Responding to Barbra Streisand's Commentary on Climate Change...

     Editor's note: One of my clients is singer-songwriter Joyce Rouse (a.k.a. Earth Mama) whose mission is to save planet Earth one song at a time. She's helped open my eyes to climate change and its negative impact on the world around us. My late grandfather (on my Dad's side) was an avid Republican, and my late grandmother (on my Mom's side) was a dyed-in-the-wool Democrat. Thus explains why I'm stuck somewhere in the middle on the political spectrum. I'm the coveted "independent voter" (part of the swaying 7 percent) that presidential candidates target for advertising. Something tells me my grandfather (an "Ike" Republican) would have agreed with me on this issue.

     An an "in-betweener", I fall a bit progressive on the issue of climate change (global warming). Here's my response to commentary recently penned by Barbra Streisand. You can read her article at www.BarbraStreisand.com.

     I might be wrong, but I believe one reason most Republicans deny mankind's impact on climate change is pride stemming from their dislike of former Vice President Al Gore. (I can hear the feathers ruffling.) Add to that the fear that addressing this serious issue might hurt the fossil fuels industries, eliminating jobs. Yes, there will be a transition. And that won't be easy, especially in a state like West Virginia. Change can be hard. But it's critical to move quickly to reduce our dependency on coal and oil.

     It took 10 years to land a man on the moon. With that kind of determination and leadership, this crisis can be solved. Clean, renewable energy (wind and solar) is the answer. Even natural gas (which we have in abundance) would be preferable for the short term. It emits 50 percent less carbon dioxide than coal when burned.

    This morning, I read a startling article in USA Today. New studies in the journal Science reveal that although human population has doubled in the past 35 years, the number of invertebrate animals such as beetles, butterflies, spiders and worms has increased 45 percent during that same period. Most Republicans (and some Democrats) have their heads under oil barrels. They'd better come out of the fumes into reality before it's too late... for all our sakes.

Chuck Whiting and Amy Allen to Lead 'Reaching Your Dream' Artist Career/Publicity Workshop on July 26

            NASHVILLE, Tenn. (July 2014) -- Artists of all kinds can receive invaluable insights on the professional steps needed to achieve success by attending the "Reaching Your Dream" workshop from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. July 26 (Saturday) at the Center for Spiritual Living Nashville, 6705 Charlotte Pike in West Nashville.

            The career and publicity training workshop will be led by country/blues/pop artist Amy Allen and award-winning publicist/educator/composer/author Chuck Whiting. Attendees will learn how to write and distribute press releases; develop a one-of-a-kind hook; believe in their talents; plan creative events; develop stage presence; form a team of experts; develop, manufacture, market and sell original products; obtain copyrights; and build Internet exposure.

Amy Allen

            Allen and Whiting will lead artists through the career-building and publicity process step by step with hands-on instructions, examples and feedback. Artist Q&A spotlights (case studies) will feature insights from Nashville filmmaker/visual artist Robyn Morshead, singer/songwriter/musician Sean O'Shea, and author/speaker/edu-tainer/edu-preneur Debbie Watts.

            Attendees will participate in an artist vision-sharing event called "Arts on the Row" from 7-9 p.m. Saturday. The first 15 professionals to sign up for the workshop will enjoy a complimentary tour and demonstrations at a local media operation on July 25 (Friday). They also will have the opportunity to receive complimentary writing and editing critiques during a brainstorming lunch on July 27 (Sunday).

            Tuition for the "Reaching Your Dream" workshop is $95 (registration by July 20) and $120 (registration after July 20). Participation in the "Arts on the Row" artist vision-sharing event, media tour, and critiques/Q&A sessions are included with registration. Meals are not included. Discounts are available for couples, company-sponsored groups, and non-profit organizations. Artist scholarships are available.

            For more information or to register for the "Reaching Your Dream" workshop, call (615) 423-9857 or (888) 80-SHINE, send an email inquiry to Arts@WhitingPublicity.com, or visit www.ReachingYourDream.net.

