Valerie Connelly to Perform Songs from Her New Musical 'FEARLESS!' at Valentine's Show in Nashville

          Performer/songwriter/composer Valerie Connelly will present original songs from her new musical "FEARLESS!" and portfolio during a special Valentine's Day evening performance from 7-9:30 p.m. Feb. 14 (Saturday) at the Aloft Hotel, 1719 West End Ave. in Nashville.

          The free "Valentine's Day Music for Lovers" show will occur at the hotel's WXYZ Lounge. Connelly, an all-ages veteran entertainer, says "Fearless! The Golden Love Musical" features 23 original songs "that capture the hearts and humor of those above 40 years old." Her "sneak peek" of comedy and love songs has been under development for many years. 

          Attendees will also enjoy a broad spectrum of original songs in the pop, show, blues, folk and country musical genres. The artist will perform on piano and guitar.  

          "There is no contemporary music platform for Baby Boomers," Connelly said, adding that nearly 100 million people fall into that generation. "They are all music starved, forced to live on a no-option diet of oldies-but-goodies."

          Individuals can hear song clips and the "story behind the story" on the musical at www.FEARLESStheMusical.com.

          Interviewed recently on the "Brent Carl Morning Show" on Cookeville's 1400-AM/107.7-FM , Connelly explained that she is taking "FEARLESS!" on a “Path to Broadway” home concert tour. Individuals can book the artist for donation-based weekend performances in their homes. Proceeds from the shows will be used to defray some of the "enormous pre-production expenses" in getting the show onto a New York stage. She hopes to boost a rapidly growing fan base and land support from potential Broadway investors. She and co-playwright Hal Alpiar have already received interest from a prominent investor in the Big Apple.

          The investors were “extremely receptive to our script and especially to Valerie’s music,” said Alpiar, an award-winning script writer. “They provided us with some great feedback, which we have since fully integrated into the final book and CDs.” 

          A limited number of double-CD sets of the music from "FEARLESS!"  (Acts I and II, fully orchestrated and including printed lyrics) will be available for purchase at the Valentine’s Day evening performance. 

          Connelly, who hosted her own Internet radio show for six years, is also an accomplished fine artist whose paintings and block prints have been shown in numerous Midwest and Southern galleries. She is a five-time author, and runs her own publishing company (www.NightengalePress.com), with 180 books and over 200 songs to her company’s credit since 1990. During her early performing years, she took a two-year break to serve in the Peace Corps in West Africa, then followed with a two-decades-long French and English teaching career in Northern Chicago, which she overlapped with music performances throughout the Midwest and in Europe.

           Samples of Connelly’s music can also be heard and downloaded anytime at www.songsbyvalerie.com and www.reverbnation.com/valerieconnelly.

          Individuals who are interested in hosting a live musical performance in their home featuring preview selections from "FEARLESS! The Golden Love Musical", contact Valerie Connelly at (931) 854-1390 or send an e-mail inquiry to artist@valerieconnelly.com. 

Will Rambeaux to Headline 'CoCreators' Coffeehouse in Nashville on Feb. 6

         NASHVILLE -- Hit songwriter Will Rambeaux will be the featured artist for the CoCreators' Coffeehouse on Feb. 6 (Friday) at the Center for Spiritual Living Nashville, 6705 Charlotte Pike in west Nashville.  

          The event will begin in the church fellowship hall at 6:30 p.m. with an open mic for artists of all kinds. Taking the stage from 7:30-8:15 p.m. will be singer-songwriters Nancy Faber, Steph Blick and Austin Burke. Rambeaux will perform in concert in the church sanctuary from 8:30-9:30 p.m. Joining him as a special guest will be hit singer-songwriter Sherrie' Austin. 

          Admission is free; a love offering will be taken. "The CoCreators' Coffeehouse is a wonderful opportunity for arts enthusiasts to hear some of the most talented musical artists in Nashville -- all in one place," said Event Coordinator Stephanie Perry. "The depth and diversity of the talent here is amazing."  

          For more information, call (615) 356-0174, send an e-mail message to StephaniePerry28@Comcast.net, or visit www.cocreatorscoffeehouse.org or www.nashvillecsl.org.

'The Ryman Diaries' Multi-Media Musical Stage Play to Premiere Valentine's Day Weekend

By Chuck Whiting

MCAU Editor

           NASHVILLE, Tenn. (January 2015) – The multi-media musical stage play "The Ryman Diaries' will premiere in Nashville during a "romantic" run from Feb. 13-15 (Valentine's Day Weekend) in the 4th Story Theater at the West End United Methodist Church, 2200 West End Ave. in Nashville.

