CMA Fest 2012 (Part Two)

I think that every musician should experience the CMA Fest, even if you don't like country music. I have never been a huge country fan, but seeing people love it and seeing people perform helps give you an appreciation for it that you just can't get anywhere else. For four days, everywhere I went there was live music. You couldn't walk ten feet without hearing music from at least one direction. That was probably my favorite part about being in Nashville, because you got to see SOOO MANY people do something they absolutely love...play music. From a musician's point of view, it is endlessly fascinating to watch other people perform, because nobody does it the exact same. I got to see some things that I would love to do and some things that I should never do. I got to see how being nice to your fans and having a good attitude can make such a HUGE difference. It was such an incredible experience!

There was this little tent where you could enter to win a Matin guitar by performing on their little stage. I didn't really want to do it at first because I had spent the last few days seeing some AMAZING guitarist and it was a little intimidating. Eventually I said okay and signed up. Once I got in line and was getting closer to performing I started relaxing more. It had been cloudy all day with a 40% chance for rain....and right when I started singing it started raining! There were people rushing around trying to keep things dry and start closing the tent...but I just kept singing. I couldn't hear the guitar at all and so I was probably playing the wrong chords the whole time, but I couldn't let that stop me. So I played in the rain and after I did they had to close down the tent until the rain quit. So I'm proud to say that I have played on the street in Nashville, maybe one day I will do it again.

This is my sister and me wearing matching Dolly Parton Shirts <3

P.s. Here are most of the people we got to see perform :

Glen Campbell (He has alzheimer's and kept forgetting that he was supposed to play another song. It was so sad because he just kept saying "Oh well this is a surprise!" He was really sweet and his son and daughter were on stage playing with him and helping him.)

Miranda Lambert

Jason Aldean

Lady Antebellum

Zac Brown Band

Brad Paisley

Kellie Pickler

Lauren Alania

Ronnie Milsap

Brantley Gilbert

Jake Owen

The Band Perry

Blake Shelton

Carrie Underwood

Gwen Sebastian

Randy Houser

Kenny Rogers

Hunter Hayes

Little Big Town

Eric Church

Luke Bryan

Faith Hill

Love and Theft

Kip Moore

The Mavericks

Scotty McCreery

Dierks Bentley

Rascal Flatts

Alan Jackson

Martina McBride

Steel Magnolia

Bill Anderson