            "I hear many fellow artists say how overwhelmed they are with the multi-tasking involved in the career-building process," said Allen, who has collaborated with Whiting on product development, performances and publicity for her "Someday Is Today" CD project. "Overcoming self-doubt to believe in yourself can be a huge struggle. And many artists don't realize how important it is to establish a professional self-image. It's very important to develop a one-of-a-kind persona, top-notch marketing tools, and a great team. We also need to protect our intellectual property rights in a fast-changing digital world. Achieving success is a combination of heart and business."

            Allen recently landed two Top-15 country hits from her latest album, “Someday Is Today”. Amy has performed at venues ranging from the White House to the Ryman Auditorium, opening for stars such as John Conlee, Patty Loveless, and Brooks & Dunn. She has overcome a major health-related challenge to become successful in the arts. Learn more about Amy Allen at www.TheAmyAllen.com.

            A former newspaper reporter, Whiting founded Whiting Publicity and Promotions in Music City in 1993 to provide exposure for artists and the organizations that support them. He is the author/co-writer of the book/song “The Littlest Star”, editor of Music City Arts Update, and host of the songwriters show “Tunesmithing”. He teaches communication courses at Middle Tennessee State University and Motlow State Community College. Learn more about Chuck Whiting at www.WhitingPublicity.com.

Chuck Whiting

            "Our goal will be for each musician, author, actor or visual artist to have a career-changing hook, game plan, or press release in hand by the end of the weekend," said Whiting, who is completing a new CD of instrumentals and vocal tunes for release in 2014. "We will be available to provide feedback during a follow-up brainstorming lunch on Sunday."

            For more information about the "Reaching Your Dream" workshop, visit www.ReachingYourDream.net.

###

Mobile, Ala., Could Have Been Like Charleston and Savannah

          Whenever I visit Charleston or Savannah, I think of Mobile, Ala. 

          The first two cities had preservation societies that waged campaigns to save historic landmarks. Entrepreneurs saw the potential and invested in dilapidated houses. City governments were totally on board. 

          There are some beautiful landmarks in the Port City. But overall, Mobile has done a poor job on historic preservation... more of a "scattered" approach. Much of the damage was done in the '60s, '70s and '80s when the City Commission there failed to pass stricter building codes, essentially ignoring the loss of many historic landmarks and selling much of the waterfront to the Alabama State Docks. I remember reading about the demolition of a house possibly dating back to the 1700s. When I was a child, Government Street was beautiful from downtown to the Loop.  Now it's littered with filling stations and fast food restaurants. Visitors who passed through the city used to lament about the terrible transformation. 

          But you can't change the past. You have to move forward from where you are. Essentially, it's up to us to first care about historic preservation, then to act. The rewards are great.

The Fort Conde Inn is an example of what Mobile, Ala., can do. A house dating back to 1836 was rehabbed into a magnificent bed and breakfast in the Fort Conde Historic District. (Photo provided by the Fort Conde Inn)

          And, actually, it could be I'm being a little bit too hard on Mobile. Nashville could do a much better job as well. Historic preservation in Music City seems to be a lesser priority these days with all the new high rise buildings going up. So many historic buildings have been lost over the years. As as far as trees go, there's no comparison. Much of Broadway, West End, Church and Charlotte remain treeless.

          One bit of good news for Mobile. A house dating back to 1836 has been rehabbed into the magnificent Fort Conde Inn. Check out the photos at The Mobile Press Register:

http://www.al.com/news/mobile/index.ssf/2014/06/cool_spaces_everything_old_is.html

High Fives to the Country Music Association

          Today, I'm high-fiving the Country Music Association and its annual event, CMA Music Festival. Where else in the world can you have access to so much free live entertainment?

          This year will offer a number of stages in downtown Nashville accessible to all free of charge. And, there will also be a host of booths with free giveaways, including ice cream and barbecue. Everything kicks off on Thursday, June 5 and ends on Sunday, June 8. Country music fans who weren't fortunate enough to buy a laminate for the sold-out evening shows at LP Field can take heart... There will be plenty of live music just about everywhere downtown day and night.

          Check out my arts news blog at www.MusicCityArtsUpdate.com for full details on free offerings at the CMA Music Festival. The article includes artist lineups, dates and times for a number of stages.

