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Country Radio Seminar 2008

University of Country Music:
Country Radio Seminar 2008 is a Complete Success!

By: Susan J. Yeager

If only they handed out degrees in Country Music, everyone would attend that school right? Once a year, over two thousand country DJ's, and radio programmers spend a few days in Nashville, furthering their knowledge of the latest technology and learning how to make their station better. It's called Country Radio Seminar (CRS for short) and learning has never sounded so good.

"EnterTeenment News" started our schooling with a Country Music History lesson. Shortly after we arrived in Nashville, we headed to the legendary "Grand Ole Opry." This is the best place for any country music fan to visit because it always combines acts that have been staples in the industry for decades with new acts that are sure to leave their mark in the future. On this particular night, we were thrilled to get to hear Larry Gatlin and the Gatlin Brothers do "All the Gold in California" and Steve Wariner sing "The Weekend."

The newer acts on the bill that night were Keith Anderson who performed his first hit "Pickin' Wildflowers" and his newest single "I Still Miss You." Eric Church stopped by to preview songs from his next album including "Carolina" and the poignant "Those I've Loved Along the Way." Both new artists received great responses from the audience. If you are ever in Nashville, be sure to schedule a trip to the Opry. You can find out how to get tickets and check the line-up at www.Opry.com.

CRS officially starts on Wednesday and who better to get things started than Garth Brooks? Garth sat down with WSIX-FM's Gerry House to talk about everything from raising his girls ("So now, under the umbrella of retirement, what I like about is that you can pick and choose the things you want to do as long as they make sense to your children," he said) to the state of the industry today ("I don't think money and music should go together. I think if you take care of the music, the money is going to take care of itself. But to do anything for the sake of 'this will make more money if you do it this way…' that's tough. Now you're starting to mess with the magic. And I don't think the magic could be messed with.") He also talked about working on screenplays and how that wasn't much of a stretch from writing songs ("When I announced my retirement, I told you I wanted to go into screenplays," he said to Gerry. "That's what I'm doing. I haven't had anything green-lit yet. I love that stuff! That's what music is to me. It's a mini-movie. Things like 'That Summer.' When you have those lines 'Every time I see a wheat field and watch it dancing in the wind.' To me, that's screenplay.")

The funniest moments of the morning came when Garth chose the winner of the "Sing With Garth" contest. Steve Ferguson from WTHO-FM in Georgia was somewhat stunned by the honor and quickly called his radio station to tell them to put Garth (and him) on the air. He handed the phone to Garth who was relaying to the crowd what was happening. Garth explained that they had to wait 50 seconds while they finished a Chesney song.

Finally, on air and ready to go, Garth and Steve began to sing "Friends in Low Places" accompanied only by Garth's guitar. Being so caught up in the moment, Steve understandably forgot a lot of the words but Garth would chime in, creating a moment that was nothing short of priceless. When it came time for the chorus, the audience felt the vibration of a drum beat and the black curtain was pulled away to reveal Garth's entire band. The crowd went crazy!

Garth and his crew treated the audience to "Callin' Baton Rouge," "Much to Young to Feel This Damn Old" and "The Dance" before thanking Country Radio for his success. In terms of business strategy and treating people with respect, we could all take notes from Mr. Brooks.

Opening ceremonies were next on the agenda with former "American Idol" contestant Carmen Rasmusen singing the National Anthem. A performance by newcomer Emma Mae Jacobs preceded the Humanitarian Awards presentation, which featured Charlie Daniels presenting this year's award to Clay Walker. The cause closest to Clay's heart is research and education on Multiple Sclerosis. The singer was diagnosed with the disease in 1996. Humanitarian honors were also bestowed on radio stations KYGO in Denver, WIVK in Knoxville and WFLS in Fredericksburg, Virginia.

Folks had worked up quite an appetite with so much excitement that morning. Good thing lunch was next. Curb Records provided the food and the entertainment and both were adequately satisfying. First to take the stage was a newcomer at Curb, sixteen year old Ashley Gearing. Super-producer, Byron Gallimore, (he works with Tim and Faith) introduced the singer and sang her praises.

Country music fans might remember Ashley from a few years back. She released a song when she was only 12 called "Can You Hear Me When I Talk to You." The song found its way onto the Billboard Charts and she currently holds the distinction of being the youngest female to chart on country radio. She had a stellar voice then and it has only gotten better the last four years. Imagine if you got to hear Martina at 16.

What's almost as impressive as the voice is the stage presence possessed by the teenager. She chatted with the crowd and moved about the stage as if the audience had dropped by her living room for a snack and she was just going to sing a little for them. Never mind the fact that this industry crowd could make or break a career.

