'Tin Pan South' SOURCE Show Spotlights Lari White, Jaida Dreyer, Danielle Bradbery and Jo Smith

By Wil Comstock

Music City Arts Contributing Writer

Tuesday, March 28, 2017 -- 6 p.m. show at Whiskey Rhythm Saloon

         This show was a benefit for SOURCE, the invitation-only women’s music business organization that provides professional contacts, career opportunities, and industry related information and education.  Whiskey Rhythm Saloon provided an intimate spot where these writers could tell us their stories and knock us off our feet with their killer songs.

         Canadian-American singer songwriter Jaida Dreyer is quite the character.  Her “Tease it to Jesus and Spray it to Hell," a quote from Loretta Lynn, had us in stitches.  She delivered quite a tale about her first time in LA. She was a little nervous about working with an unnamed writer.  They hit it off just fine, worked on a song, and Jaida was invited back to her apartment to hang out afterwards.  After a few hits of whiskey and several cigarettes, her host asked Jaida if she could do a Tarot Card reading for her.  For an hour and a half, her new friend proceeded to tell her the most horrible things, 90 percent of which came true! They remained friends, and Jaida put this experience into the haunting “There Will be Blood."  Dreyer closed with her number one hit for Luke Bryan and Karen Fairchild of Little Big Town, “Home Alone Tonight,” telling the crowd excitedly, "I can finally say I have a number one!"

         Big Machine artist Danielle Bradbery, winner of The Voice season four in 2013, sang the memorable “Sway." Lari White commented that the hook would be in our heads for weeks to come.  Bradbery also shared two new songs that really pulled at the heart: “Potential,” about falling in love with the potential of a guy, and the sweet “Laying Low," sometimes you need a quiet time away from the crowds.

         Lari White asked us to imagine it was Saturday night around midnight. We’ve had six or seven beers, and we knew there was no way we would make it to church the next morning.  “So,” she whispered, “We’re gonna have church right here” as she played the beginning chords to “Lead Me Not into Temptation."  Everyone rededicated their lives as she delivered the most soulful performance of the evening, "Hallelujah!"  We were treated to two songs from her "Green Eyed Soul" CD, the sassy “Because I’m a Woman” and “Eden, Before the Fall,” which she co-wrote with Gary Nicholson.  White was in the Broadway musical “Ring of Fire ” about Johnny Cash.  While in New York, she was inspired to write a classic like those in the Great American Songbook.  She exceeded all expectations with the stunning “Champagne." All I could do was shake my head and smile, "Hmm, hmm, hmm..."

         Jo Smith kicked off with “Poster Child,” a song about being good at finding a guy that’s trouble.    Her Motown-torcher “Old School Groove” is a Highway Find on SiriusXM’s “The Highway.” She announced that the video shoot was tonight at the American Legion!  I loved the infectious “Dance Dirty with Me."  And we all could relate to her closing number “This Town” about the ups and downs of life in Music City.  

         This is a night to savor and play over again in my mind as I “Lay Low” and sip a glass of “Champagne"!

            Tin Pan South continues through Saturday, April 1. See the show schedule at http://www.TinPanSouth.com/schedule.

Auditioning, Voiceover Acting, Music Licensing Among Panel Topics at NaFF

            NASHVILLE -- The Nashville Film Festival will offer a number of informative panels for composers, actors, music publishers, screenwriters, producers, directors and others. Here's a list with topics, dates and times.

            * "Music, Movies And TV: Sag-Aftra Explains It All" - April 18 (Friday) at 4 p.m.

            Whether you're writing songs for film and television, wanting to know what it's like to be a regular on a network series, or working behind the scenes with Oscar-winning filmmakers Joel and Ethan Coen, let professional members of SAG-AFTRA and IATSE help you understand the ins and outs of today's entertainment landscape. Join acclaimed singer-songwriter/producer (Toby Keith's' "White Trash With Money") and actress ("Cast Away", "No Regrets") Lari White, actor Ed Amatrudo (Glenn Goodman on ABC's "Nashville", "NYPD Blue" and AMC's new "Halt And Catch Fire") and two-time Academy Award nominee for sound mixing Peter F. Kurland ("Inside Llewyn Davis" and "No Country For Old Men") for a unique and informative entertainment industry discussion. 

            * "The Art Of Auditioning" - April 19 (Saturday) at 10 a.m.

            J.Karen Thomas (actor, ABC's "Nashville," Lifetime's "Drop Dead Diva," and 2014 NaFF selections "Boulevard", "The Identical"), Robin Daugherty (audition coach, actor, 2014 NaFF selection "Chasing Ghosts"), Jessejames Locorriere (Cinemax's "Banshee," "Turn," for AMC, and Showtime's "Homeland"), Christopher Close (actor, ABC's "Nashville", CBS's "Without A Trace," and "Unspeakable Indiscretions") and Jason Marsden (actor, "Blue Like Jazz") will walk participants through the current trends in auditioning for the camera, finding an agent, self-taping for auditions and other issues in the business, using demonstrations and panel discussions. Moderated by Susannah Devereux (actor, 2014 NaFF selection "Chasing Ghosts").

            * "Voiceover Acting" - April 20 (Sunday) at 1 p.m.

            Jason Marsden shares the secrets of successful voice-over acting. His deep resume includes the voice of Impulse on DC Nation's "Young Justice", Conrad "Duke" Hauser in "GI Joe: Renegades", various Disney characters - including Haku in the Academy Award -winning "Spirited Away" - and on-screen appearances in "Full House", "Step By Step" and "Will and Grace".

            * " Music Licensing 2014" - April 24 (Thursday) at 3 p.m.

            A panel of industry experts in film, television, advertising and branding will address the current industry trends and hot topics in the world of music licensing.  A must-attend for directors, producers, music providers, artists, songwriters, labels and publishers. 

            * "The Writer's Hustle" - April 25 (Friday) at 12:30 p.m.

            Four Industry professionals who have seen scripts shopped, shot, sold and dropped share anecdotes about what writers are in for after their scripts are written: "The Hustle". How do you get your script read? What happens on set once the scripts in the actors' hands? Where do you stand in Hollywood once your script is being shopped around? Join actor-writer Richard Speight Jr. ("Thank You For Smoking"), David Alford (ABC's "Nashville"), Hollywood publicist and creative marketing consultant Harold Loren, and filmmaker and screenwriter Nick Egan ("Red Light Runners", "Oasis: Definitely Maybe") for the inside scoop.

            * "Song Stories" - April 25 (Friday) at 11 a.m.

            Each piece of music that appears in films, television and advertising has a unique story of how it made the final cut.  Music supervisors in the film, television, advertising and branding industries will share clips and stories of how songs, score and production music made it into their projects. This panel provides a great opportunity to learn how the process works by example.  

            To learn more about the NaFF panels, visit https://www.nashvillefilmfestival.org/2014-festival/schedule/.