NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Thirty two years ago, leaders of the Nashville Songwriters Association International launched an event to celebrate songwriters. They called it 'Tin Pan South.' Today, the festival is known worldwide for bringing together the best of the best — performing songs and telling the stories behind them on stage across Music City.
I had the opportunity to enjoy music on Friday in a uniquely Nashville setting — the intimate venue of The Station Inn in the Gulch which brought me and other music fans up close to the artists behind the songs we love.
The festival is the brainchild of Bart Herbison, who serves as the executive director for the Nashville Songwriters Association International. He told me about its humble beginnings in the video player at the top of this page.
I also spoke with Allison Barrett, also of NSAI, about the seminars part of the annual event. Watch my interview in the player below.
Tin Pan South Songwriters Festival also gives back to our community. This year, ticket sales from one show were donated to Strings For Hope, a non-profit focusing on supporting survivors of addiction, human trafficking and domestic violence.

Cole is a person I think everyone should meet. After saving his sister's life, he's in a fight for his own. And yet he lives so joyfully, performing on stage and continuing to do what he loves. His family's story will both inspire you and make you reflect on your own. Click if you want to watch one of the most impressive young men in action, determined to write the lines of his own story despite the circumstances.
-Rebecca Schleicher