Ashley used the opportunity to showcase four songs from an upcoming Curb release including her first single "Out the Window." "They gave me a choice," the young singer told the captive audience. "They said 'Well, Ashley, you can go be working in math class fifth period or you can go to Nashville and sing at CRS.' I think I made the right decision." By the sound of the applause, we think everyone there agreed with her.

After Ashley's entertaining set, Lee Brice took the stage with only an acoustic guitar and sang his single "Happy Endings." He followed that with a song that he co-wrote called "More Than a Memory." You might remember that one as Garth Brook's most recent hit. Lee introduced former Trick Pony lead singer, Heidi Newfield. Heidi stopped by to thank the radio personnel for their continued support and previewed her new single "Johnny and June."

Rodney Atkins took the stage to thank radio for his successful year. He accomplished that feat by playing the songs the audience helped make solid hits including "Watching You," "If You're Going Through Hell," and his most recent number one "Cleaning This Gun (Come on in Boy.)" This Curb artist was part of the New Faces line-up last year and it was well-deserved. The hits just keep on coming and it's going to be exciting to watch this talented man's career.

With the lunch time entertainment ending all too soon, it was time for everyone to get back to work. Country music artists by the dozens rolled in to meet with the radio guys and girls and record liners. Liners are those blurbs you hear on your radio station like "This is Carrie Underwood and you're listening to WETN." Panel discussions began on Wednesday afternoon with "The Country Format Through the PPM Lens" and "The Great Research Debate: To Test or Not to Test."

One of the best things about CRS is that it doesn't forget where a song begins and it also gives songwriters a chance to shine. ASCAP sponsored a writer's round that featured Phil Vassar, LeAnn Rimes, Neil Thrasher, Tony Mullins and Dave Berg. Phil hosted the event and kept everyone laughing with stories about being LeAnn's neighbor (Apparently, every time he sees her walking out to her mailbox, he sings a bad version of "Blue"). He showcased the hits he wrote for others including "My Next Thirty Years," and "Bye, Bye," as well as, "Carlene," that he had recorded.

LeAnn still floors everyone with her amazing vocals and range. She was thrilled to showcase songs from her latest album "Family," as she is a co-writer on every track. At this event, she performed "Good Friend and a Glass of Wine," "Nothing Better to Do," and "What I Cannot Change."

Neil Thrasher has one of the best senses of humors around and had everyone in stitches while talking about being thrown into being an opening act for Rascal Flatts. He had hundreds of songs to choose from but chose "Take me There" (after jokingly cursing Kenny Chesney for waking him at 9:00PM to give him the idea), "There Goes My Life," and "Fast Cars and Freedom."

"I want to thank Rodney Atkins for giving me a life," joked Dave as he started with "These are my People." He also performed "Stupid Boy" and "If You're Going Through Hell." Tony followed Dave with his hits "How Forever Feels," "Little Bit of Life" and "Something's Gotta Give," with LeAnn chiming in to add to the vocals.

The writer's rounds are always one of CRS' highlights and this one did not disappoint. With that much talent on one stage, it was hard not to be entertained. After all, all of those people undeniably have a way with words.

Following a nice welcome reception, the Annual Music City Jam (Sponsored by the Academy of Country Music and United Stations Radio Networks) got under way. This one featured the multi-talented, Brad Paisley. Brad delighted the crowd with his hits "Online," "Wrapped Around," and "Mud on the Tires" before taking the opportunity to announce his tour plans for 2008. Hershey's will continue to sponsor the show dubbed "The Paisley Party."

One, by one, Brad introduced his tour mates and brought out newcomers Julianne Hough, and Chuck Wicks and singer/songwriter, Jewel. Julianne had to catch a plane back to Los Angeles; however, Jewel stayed onstage and performed "Stronger Woman," and "You Were Meant for Me." Chuck reappeared later to sing his hit "Stealing Cinderella" and lead Brad and the band through a rocked-out version of "Driving My Life Away." If this display is any indication of what's to come on the tour, mark your calendars!

During Brad's hour and thirty minutes or so of playing time, Arista Nashville representatives appeared to present Brad with a plaque signifying total album sales of over ten million! Brad thanked the crowd for their part in the milestone and then played more hits. After giving the performer an enthusiastic round of applause, the crowd dispersed to various after-hours events.

On Thursday morning, attendees got up bright and early as panel discussions started as early as 8:00 AM. Topics scheduled included "Growing Online," "Woman to Woman," and "Small Market Superstars."

We stopped in one panel titled "I'm Just a Song," to learn how a hit single is created and how it finds its way to radio. The song chosen for this discussion was "Good Directions" which was written by Luke Bryan (and co-writer Rachel Thibodeau) and recorded by Billy Currington. The two singers served as panel members along with Brian Wright (Universal Music Group) and John Ettinger (Formerly with Mercury Records).

