Music Citizens Episode 5 goes inside the highest stakes job in the industry - A&R. Through the lens and life of A&R lifer Kim Buie, we get to see that this glamorous job is mostly about losing. Missing out on artists who become superstars (her near-miss tale of N.W.A. is amazing), knowing that the majority of albums you help shepherd into the world will flop and being the person who has to say no to a musician’s lifelong dream. Buie explains what’s kept her going through all that, what shaped her tastes and how her approach differs from the way most major labels are approaching talent acquisition in the TikTok era.

·         Jason Moon Wilkins — Host
·         Justin Barney — Reporter, Producer
·         Kim Buie — A&R legend
·         Pete Ganbarg — A&R Executive
·         Ben Folds— Musician
·         Aaron Lee Tasjan - Musician

This episode was produced by Justin Barney, Emily Siner and Jason Moon Wilkins. Mixing and Mastering by Michael Pollard. Scoring by Jay Ragsdale. Special thanks to Tony Gonzalez, Jewly Hight, Tasha A.F. Lemley, Carly Butler, Stephanie O’Byrne, and everyone who helped.

Institutional support from Tennessee Arts Commission, Metro Arts Thrive and First Horizon Foundation. Follow WNXP on social platforms as @WNXPNashville

Music Citizens Episode 5 goes inside the highest stakes job in the industry - A&R. Through the lens and life of A&R lifer Kim Buie, we get to see that this glamorous job is mostly about losing. Missing out on artists who become superstars (her near-miss tale of N.W.A. is amazing), knowing that the majority of albums you help shepherd into the world will flop and being the person who has to say no to a musician’s lifelong dream.

Buie explains what’s kept her going through all that, what shaped her tastes and how her approach differs from the way most major labels are approaching talent acquisition in the TikTok era.

When you go to a live show these days, you are expecting to see a spectacle — some artistic production that will blow you away. Behind the scenes, there’s one person responsible for bringing this production to life, wrangling dozens of people and fixing daily snafus - the Production Manager. Episode 4 of Music Citizens goes behind the scenes with Nashville production manger Tori Butash. We explore how her job has become more complicated in recent years and how the pandemic continues to impact touring. Voices in the episode include:

·         Jason Moon Wilkins — Host
·         Justin Barney — Reporter, Producer
·         Tori Butash — Production Manager
·         Nick Sanborn and Amelia Meath of Sylvan Esso — Touring Musicians
·         Michael Pollard— Touring crew member
·         Various Wilco tour members

This episode was produced by Justin Barney, Emily Siner and Jason Moon Wilkins. Mixing and Mastering by Michael Pollard. Scoring by Jay Ragsdale. Tape sync by Brian Burns. Special thanks to Tony Gonzalez, Jewly Hight, Marquis Munson, Cindy Abrams, Carly Butler, Stephanie O’Byrne, and everyone who helped.

Institutional support from Tennessee Arts Commission, Metro Arts Thrive and First Horizon Foundation. Follow WNXP on social platforms as @WNXPNashville

When you go to a live show these days, you are expecting to see a spectacle — some artistic production that will blow you away. Behind the scenes, there’s one person responsible for bringing this production to life, wrangling dozens of people and fixing daily snafus - the Production Manager. Episode 4 of Music Citizens goes behind the scenes with Nashville production manger Tori Butash. We explore how her job has become more complicated in recent years and how the pandemic continues to impact touring. Tori Boutash is The Wrangler. Coming July 9 anywhere you get your podcasts.

Episode 3 of Music Citizens tells the story of Brent Arledge who is the most prolific piano tuner in Nashville, and possibly the world. He tunes the Ryman, the Schermerhorn and the Grand Ole Opry. He services dozens of studios and is trusted in the homes of countless Nashville musicians. Arledge’s craft can be heard on every song coming out of Music Row that features piano.
But elite piano tuning is grueling work. It’s taxing on the body, it strains relationships, and it never leads to fame or glory. How does someone become the top piano tuner in Nashville? And why would they want to?
Voices in the episode include:

This episode was produced by Justin Barney, Emily Siner and Jason Moon Wilkins. Mixing and Mastering by Michael Pollard. Special thanks to Tony Gonzalez, Jewly Hight, Rachel Iacovone, Char Daston, Tasha A.F. Lemley, Meribah Knight, Jesse Strauss, Carly Butler, Stephanie O’Byrne, and everyone who helped.

Institutional support from Tennessee Arts Commission, Metro Arts Thrive and First Horizon Foundation. Follow WNXP on social platforms as @WNXPNashville

Music Citizens Episode 3: The Tuner ready for launch on Monday, April 7th.

Episode 3 of Music Citizens tracks down Brent Arledge, Nashville’s, and possibly the world’s most prolific piano tuner. Arledge has played an uncredited part of every top ten hit featuring piano to come out of Music Row for the past 25 years. He tunes The Ryman, The Schermerhorn and The Grand Ole Opry. He is trusted in the homes of so many Nashville musicians. 

In a city that is often so good at recognizing the key players on a song, service workers like Arledge are often forgotten. This episode gives credit where credit is due.

Episode 2 of Music Citizens tells the story of Piper Payne, a scrappy, independent record manufacturer who opened up in the middle of the recent vinyl boom. But as her story unfolds, we discover the vinyl industry is at a profound inflection point that no one has reported on — until now.
Voices in the episode include:

This episode was produced by Justin Barney, Emily Siner and Jason Moon Wilkins. Mixing and Mastering by Michael Pollard. Scoring by Jay Ragsdale. Special thanks to Tony Gonzalez, Jewly Hight, Rachel Iacovone, Marquis Munson, LaTonya Turner, Meribah Knight, Jesse Strauss, Carly Butler, Stephanie O’Byrne, and everyone who helped.

 
Institutional support from Metro Arts, National Endowment for the Arts, Tennessee Arts Commission, Metro Arts Thrive and First Horizon Foundation. Follow WNXP on social platforms as @WNXPNashville

Episode 2 of Music Citizens tells the story of Piper Payne, a scrappy, independent record manufacturer who opened up in the middle of the recent vinyl boom. But as her story unfolds, we discover the vinyl industry is at a profound inflection point that no one has reported on — until now.

In Nashville, there are more people who work in the music industry per capita than any other city in the world. It’s the perfect setting for Music Citizens, a series about the people behind the scenes who make music work. 

Episode 1 is about Bruce Fitzpatrick, owner of The End. We’re doing this series at a time when independent music venues like The End are in trouble. And it’s all precariously held together by one 80-year old man who does the job of 10 people.

Voices in the episode include:

This episode was produced by Justin Barney, Emily Siner and Jason Moon Wilkins. Mixing and Mastering by Michael Pollard. Special thanks to Tony Gonzalez, Jewly Hight, Rachel Iacovone, Marquis Munson, LaTonya Turner, Meribah Knight, Jesse Strauss, Carly Butler, Stephanie O’Byrne, Emily Young and everyone who helped.

Institutional support from Metro Arts, National Endowment for the Arts, Tennessee Arts Commission, Metro Arts Thrive and First Horizon Foundation

Follow WNXP on social platforms as @WNXPNashville and for more on Music Citizens you can head over to WNXP.org/musiccitizens/

WNXP and Nashville Public Radio are proud to announce a new podcast series about the people in the music industry who make music work: Music Citizens. Each episode will explore the behind the scenes jobs of music's working class and the folks who do them. Episode one features The End’s owner/operator Bruce Fitzpatrick, “The Lifer.”

Music Citizens launches its first episode on Thursday, June 20, on 91.ONE FM, at wnxp.org and through all podcast outlets.