          Parking seems to be the biggest challenge. This weekend would be a good time for the mayor to promote the Amp. It's times like these (especially) when we need mass transit. 

'For The Love of Music' Documentary Moves Me... Kinda

          During the 2013 Nashville Film Festival, Nashville CVB head Butch Spyridon exclaimed: "This is the coolest damn city in the world." 

          Just about all of us would agree. But when it comes to telling Nashville's story, the CVB's documentary "For The Love of Music"  has "authentic" hits and misses. It moves me... kinda.

          The hits: "For the Love Of Music" features an impeccable cast of artists, including The Black Keys, Fisk Jubilee Singers, Kings of Leon, Kris Kristofferson, Emmylou Harris, and a barefooted Vince Gill. All do an excellent job raving about Nashville's emergence as an "authentic, multi-genre city".

Kris Kristofferson

          

          The movie is likely to make musical and tourist waves in certain places when it airs at 9 p.m. Wednesday (May 21) on CMT. But it doesn't tell the whole story. Missing are a number of key ingredients: The Symphony's impact on the collaborative wonder of Nashville's musical landscape... the appreciation of CCM/gospel greats like Amy Grant (although Michael W. Smith was quoted briefly in the film)... the multitude of struggling songwriters who take nightclub stages every night (not just at the Bluebird) with the dream of landing a label or publishing deal. 

          The movie's focus is on the musicians and songwriters who've already made it. While this is probably the best direction to promote the city overall, it leaves a few "emotional" gaps in Nashville's story for me and some of the writers/musicians I work with. That opens the door for a sequel.

New Hotel Means Loss of Victorian-era Hamilton-Pilcher House... and the Trees

(Update: First the house... now the beautiful trees are gone. There's no mercy on the part of Richard Branson and his team, including David Chase. Rather than keep the large trees that had shaded and graced Music Row for decades, they chose to bulldoze everything. That's surprising for Branson, who claims to care about the environment. Maybe I was wrong to think that. The view from the ASCAP building now looks terrible.)

This is what I posted earlier:

From the "political" desk of Chuck Whiting...

Okay... I'm probably not the most politically minded person on the planet (not even close)! But like everyone out there, my feathers do occasionally get ruffled. So why not post an occasional "vent" or "praise" to let out my frustrations (or my delight)? 

Here's the first "vent" from "Politically Chuck".

On the surface, the new luxury hotel to be built by Virgin billionaire Richard Branson sounds incredible. I'm always happy to hear about Nashville moving forward. And I love the Music City Center, expanded Country Music Hall of Fame, new high-rise hotels, etc. all. What a wonderful time to be living and working in Music City.

Then I read the following in a Tennessean news story:

The site where the hotel is planned is considered an entrance to the Music Row area, which has drawn interest from multifamily and other developers because of its proximity to downtown and Midtown Nashville. A Victorian-era home built in the 1870s at 1 Music Square W. was demolished this week to make way for the project.

The Victorian-era Hamilton-Pilcher House
on Music Row was torn down by
Richard Branson and David Chase to
make way for a new luxury hotel.

 
Demolition of the 19th-century Hamilton-Pilcher House on the site drew an outcry from preservationists. David Chase said historically and architecturally significant items, including the bricks, were identified, cataloged and saved before demolition. 

“Our intent is to reuse as much of those materials in the hotel as we can, and what we do not use, I’m donating to the local historical preservationists’ society,” he said. 

Immediately, my heart sank. I love historic preservation. Whenever I see a developer take away an architectural marvel (especially one that dates back into the 1800s), I have to ask, "Why was it necessary?" Was it a good call for Branson, David Chase, Mark Broom, and Butch Spyridon to push for its destruction for the sake of economic progress? Nashville has lost so many historic landmarks over the years. Just think how wonderful it would have been to have had the home incorporated into the design of the hotel (instead of just its disassembled bricks).

I'm sure I'll love the new hotel on Music Row. But I'll never forget what was there before it was built. Now that it's gone, we can never get it back. Paradoxically, Branson, David, Mark and Butch made history!