The song was written before Luke has his record deal with Capitol Records Nashville so he didn't have a reason to keep it for himself. While searching for songs for Billy's second album, record executives heard the song but didn't pitch it to Billy right away. After reviewing their first choice songs, they still needed to find a few gems, so they gave "Good Directions" another try. Everyone liked the song, so Billy recorded it. No one really thought that it would be a single. The powers that be thought the song was "too country" and wouldn't play in the big cities.

The tune had been getting a great response during Billy's live show. However, it was during a sound-check in Louisville, KY, that Billy's band was rehearsing the song and the crowd started singing along to provide the vocals. It was only then that the record label realized how popular the tune was and that maybe they should release it as a single.

Though it wasn't an instant it, the infectious melody and funny lyrics won over listeners everywhere and eventually found itself at the number spot on the Billboard Country Singles Chart for three weeks. It was a very informative panel for those of us who wonder how this how radio thing works. Luke did have one question for Billy though. When he and Rachel wrote the song, the original lyric was "You gotta stop in and ask Miss Beth for some of her sweet tea." In Billy's version, it's "ask Miss Bell." "I didn't change it," Billy answered with a bit of surprise in his voice. "I thought that's what it said."

Sony BMG had the honor of sponsoring the lunch on Thursday and their entertainment line-up was a crowd pleaser. Keith Anderson opened his set with the title track from his upcoming album, "C'mon." From there, he went right into "Every Time I Hear Your Name," and then treated the audience to his newest single, "I Still Miss You." The radio crowd was probably going to be hearing that song a lot when they got home. Picking up the pace, Keith and his band did an energetic performance of his first single, "Pickin' Wildflowers." The singer then invited Foster and Lloyd to join him onstage. The duo had a hit twenty years ago called "Crazy Over You" and were thrilled to jam with Keith on the tune. The audience loved it!

There is always one thing you can count on with Troy and Eddie, the duo better known as Montgomery Gentry and that is wherever they go is going to be a party. This Thursday afternoon was no exception. The served up rockin' helpings of several of their hits including "What Do You Think About That" and "Hell Yeah." They also showcased two new tunes, "Long Line of Losers," and What Now You're Talkin'." The twosome expressed their sincere gratitude for all of their radio success. You could tell by the crowd's enthusiastic applause that they love those guys too!

Panel discussions during the afternoon included "Flex Your Promo Pecs" and "60 Seconds, An Awesome Idea Every Minute." It was Country Aircheck and BMI's turn to showcase writers and they had just the right group for the task. Jennifer Hanson hosted the writer's round that also featured Eric Church, Dean Dillion and Casey Beathard.

Jennifer performed the tune she penned that was recorded by Bucky Covington called "A Different World." She also performed "Leave the Pieces," that found its way to radio after being recorded by the Wreckers. Her latest single, "'73," is even more beautiful when played with just a couple of acoustic guitars.

Eric Church performed his new song called "His Kind of Money, My Kind of Love." You could hear a pin drop when he performed his song "Lightening," and followed that with the equally moving "My Life Without Me." His last song, "Planet Earth," lightened the mood.

Dean Dillion is a living legend having penned tunes for just about every country star imaginable (Most notably, George Strait). At this event, he sang "A lot of Things Different," "The Chair," "Set 'Em Up, Joe" and "It Ain't Cool To Be Crazy About You."

Casey Beathard is one of the best in business right now and he chose to perform his hits "No Shirt, No Shoes, No Problems," "Don't Blink," and "Find Out Who Your Friends Are." The crowd gave a standing ovation to a new song that had just been recorded by Tim McGraw called "You Had to Be There." It has number one written all over it.

It was an honor to be in the room with these talented people who have set our lives to music so brilliantly. We hope that each one of them continues to write often. After the writer's round, attendees dispersed to catch some dinner and head out to various activities that would be held later in the evening.

Friday

Things got rolling Friday morning right around 8:30 and panels that morning included subjects like "Creating Powerful Radio," and "Voicetracking: Making it Sound Live and Local." Before you could say "this is great information!" it was lunch time and Capitol Records Nashville was going to bring the entertainment for this one.

Emily West is a new talent that will no doubt get compared to Faith Hill a lot. Emily was highly entertaining and didn't seem to be nervous in front of the industry crowd at all. She breezed through songs from her debut album like "Annie Gonna Get a New Gun," "Mississippi's Cryin'," "BulletProof," and "Blue Sky." She closed her high octane set with her first single "Rocks in Your Shoes." Emily's fun stage persona and strong vocals are likely to win country music fans over easily.

