NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — For eleven aspiring musicians, it was a chance to perform in front of some of the industry's best.
"The Road to Nashville is a mental health music project, a unique songwriting competition that has an infrastructure to support musician songwriters with mental health issues," said Dr. Shamender Talwar, founder of The Road to Nashville — Liverpool International Song Contest.
Over the course of six months, 20,000 songs from 31 countries were entered for a chance to take the stage at the Exit/In.
But unlike most music competitions, The Road to Nashville offered something else for artists. "So when they submit their songs there's a button that they press where they can automatically ask for support from a psychologist or life coach anywhere," said Talwar. Contestants could receive up to three free counseling sessions when they entered the competition.
For contestant Liz Beatty the issue hits close to home. "Six years ago I lost my oldest son Alex 24 years old from a drug overdose," said the Brentwood resident.
She performed a song using words from her son's own diary, sharing his struggle with mental health.
"I just think he would be very proud and he will be honored that I remembered the words of a 17-year-old and how wise they were and how much they're going to make a difference in the world," said Beatty.
Many of the contestants also wrote songs about their own mental health journey, but only one of the 11 could be chosen by the panel of judges.
"The winner from this will get a recording at one of the prestigious places in Nashville and we're going to fly them to Liverpool to play at the Cavern Club," Talwar said.
Still, organizers hope all the participants leave with something more.
"We've had people say The Road to Nashville saved my life, literally kept them from taking their own lives," said President and CEO of PLA Media, Pamela Lewis. "That's what we're here for."
Organizers say the partnership between Nashville and Liverpool is part of a five-year plan.