            Described as a 19th Century love story, the historical drama depicts the life and times of Cumberland riverboat Captain Tom Ryman as told through the eyes of his wife, Bettie Baugh Ryman. The story covers 70 years of the couple's lives through film media, stage acting, and original musical numbers. It tells of their unlikely romance, marriage, entrepreneurship, raising seven children on a riverboat, ultimate success, Christian conversion at a tent meeting, and the building of the Union Gospel Tabernacle.

            The production, which took two years to write, choreograph and stage, stars award-winning actor/playwright/director Tom Dolan and author/musician/educator Debbie Mathis Watts. The play is based on Watts' book, "The Ryman Diaries", with additional dialog from Dolan. The actors penned seven songs for the production. Film clips feature flashbacks of young Bettie and historical stills provided by the Metro Archives.

            "Both Bettie and Tom had the hearts of musicians, so it was totally fitting that they would play and sing," said Watts, a former writer/producer for TNN: The Nashville Network. "Their wedding anniversary is Feb. 3, so staging of the play over Valentine's Day Weekend is ideal. They were true romantics who laid the musical foundation for Nashville."

            A veteran educator, professional pianist-vocalist, and author, Watts' theatrical roles include Mollie in "Mousetrap" and Agnes in "I Do, I Do". Dolan has received national acclaim starring as Elwood P. Dowd in "Harvey", Dr. Albert Schweitzer in "Memoirs from Africa", and Sam Clemens in "Mark Twain Live". 

            The play will run from Feb. 13-15 (Valentine's Day Weekend) at the West End United Methodist Church (4th  Story Theater). Show times are 7:30 p.m. Friday (Feb. 13), 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Saturday (Feb. 14), and 2:30 p.m. Sunday (Feb. 15). Admission is $12 for adults and $9 for students K-12 and senior citizens age 65 and over. To reserve tickets for "The Ryman Diaries, call (615) 847-8007 or send an e-mail inquiry to wattsd2@att.net. 

            Watts said she was inspired to write the book during her tenure as a writer-producer at TNN: The Nashville Network.

            "As I would be doing research to write country music trivia questions and answers, I would always run across the fact that it was Captain Tom Ryman who built the Union Gospel Tabernacle, later renamed the Ryman Auditorium," added Watts, who was named National Vocabulary Championship Coach of the Year in 2008. "He had such phenomenal financial success with his fleet of packet boats on the Cumberland River, and was a big enough man to accept the message of the gospel of Christianity. Then, being a woman, I naturally began to wonder about the 'little woman behind the man'.

            During her research at the Metropolitan Library Archives and the Tennessee State Library Archives, she discovered a "remarkable" love story. Their chemistry seemed to jump out from 19th Century photos. Great-granddaughter Charmaine Gossett's book, "Captain Thomas Ryman: His Life and Legacy", presented a collection of social opposites. 

            "Right there is the making of a great love story," Watts said. "The notion of 'happy ever after' resulted in my first draft."

            Like her book, the play presents a give and take from the captain and Bettie's diaries, documenting some of the same events from totally different viewpoints. Watts knew that the captain loved music because he wanted the Union Gospel Tabernacle to be a concert hall for the world's great musicians, as well as be a house of worship. She was surprised to learn that Bettie sang and played piano. Together, Watts and Dolan penned songs with a certain folksiness, heart and soul, just like the Rymans were in true life.

            Dolan, who directs the live monologues, developed the multi-media accents using a combination of historic stills of Nashville and the Cumberland River (circa 19th Century) and footage from the Civil War. He also discovered a rare recording from the radio program "WSM Barn Dance" featuring Uncle Jimmy Thompson, a famous Grand Ole Opry fiddler. George Thomas, a teenage "genius of cinematography and technical direction", filmed additional scenes of the young Captain Tom and his sweetheart, Bettie.

            "To make the play mobile and theatrically timely and efficient, we decided to film part of the story rather than to have so many players onstage," said Dolan, who has portrayed Captain Ryman's character in the past for Gaylord Entertainment, promoting Gossett's book about her great-grandfather. "The visual and audio interludes set between the scenes serve the purpose of allowing character custom and age change/progression, while entertaining and educating the audience regarding the history and passage of time from 1855 to 1925."

            The actors age over 70 years, the Bettie character the most. Bettie portrays herself from 12ish to 80. Tom ages from the mid 20s to the mid 60s, although he seems older and more feeble than his chronological age at the end of the play due to health deterioration. 