Lady Antebellum is one of the most buzzed about new acts in Nashville and their thirty minute set proved why they deserve the attention. The trio started with "Love's Lookin' Good on You," and then went right into "Home is Where the Heart is." They slowed things down to pour out the emotional ballad "All We'd Ever Need," the turned the tables completely to rock out to "Lookin' For A Good Time." They added "Can't Take my Eyes Off You" and "Run to You" before closing with their debut single "Love Don't Live Here." If this set was any indication, we'll be hearing a lot of "Lady A" in the future.

After lunch, it was time for the last day of afternoon panels and they packed a lot of punch in to one afternoon. Topics to choose from included "Two Part Harmony: Making the Most of the Biggest Show in Town," and "Wish I had Said That: Words That Get Results." One of the "must see" events at CRS was the "Life of the Legend" panel that was held Friday afternoon. George Jones stopped by to talk about his long and illustrious career. The standing room only crowd was privy to conversations about how he got his nickname and what songs he almost recorded that later became hits for others. It was a fitting way for most of the country radio personnel to end the education portion of the trip. They left a true legend to head to the New Faces show. The circle continues.

New Faces… Old Souls When It Comes to Country Music

With lessons learned and music heard, it's time for CRS registrants to start packing and thinking of heading home. Before they go, there is just one more thingto do. They need to cast their ballots for that year's most promising newcomers.

The following year, the five artists who received the most votes will be showcased in the "New Faces" event that officially brings CRS to a close every year. This year's line-up boasted Taylor Swift, Luke Bryan, Bucky Covington, Jake Owen and Jason Michael Carroll. All of these acts had hit the charts during 2007 and had shown promise as poised to leave a lasting mark on country music. They could only hope to follow in the footsteps of former "New Faces" performers like Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, Alabama and LeAnn Rimes.

Luke Bryan was up first and he and his band never seemed to stand still for a second. The energy was contagious and the crowd applauded enthusiastically after every song. He started his set with "Country Man" and then went right into "Baby's on the Way." "First Love Song" was next and the talented Georgia native chose to close the show with his first hit "All My Friends Say." The songs Luke performed can be found on his debut album "I'll Stay Me," and if his CRS performance is any indication, there will be a few more hits coming off that disc.

In honor of his "It's Good to be Us" video, Bucky Covington sped onto stage on a motorbike. Launching into the song, he showed no hesitancy in making the stage his own. If there was fear of performing in front of an industry crowd, the guy never showed it. His set also included his first hit single "A Different World," and his latest single, the inspirational ballad "I'll Walk." He also included "The Bible and the Belt" in what seemed like an all-to-short set.

Jake Owens used his time wisely by playing his top-ten hit "Startin' With Me" and then previewing a new song called "Don't Think I Can't Love You." The singer's set also included "Eight Second Ride" and "Something About A Woman." His jacket came off for a rowdy rendition of "Yee Haw" that also put the spotlight on his talented band. Jake certainly left an impression on the audience and made them forget just how long a day it had been.

Jason Michael Carroll has had quite a year. He's had two top ten hits and has been on the road with Bucky for their "Raise the Bar" tour. The singer/songwriter started this big night with "Livin' Our Love Song," and followed that with his latest single "I Can Sleep When I'm Dead." More than a few tears were shed by audience members during his heart-felt and emotional performance of "Alyssa Lies." Not wanting to leave the audience on a sad note, the performer literally let his hair down and rocked out to a cover of REO Speedwagon's "Take it on the Run." It may be called the "New Faces" show, but Jason chatted with the audience and worked the stage like he's been doing this all his life.

Speaking of… Taylor Swift closed the show and the 18 year old had a touching video that served as a prelude to her set. The video started out by talking about country music's class of '89. The group included Garth Brooks, Clint Black, and Alan Jackson. The video went on to say that another country artist had a milestone in 1989. Taylor was born. Clips ranged from Baby Taylor singing in the bathtub to a preteen Taylor playing guitar for her small crowds. The video ended with Taylor at Country Music's biggest awards shows and the Grammy's. It was the perfect setup for the singer/songwriter who was about to command the stage.

Taylor had plenty to sing about. She kept her time at the microphone stacked with hits including the song that got things started ("Tim McGraw"), the song that kept things going ("Teardrops on my Guitar") and the song the put her on top of the charts ("Our Song"). She closed the show by giving the audience a warning, telling them that if they broke her heart or didn't play her records she would have to write a song about them. It was then she launched into her latest single "Picture to Burn." Anyone who writes and performs that well at 18 is looking at a long career.

Charlie Monk kept the audience laughing while hosting the New Faces show.

So while the talent showcased may be titled the "New Faces," all of the artists on the bill have been singing and writing country music for years. It's almost like performing was in their souls the day that they were born and they are simply following a pied piper. We can be sure that twenty years from now, when everyone talks about the Class of 2008, these five artists will still be making music.

Photos by: Sonya Cook

More Photos from CRS:

Garth Kicks Things Off!