I just arrived in Nashville yesterday for the 2009 Indiegrrl Women in the Arts Conference. It’s only been a day and a half that I’ve been here, but it’s already been jam packed, and the conference hasn’t even started! I’ve spent my time rehearsing, setting up my merchandise/promo table, meeting some of the participants, and checking out the very interesting Hotel Preston, where the conference is happening. The decor here is fabulous! It, of course, has some music themes running through it via pictures of famous country musicians. Tammy Wynette and Loretta Lynn, to name a few. Also, some very unique art around the hotel to look at. My pictures tell all. The hotel also has a pool, which allowed me to swim for the first time in months. Last, but definitely not least, after having lunch and wondering around the hotel yesterday, I decided to take a trip down to The Bluebird Cafe for an early “In-The-Round” show last night. If you aren’t familiar with the “In-The-Round” show format, it’s where a few different songwriters sit on a stage in a circle facing one another and go around the circle trading off songs. Usually the circle of songwriters is placed in the middle of the audience in some fashion. At the Bluebird Cafe, it’s right in the middle of the cafe, so you can have a drink or dinner while you listen. It’s a great format because often the songwriters will tell the stories behind the songs and will often join one another on each other’s songs. Hearing the stories behind the stories is my favorite part! Well, the Bluebird didn’t disappoint. I didn’t previously know any of the performers before stumbling into the 6pm show, but I ended up hearing some great performers. Trent Jeffcoat, Mark Steven Jones, and Steve Dean really stood out to me. The material was written about different subjects than I’d write about, for sure, but, wow, what great songwriting! I gotta play there one day soon! Tonight, I’ll be attending a banquet dinner and listening to performances from some of the Indiegrrl Songwriting Competition Winners! Really looking forward to the evening. Tomorrow begins the showcases and workshops which I will be performing at and attending!