            "I begin the play as an 80-year-old woman thinking back on her life," Watts noted. "Then, I transform in two minutes to a 17-year-old school girl who grows into a married woman. Then, I become a middle-aged woman having a mid-life crisis. Finally, Bettie is 80 again in the final scene. The challenges for me are obvious. Switching gears as I change costumes is physically and emotionally draining. Not having done theatre in 30 years was a mind-bender for me as well."

            Young Tom is endearing, fumbling and socially inept. As he struggles for the right words to say, Bettie falls in love with his ineptitude. 

            "Every woman knows how irresistible that is," Watts continued.

            The film clips in the play feature performances by Watts' daughter Brittany (as a young Bettie), her granddaughter Presley (as Bettie's younger sister, Alabama), her grandson Easton (as a neighbor kid), and Allie Hemmings (as child Bettie). 

            "The family resemblance between me, my daughter Brittany, and her children, I think, adds to the authentic look of 'the family'," Watts said. "Thom thought Brittany's look of angst in the film was something he couldn't have directed."

            Dolan said he designed the stage set-up to be simple, mobile and image appropriate to the everyday life environment of the characters. For Captain Ryman, the signature set pieces are a captain's wheel and a small out-front stool. For Bettie's character, he built a simple flat-top circa 1840s piano case, small table, and rocker. Each character has a folding screen for entrances and exists, Bettie's much more elaborate and flowery than the captain's. 

            "I believe the production of 'The Ryman Diaries' is landmark, so to speak," Dolan added. "The style of the play fits both the simplicity of the times of its subjects, yet relates their story using today's most up-to-date technology in an efficient and light manner so as to not interrupt the essence of the period. Secondly, it brings to light in an easily understood manner, an essential element of Nashville history that has lain dormant, hidden and ignored for over a century."

            Watts and Dolan believe their production will be an entertainment and educational tool for tour groups and tourists, as well as history students in area public schools and colleges. In association with the Cumberland River Compact, Watts, a common core educational standards coach for the state of Tennessee, is publishing a resource book for teachers, using the Ryman experience on the Cumberland River to teach lessons aligned with the common core standards in the areas of language arts, history and STEM studies. The publication will be available for the 2015-16 school year. Every Tennessee teacher bringing a school group to see "The Ryman Diaries" will receive a free resource book.

           To learn more about the play, visit http://wattsd2.wix.com//rymandiaries . 

(Photos by Chuck Whiting)

'Tunesmithing' to Feature Five Songwriting Acts in Nashville on Feb. 18

         NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- "Tunesmithing" will spotlight five songwriting acts from 7-9:30 p.m. Feb. 18 (Wednesday) at WXYZ Restaurant/Bar at the Aloft Nashville Hotel, 1719 West End Ave. (near Music Row). 

          Attendees will enjoy original songs by guitarist/composer Carlos Enrique, Americana artists/songwriters Lisa Hannah and Paul Nielsen, hit CCM/gospel songwriter Dwight Liles, hit Americana singer-songwriters Nancy Moran & Fett, and country singer-songwriter Andrew Salgado.

Fett & Nancy Moran

 

          Admission is free. Food and beverages will be available for purchase. Publicist Chuck Whiting will emcee the show. Songwriter/audio engineer AJ Bigler will handle sound. 

          "Tunesmithing" songwriters showcase is sponsored by Whiting Publicity & Promotions, Music City Arts Update, and Shine Time Records and Books. The monthly show was founded in 2003 to spotlight emerging, professional and hit songwriters. The event offers mentoring, career growth and networking opportunities for tunesmiths at all levels. 

          For more information about "Tunesmithing", call (615) 423-9857, write Info@Tunesmithing.com, or visit http://www.Tunesmithing.com.

Dwight Liles

Carlos Enrique

Lisa Hannah

Paul Nielsen

Andrew Salgado

'Fett's Mixing Mastery!' Course for Emerging Recording Engineers to Begin Jan. 28

            Nashville independent record producer, engineer and author Fett will lead a master-level course on professional mixing starting Jan. 28 (Wednesday).  "Fett's Mixing Mastery!" will show emerging recording engineers the methodology, secrets, tricks and techniques from a seasoned pro who has spent decades mixing thousands of songs... someone who can show step-by-step exactly what engineers need to do to take mixes to a higher level, providing the musical and emotional impact they deserve.

            Highlights of the course are

            * The 3 M's of mixing (the "why").

            * How to create an emotionally impactful mix.

            * The relationship between song arrangement and mixing.

            * Specific techniques for three-dimensional positioning and placement of parts in a mix.

            * Using "stock" versus third-party plug-ins.

