The Festival Progression

The first ever songwriters festival was held out in Humphrey's County where Popcorn calls home. Recording and helping Bill Hamilton at Coal Miners Daughter newly opened studio. I was sitting at my desk when something washed over me. Something said, "Have a songwriters festival." That's all it took. I still draw from the energy of that calling. You can never ask me why I do this except that I do. People don't seem to understand when you have no particular motives or agenda except that it's something you have to do.

After the first ever 2003 SongWriters Festival at Loretta Lynn's Ranch , Popcorn was in the hole about $3500 to the facility. Ranch staff gave Popcorn a week to come up with the cash. To make a long story short, somebody that is in this picture ponied up the dough to keep harmony at the Ranch.

In hind site, not much has changed over the years, we still lose money. Most festivals like Merl Fest and others declare bankruptcy every year that they fail. Me, I just shrug my shoulders and figure if I was in it for the money, I wouldn't be doing it anyway. That's why you see so many come and go in this biz. The ones that are in it for the money don't have inspiration in their souls to develop staying power. Besides, by the time one declares bankruptcy they could have probably paid some of the bills.

Realizing the Ranch is cool but not like the city of Nashville itself, we took our toys to the KOA on music Valley Drive near Opry Land in 2004. Trying to maintain the "country" aspect of the fest in the city, KOA was an excellent partially wooded facility. We recreated the 2003 fest again and when all was said and done Popcorn ended owing $9300 to KOA. To make another long story short, KOA forgave Popcorn. In essence of the last two events both the Ranch and KOA made money on the other items their venue offered, just Popcorn didn't make enough to pay them his part.

By now you can probably figure I'm not much of a business person. Any normal persons would have given up on music, burned their instruments and took up knitting or joined the Foreign Legion. To suffer shame and quit was not in the cards as writers began asking about the 2005 fest?

So.... Doing something you never should do, and I don't recommend anybody to do it. Popcorn decided the event should really be held on Music Row in the smack damn middle of everybody. I wanted to get in the suits faces. So without having any stage locations, Popcorn advertised and press released that the 2005 festival would be held on Music Row.

Popcorn figured, even though there is this big controlling music industry, that enough cracks must exists somewhere, to grab some parking lots, set up some stages and have a festival. Right off the bat after the press release, Sony Tree gave us the use of their parking lot as a stage location. Two months later they canceled after the lawyers in New York nixed the idea of having the liability of a bunch of songwriters running around their parking lot for 3 days.

Walking up and down the Row scouting stage locations for the first 2005 Fest, running up against the same dead ends, lawyers and liabilities, Popcorn stumbled into Sure Fire Music. The epiphany washed over him again. Actually Popcorn had been in there over the years pitching songs back in '84 and '87. To make another long story short they said we could use the parking lot. Funny, i never realized they were Loretta Lynn' main mentor and publisher back in the day. Small world.

Next he went over to Curb Music and they said we could use theirs. Then the United Artist Tower said we could use theirs and before you know it, of all the scattered locations we could have ended up with on the Row for blocks in every direction, every stage location ended up all on the same block of the same alley. WOW! So to make another long story short we had the 2005, 2006, 2007 2008 and 2009 festivals on Music Row in the alley of the block off 50 Music Square West. We added Crystal Gayle's grassy area. (Small world again, I never knew the connection.) Yippee! Yes, you guessed it. Popcorn lost money every year. Honestly, ever met a songwriter with money?

The fest in the alley was all music industry and music industry related people. We needed general public, fans and tourist for the benefit of the writers who play to instead of just the choir, maybe make a fan and sell a CD. So with the economy being what it is and the usual changes in the Music Industry, in 2010, Popcorn decided to become more main stream to help Music City and try to conduct himself more business like. Popcorn decided to move the festival out in front of God and everybody to the top of Music Row near Buddy Killen Circle, (my hero), across from ASCAP & BMI.

We secured locations at the various indoor clubs and outdoor parking lots for 2010. The mayors office helped with coordination and permitting along with a lot of the usual fest head supporters. The 500 year flood came in May, a month before the fest. We kept right on chugging where others couldn't. 2011 looks to be on target to be similar to 2010 with a few additions and improvements.

In conclusion: i hear people say all the time,"Oh I'm going to get some sponsors and do this...." Inevitably they fail cuz they depend on sponsors. Trying to get sponsors is time consuming and very negative energy, taking time away from what you should be doing for your event. If your event is good enough it will attract sponsors and they will contact you. If you don't get any sponsors does that mean you're not going to do it? That it was a worthless cause? That's no way to control your destiny. I say, " Sponsor yourself!"

So, there you have it, I'm a failure so that you can attempt success. I figure we might as well be a non profit cuz we never have made any money. People ask me what i do? I tell them, "Anything I want to."

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