The Next 'Big Bang' in Country Music?

After hearing the first qualifying round of the Tennessee Songwriters Week, I honestly felt sad for the judges. The event held at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum in Bristol last Saturday represented the first hurdle in a songwriting competition sponsored by the state Tourism department. So far, so good. Who wouldn't admire the state for promoting greater awareness and appreciation of the region's rich musical heritage and culture and supporting new voices destined to take that culture to the next level? But what exactly do they consider the next level?

If there was any inspiration being drawn from the 1927 Bristol Sessions, also known as the 'Big Bang' that birthed modern country music, I didn't hear it at this event. And as the focus was/is on the song itself, I'd like to believe that the sheer act of original composition would be fertile enough ground for the songwriter to break and discover some previously unheard of form, melody, harmony, rhythm ---anything new and different that could then be experienced by the listener. That didn't happen either.

All the songs I heard contained three or fewer chords with no compelling melodic or rhythmic ideas or lyrics to distinguish them from anything else I could have heard (and have heard) at Open Mics, much less a competition in which the song (i.e., composition) is supposed to be the Thing. Maybe a structure featuring three (or fewer) chords is still the expected--even preferred norm of the genra. But country music is also supposed to represent the authentic voice of blue collar and working class America. In other words, the voice of real people expressing a real point of view about real problems. I didn't hear any of that either. What I did hear was a lot of self-indulgent pining and wining. One song featured a recurring riff whose sole purpose seemed to be in showing off how technically adept the performer was. It added nothing to the song and even got in the way of what could have been a decent composition. Another performer who was actually selected to move on to the next round seemed more interested in sharing her anti-gun and even anti-military views, which is her prerogative, but that point of view didn't make a great song either and might have even alienated some people. The choice of most performers to write verses with no bridge, chorus or contrasting theme of any kind added to the creative dearth of the repertoire. Unless you're Bob Dylan, the never-ending verses approach to songwriting is probably not your key to success. Finally, and this a problem with modern pop music generally, not just country: It was tough to understand a lot of the lyrics because of the vocal "mumbling" affectation that many of the performers imposed on them.

There were a few glimmers of originality, but the performers that offered them were not chosen to advance to the next round. A 70 something former professor offered a thoughtful reflection on the loss of his wife in a song that was both authentic and original. Unfortunately his lack of confidence led to a weak performance; and apparently the judges couldn't hear beyond that. The applause from the packed room suggested the audience did not share my concerns with the songs or the quality of the performances. Oh, well, I guess they were listening between the lines.

I don't fault the audience or the performers and certainly not the host venue for my disappointing experience. I fault the judges for taking the easy way out by selecting the performers who had received the most awards and recognitions and had the longest bios, rather than actually listening carefully and thoughtfully and making their selection based on the songs they heard. To be candid, if they had done that, there might not have been ANY performers advanced to play in the next qualifying round in Johnson City. But that would be a real crisis and country music doesn't need one.

Besides Johnson City, the Tennessee Songwriters will hold qualifying showcases in six other cities: Franklin, Gallatin, Memphis, Chattanooga, Knoxville, and Gatlinburg between February 18 and February 24. Each of those cities will feature up to twenty (20) songwriters each, and one (1) songwriter from each showcase will be selected to play their original work at the famed Bluebird Cafe in Nashville on March 24, 2024. So, let's hope the last seven standing, whoever they are, will represent a brighter future for the genra as well as a tribute to what started with the Big Bang in Bristol.