            * How to use groups for organization and saving resources.

            * Mixing musical parts versus mixing "tracks".

            * Extensive coverage of automation.

            * Specific mixing techniques for relative levels, panning, EQ, compression and limiting, and time-based effects (reverb, delay, etc.).

            * Specific mixing techniques for drums, bass, guitars, keyboards, lead vocals, background vocals, specialty instruments, percussion and MIDI/virtual instrument tracks.

            Training will include video lessons, hands-on exercises, sample audio files, and live Q&A calls. All resources will be accessible 24/7 and available for one year.

            Fett is a 30-plus-year music industry veteran who has played a role in more than 50 albums. He served as the technology editor for Performing Songwriter magazine for seven years. He is the author of the popular resource book, "Fett's Mixing Roadmap".

            To learn more about "Fett's Mixing Mastery!" master-level course on professional mixing, visit http://www.mcssl.com/app/?af=1617165 .

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'Tunesmithing' to Spotlight Piano Writers in Nashville on Jan. 21

         NASHVILLE, Tenn. (January 2015) -- "Tunesmithing" will spotlight five songwriters during a special "piano night" from 7-9:30 p.m. Jan. 21 (Wednesday) at WXYZ Restaurant/Bar at the Aloft Nashville Hotel, 1719 West End Ave. (near Music Row). 

          Attendees will enjoy original songs by some of Nashville's most successful piano writers, including Valerie Connelly ("Fearless"/musical), Jimmy Borja ("If The Feeling Is Gone"/Philippine hit song), Warren Evans ("Refractions"/instrumental CD), Melissa Javors ("Wild Horses"/Peter, Paul and Mary), and Debbie Mathis Watts ("The Ryman Diaries"/popular historical musical).

           Admission is free. Food and beverages will be available for purchase. Publicists Chuck Whiting and Scott Johnson will emcee the show. Songwriter/audio engineer AJ Bigler will handle sound. "Tunesmithing" songwriters showcase is sponsored by Whiting Publicity & Promotions, Music City Arts Update, and Shine Time Records and Books. The monthly show was founded in 2003 to spotlight emerging, professional and hit songwriters. The event offers mentoring, career growth and networking opportunities for tunesmiths at all levels. 

           For more information about "Tunesmithing", call (615) 423-9857, write Info@Tunesmithing.com, or visit http://www.Tunesmithing.com.

Artist/Instructor Gail McDaniel Moving to Georgia in Late January

By Chuck Whiting

MCAU Editor

            NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- During sometimes-tearful telephone calls, Franklin, Tenn., artist/instructor Gail McDaniel and her husband Ken have been telling friends and fellow arts professionals that they will be moving to Georgia in late January.

            The move (to be closer to family) doesn't come easily for Gail and Ken. The watercolorist has worked tirelessly over the past 20 years helping change lives through hands-on teaching and fundraising events. She has taught more than 1,300 students in classes and workshops while raising almost $90,000 for student art supplies through the "Students and Friends of Gail McDaniel Awards". Her watercolor painting classes have been held on a regular basis at the Brentwood United Methodist Church and Plaza Artist Materials in Nashville.

Gail McDaniel

            Ken has handled all logistical aspects of Gail's career, including marketing, venues, office management, and student registrations. Over the years, the couple have made countless friends and earned the appreciation of noted organizations such as the PENCIL Foundation, CharacterEYES Boutique, and FirstBank.

            "We are grateful for the many friendships and partnerships," said Gail. "It's been especially rewarding teaching emerging artists here in Middle Tennessee and other parts of the world. I will probably miss that the most."

            The couple will reside at the Sun City Peachtree residential community in Griffin, Ga. The good news: They plan to spend a lot more time with a son, daughter and four grandchildren, who live nearby.

            "Franklin, Brentwood and Nashville will always be in our hearts," said Ken. "We will never forget the contributions of those who shared our vision to support arts education. We've met and worked with so many wonderful people."

Ken and Gail with the Hager Twins
and Tennessee State Senator Jack Johnson in 2007

            Highlights of Gail's career and contributions to the arts community include

            * Training more than 1,300 different artists from 36 different states (including Alaska and Hawaii), the District of Columbia, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Guatemala, Japan, Mexico, the Philippines and South Korea. She has taught 11 workshops at historic Ghost Ranch in New Mexico, a landmark where the late Georgia O’Keefe lived and painted.

Gail with a group of art students in Ecuador

            * Raising almost $90,000 for the arts in area public schools through the "Students and Friends of Gail McDaniel Awards". The fund-raising effort earned McDaniel and Ken a nomination in the "volunteer innovator" category of the 2009 Mary Catherine Strobel Award. In 2012, she was named the PENCIL Foundation's "Volunteer of the Year".

