Once a year, for four days, Nashville transforms from Music City to Country Music City as it hosts CMA Fest all around downtown. Multiple venues, hundreds of performers, and a chance to mingle with other like-minded country music fans for a long weekend. CMA Fest kicked off on June 6 to the tune of Old Dominion at Spotify House, Jackson Dean at the Riverfront Stage, and Dolly Parton at Fan Fair X announcing a hotel, a Broadway show, new music, and so much more.
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With so many things to see, artists to meet, and music to listen to, CMA Fest can get a bit overwhelming. It’s easy to forget why you’re there, what you’re there for. However, as this author wandered through the cool AC of Music City Center, wondering what to do next, a spark of inspiration came in the form of Jake Owen at the Close Up Stage.
Perched on a stool with his guitar, wearing flip flops and jeans rolled up past the ankle, Jake Owen still looks for everything like a Florida boy. Born in Winter Haven, he later attended Florida State University, where he picked up the guitar during his college years. He became a regular at the campus bar where he would play gigs until he decided to move to Nashville and pursue music full-time.
Nashville is the magic center of Owen’s appearance on the Close Up Stage. He tells the packed audience that all the college kids at FSU just wanted to hear “Sweet Home Alabama” and similar songs every night, but he wanted to play the type of country music that gets people dancing, clapping their hands, and singing along. He had a dream, and he moved to Nashville to pursue it. At CMA Fest, he talks about how important it is to follow those dreams wherever they take you.
For Jake Owen, Nashville Has Its Own Particular Magic
Jake Owen took the CMA Fest Close Up Stage in support of the CMA Foundation, which helps further music education in schools. He spoke about the magic of Nashville, of living in Music City and pursuing his dreams, and brought two emerging artists and friends of his on the stage to share their experiences of moving to Nashville.
“Everyone asks what’s the secret,” said Owen when talking about becoming a musician. “I really believe it’s just getting here—it might not even be country music is what you’re doing or what you want to do. But whatever you have your sights set on, just set your directional beacon toward that thing and put the pedal to the metal.”
Nashville has been “fruitful” for those friends Owen has made. One moved from California, notably also a huge entertainment hub, to narrow his focus on country music. Another moved here to pursue music but had to sell t-shirts to make ends meet. Owen met him and made him his assistant, until the young man’s parents, who attended many of his gigs, mentioned to Owen that their son is a talented musician and he “didn’t move to Nashville to sell t-shirts.”
Owen said, “I really believe that good things happen when you aim yourself in the direction of something you believe in and you chase it.”
Nashville can be that direction for many people, for artists looking to make it big, for people holding onto a dream of making music. “That’s what this whole week is about,” said Owen. “Every one of these artists, they didn’t just wake up one day, and you guys knew who they were”—gesturing to the audience—”My point is, some people, they have this dream … and it took mothers and fathers and brothers and sisters and family members supporting them. And everyone you see here this week, they all did it, and they fulfilled it, and you guys are helping fulfill those dreams too.”
It Takes a Village to Become a Musician, as CMA Fest Proves
Jake Owen drove home the importance of a support system in the music industry. Nashville is only one piece of the puzzle, and although it holds that magic for many up-and-coming artists, moving here isn’t a guarantee of success. It’s who you have backing you up that also matters.
Whether friends or family, a support system is important. Jake Owen thanked the audience for their support as well, because fans are just as much part of that system as families. Fans are the ones who continuously come to gigs, to see you play at that dive bar down the street from your apartment. A fanbase can starts as your closest friends, or as strangers who later become friends.
Being a musician can be lonely work, but Owen pressed the importance of following a dream and creating a network of support. That’s what it’s really about, right? Is the goal really to get as famous as Lainey Wilson or Jelly Roll? They still had to grind to get to where they are now, still had to rely on their support system. Or is the goal just to play the music you want to play the best that you can? Isn’t it all just passion, and fun, and learning along the way? Isn’t that what CMA Fest is supposed to be about?
Didn’t make this year’s CMA Fest? No worries. The CMA Fest TV special will air on ABC on Tuesday, June 25 at 8/7c. It will be available to stream the next day on Hulu. The special will feature performances from the four-day event including never-before-seen performances and surprise collaborations from some of the biggest names in country music.
Featured Image by Jason Davis/Getty Images for SiriusXM
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