MACC Talk at Monthaven Arts and Cultural Center

You can think of Six One Tribe as the Wu-Tang Clan of Nashville. This amazing hip-hop collective boasts a large roster of rappers, producers and musicians who have come together to create a diverse and contemporary music ecosystem. They also spearhead 615 Day, the multi-day festival starting June 15th that celebrates art, music, culture and fashion in Nashville. In this episode of the podcast MACC Talk, Six One Tribe members Gee Slab, Corduroy Clemens, TheRealStepson, Ronni Raxx and Peso Taxin join host John Pitcher to discuss Nashville’s hip-hop revolution. The episode is sponsored by Sip Social Club.

This weekend, about 300 Tennessee high school students will head to Middle Tennessee State University to attend the 2026 Tennessee Governor’s School for the Arts. In this episode of MACC Talk, the school's Director Kate Goodwin and Music Chair Jerome Reed join host John Pitcher to discuss this crown jewel of Tennessee arts programming. The episode is sponsored by Nōssi College of Art & Design in Nashville.

How do you capture the soul of a community? If you’re the artist Wendy Murray, you grab pen and paper and hit the streets. For the past 15 months, Murray has been engaged in the ambitious project of drawing every building along a 6.5-mile stretch of Gallatin Pike in Nashville, Tenn. The fruit of her labor is now on display in an exhibition titled The Long Way Home: Painting the Pike by Wendy Murray. The exhibit runs through June 28, 2026 at Monthaven Arts and Cultural Center. In this episode of MACC Talk, Murray joins host John Pitcher to discuss the inspiration behind this remarkable project. The episode is sponsored by FlyNash Aerial Arts.

The Nashville Jazz Workshop has named a seasoned saxophonist, educator and arts leader as its new executive and artistic director. Max Abrams took over the lead at NJW in February, and he is wasting no time in introducing new jazz programming. That includes an ambitious year-long residency at NJW featuring the distinguished Nashville jazz vocalist Monica Ramey. In this episode of MACC Talk, Max and Monica join host John Pitcher to discuss this new era of jazz in Music City. The episode is sponsored by Nashville Interiors Magazine.

Jason Spelbring is the new artistic director at Nashville Shakespeare Festival. A veteran actor, director and educator, Spelbring spent 11 years teaching acting at Utah State University before moving to Nashville. Now, he’s ready to turn theory into practice as he leads Music City’s Shakespeare Fest into the future. In this episode of MACC Talk, Spelbring joins host John Pitcher to discuss his plans for Nashville Shakespeare Fest along with the company’s upcoming production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The episode is sponsored by Paul Winkler, Inc.

Pianist Lori Mechem is a co-founder and former director of the Nashville Jazz Workshop. Every year, Lori and her quartet herald the holiday season with their annual Charlie Brown Christmas concert. In this episode of MACC Talk, Lori joins host John Pitcher to discuss her life in music and love for jazz. She’s especially passionate about the timeless soundtrack that the jazz pianist Vince Guaraldi composed for the classic animated Christmas special.

Andrew Dunn is a Nashville-based cellist who has made a name for himself recording video game music. A frequent collaborator with the Nashville Music Scoring Orchestra, Andrew has recorded music for such popular games as Call of Duty, Anthem and Fortnite, among many others. He’s also a popular YouTuber, recording video game covers under the pseudonym Israfelcello. In this episode of MACC Talk, Andrew joins host John Pitcher to discuss the emergence of Nashville as a world capital for the recording of video game music. The episode is sponsored by Nōssi College of Art & Design.

Red Arrow Gallery occupies a relatively small space in East Nashville. Yet it exerts a disproportionately large influence on Music City’s visual arts scene. That’s because Red Arrow’s Gallerist Katie Shaw and Director Ashley Layendecker run their establishment like an elite music agency. They represent a small roster of artists and lavish them with attention. Not surprisingly, these artists are flourishing, attracting attention far beyond the geographical limits of Nashville. In this episode of MACC Talk, Katie and Ashley join host John Pitcher to discuss Red Arrow’s unique approach to representing artists. They also talk about their current group exhibit titled In Our Place, which complements an even larger exhibition at the Frist Art Museum. The episode is sponsored by Nashville Interiors Magazine.

In 1890, a diminutive French aristocrat named Henri Toulouse-Lautrec received a commission to create posters advertising Le Moulin Rouge. His drawings of cabaret singers and can-can dancers became a sensation. In blurring the line between fine art and advertising, Toulouse-Lautrec set in motion an aesthetic that would dominate the pop-art movement of the mid-20th-century. In this episode of MACC Talk, Park West Gallery Senior Director Morris Shapiro joins host John Pitcher to discuss the life and art of Toulouse-Lautrec. The episode is sponsored by the Park West Gallery.

Aaron Dethrage is co-founder of Nashville’s hip-hop collective Six One Trïbe. Like New York’s Wu-Tang Clan, Nashville’s collective boasts a large roster of rappers, producers, editors and designers. Together, these amazing artists have come together to create a diverse and contemporary musical ecosystem. In this episode of MACC Talk, Dethrage joins host John Pitcher to discuss Nashville’s vibrant hip-hop scene. The episode is sponsored by Bryson McCarley State Farm Agency.