            * Organizing and hosting fund-raising events such as the "Chase Away The Blahs Party Artistically" benefiting school children in their Franklin home and the "Building Bridges Through Art" exhibition at CharacterEYES Boutique benefiting Bridges Domestic Violence Center.

            * Receiving an award for "Excellence in Community Service" from the Travelers Rest Chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution; being inducted into the Cave City, Ky., Hall of Fame; and being named (as an eighth generation Kentuckian) to the Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels as one of "Kentucky's ambassadors of good will and fellowship around the world."

            * Gaining international notoriety in 2001 when she was named an associate member of the Winsor & Newton Creative Artist Network in London, England, and invited by directors of the "Art in Provence" program to conduct an eight-day watercolor workshop in Dieulefit, France.

Gail McDaniel Teaches at Plaza Artist Materials

            * Studying under 38 noted art instructors to help build her reputation as Middle Tennessee's top artist/instructor.

            * Accepting a commission to paint a family landmark for former Gov. Louie B. Nunn. Other commissions have included painting the invitation cover for "A Little Night of Music" starring LeAnn Rimes; 13 pieces for the annual Nashville Scene N-Focus social calendar; and a promotional streetscape of four homes for Newmark Homes and five other paintings for the Nashville Home Builders Association/SunTrust Bank 2001 "Parade of Homes."

            *  Showcasing her original paintings at 55 solo exhibitions, including the Brentwood Public Library, the Puffy Muffin, and "Artlightenment".

            * Serving as a member of the arts faculty of Cheekwood Botanical Garden & Museum of Art in Nashville, teaching weekly art classes.

            * Creating and painting the design for the theme poster and t-shirt for the Nashville Symphony’s "Italian Street Fair" two years in a row.

            "We've had a great time, and I couldn't be more thankful," Gail added. "I plan to continue painting, but most of the scenes will be from Georgia."

Serengeti Sunset painting by Gail McDaniel

           For more information about Gail or to see her work, visit www.GailMcDanielArt.com.

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'The Ryman Diaries' Musical Stage Play to Hit Nashville Stage on Valentine's Day Weekend

            NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Award-winning actor/playwright/director Tom Dolan and author/musician/educator Debbie Mathis Watts will portray Music City legends Captain Tom Ryman and Bettie Baugh Ryman in the multi-media musical stage play "The Ryman Diaries" from Feb. 13-15 (Valentine's Day Weekend) at the West End United Methodist Church, 2200 West End Ave. in Nashville.

Tom Dolan (Captain Tom Ryman) and Debbie Mathis Watts (Bettie Baugh Ryman) celebrate after a preview presentation at the downtown Nashville Public Library.

          Show times for the play are 7:30 p.m. Friday (Feb. 13), 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Saturday (Feb. 14), and 2:30 p.m. Sunday (Feb. 15). Admission is $12 for adults and $9 for students K-12 and senior citizens age 65 and over. To reserve tickets for "The Ryman Diaries, call (615) 847-8007 or send an e-mail inquiry to wattsd2@att.net.

          Described as a 19th Century love story, "The Ryman Diaries" is a historical drama that depicts the life and times of Cumberland riverboat Captain Tom Ryman as told through the eyes of his wife, Bettie Baugh Ryman. The story covers 70 years of the couple's lives through film media, stage acting, and original musical numbers. It tells of their unlikely romance, marriage, entrepreneurship, raising seven children on a riverboat, ultimate success, Christian conversion at a tent meeting, and the building of the Union Gospel Tabernacle.

           The play is based on Watts' book, with additional dialog from Dolan. The actors penned seven original songs for the production. Film clips feature flashbacks of young Bettie and historical stills provided by the Metro Archives. 

          "Both Bettie and Tom had the hearts of musicians, so it was totally fitting that they would play and sing," said Watts, a former writer/producer for TNN: The Nashville Network. "Their wedding anniversary is Feb. 3, so staging of the play over Valentine's Day Weekend is ideal. They were true romantics who laid the musical foundation for Nashville."

          A veteran educator, professional pianist-vocalist, and author, Watts' theatrical roles include Mollie in "Mousetrap" and Agnes in "I Do, I Do". Dolan has received national acclaim starring as Elwood P. Dowd in "Harvey", Dr. Albert Schweitzer in "Memoirs from Africa", and Sam Clemens in "Mark Twain Live". 

 (Photos and text by Chuck Whiting)