Seen & Heard On Music
Row: Doak Turner
MusicDish Associate Writer Featured In ‘Phil Sweetland's Country
Insider’
By: Phil Sweetland, Country
Insider (Open Post)
2004-09-30
He came, he saw, he networked. Such is the remarkable story of Doak Turner, established
his “Nashville Muse” in early 2003 as a must-read weekly reference
for Music City's songwriting community.
After 15 years in Charlotte, where he was coordinator of a
Songwriters workshop, Turner came here in
October of 2002. In March of 2003, he started the Nashville Muse, a
weekly listing of songwriter nights, showcases, seminars and industry events
that he now distributes each Monday to over 10,000 readers. Thousands more
receive it from them.
"I got the idea from
someone who did it in LA," Turner says. "I got with my friends who
play out, and had them tell me when and where they
were appearing. The reaction has been fantastic. I've had a couple people say
they've never seen anybody come to town and do so much. Without NSAI, none of
this would have happened."
Sponsors, including
recording studios, realtors, and hosts of songwriting events, are now advertising
on the Muse.
Among the events Doak helps
put on himself are the Third Sunday at 3 gatherings at
his house on the third Sunday of each month, and the annual Guitar-B-Q. The
Guitar-B-Q is in April, on the Sunday that wraps up Tin Pan South week. About
300 people came this year, including lots of songwriters from out of town who
were here for Tin Pan South.
Turner, truly one of Music
Row's unsung heroes, is a songwriter himself. How has this helped his own career?
"I've been able to
network with a lot of people in my peer group," he says. "Many of my
co-writers have been folks who came from these events. What's fun is to watch
friends being made and songs being played as a result. The Nashville Muse
builds our songwriting community, which is the big purpose of it. Lots of
people move here by themselves. Because of the Muse, it brings them into the
family so we're not alone."
Subscribe to The Nashville
Muse at www.nashvillemuse.com
or e-mail Doak at doak@nashvillemuse.com.
Doak Turner
PO Box 121456
Nashville, TN 37212
615-354-6400
www.nashvillemuse.com
"Friends Do Not Let Friends...Play To an Empty Room" TM
www.myspace.com/doakmusicc
www.myspace.com/nashvillemuse
