cool?
In general, getting to see the behind the scenes of a show. Watching a stage go up. Seeing a band work through new music during a soundcheck. If you had told young Catherine that…being at a show and being a part of it. There’s just no greater feeling. My first show back after COVID was one of the best memories. It was the most emotional night. These people had to put their lives and careers on hold; they didn’t know what their lives were going to look like from a financial standpoint. I was able to help get them through that, so the release of them getting to play again was just incredible.
When you look back on it all, how does it make you feel?
The biggest takeaway from going out on my own has just been the support of everybody–friends, family, the industry. I learned a lot of that, too, through going through Leadership Music. There’s no pretenses. Everybody’s there because they like music and because they care very much about their piece of the industry. I am grateful for the Nashville music community as well as the support and encouragement they’ve always offered, from day one.