Amber Hayes and some of her newest fans!
"Hey you get down the fiddle and you get down the bow, Kick off your shoes and throw em on the floor,
Dance in the kitchen till morning light,…

If you're in Nashville, chances are you've heard of Judy Rodman. Not only is she a top vocal coach, she's a hit songwriter, in-demand vocal session producer and avid artist with her most recent band 6Play.

Here’s a blast from the past…a story I did on Jason Mraz and his album “Mr. A-Z”, back in 2005.  Hope you enjoy it!

Jason Mraz: “I’m Back”
By Shantell Ogden (originally appeared in the Boston Herald and…

Merrill Jenson
Merrill Jenson has been called the “John Williams” of Utah, but this sought-after composer is humble about his credentials, and candid about what makes him tick.

“I grew up in Richfield, Utah and there was…

Dallas Davidson Playing His Hits at The Rutledge
This week hit songwriter Dallas Davidson gave a master class on songwriting at the Nashville Berklee Jam. And I just wasn’t gonna miss the chance to learn from someone…

Jan and I backstage at the Grand Ole Opry
  Nashville didn’t see Jan Buckingham coming…

Born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, Jan discovered her knack for writing when she wrote her first song, titled “Oh Sad…

  Recently, I had the pleasure of interviewing music supervisor Wendy Levy for Berklee College of Music's alumni blog. The following is a re-posting of the blog on Berklee Blogs.

  LAB: The Career That Found Me
Wendy…

Hit Songwriter Tim Nichols and Me   In the spring of 2005, I visited Nashville during spring break as a student with Berklee College of Music. There were incredible workshops each day from the best artists, producers, labels, musicians and…

Rhett Akins Sharing his Wisdom
After twenty years in the music industry in Nashville, there isn’t much that Rhett Akins hasn’t seen. He stopped by our recent Berklee College of Music alumni event (hosted by Eric Normand) to…

 

Hit Songwriter and Producer Michael Jay
in his studio in LA

If you’re in the pop, R&B and dance music world, chances are you know Michael Jay.  After all, the LA-based producer/songwriter has penned some well-loved hits for…

 
LA Women in Music Coordinator Phoebe Carter, host Harriet Schock and me at the
LAWiM Show at M Bar in Hollywood.

Now that was a trip!!! Here’s a brief look at what “went down” in…

You’ve probably heard of Tuesdays with Morrie, but if you’re a songwriter in Nashville, you’ve probably attended one of Doak Turner’s “3rd Sundays at 3:00” potluck jam sessions.


Doak and me
Doak has been hosting the event…

Billy Dean and Me
  There’s nothing like the 4th of July in my hometown of Richfield, Utah. Everybody comes out for the parade and gathers at the park just off Main Street for food, music and games.…

 
Josh and Ricky Skaggs
When I was having a bite backstage at the Opry recently, I struck up a conversation with a guy about Allison Krauss and how shy she is over a piece of mandolin cake…

Ricky Skaggs and Alison Krauss up close at the Opry
  Recently, Ricky Skaggs celebrated 30 years as a member of the Grand Ole Opry. I happened to be backstage that night (an experience that just makes…

Grammy-winning Tom Hambridge and Me
Every once in awhile I have a reaction of 'that's just so cool' and that's exactly how I felt when I heard Tom Hambridge and The Rattlesnakes at a recent house concert…

Deric and me at The Listening Room in Nashville
  One day about three years ago, I was sitting on my couch watching TV when I came across a 'Words and Music' interview Harry Chapman was doing with…

Gary Nicholson and Me
Gary Nicholson has really done it all- and done it all well- in the music industry. He's a stellar player, writer and producer who has crossed genres with ease. And, if that's not…

Beth Nielsen Chapman and me 
  When Beth Nielsen Chapman talks about creativity and 'flow', you can't stop yourself from opening up and letting her wisdom pour in. Today I had the rare opportunity to attend what I…

Rich Fagan and Me at the Commodore
  From "Be My Baby Tonight" (a number one hit for John Michael Montgomery), "Overnight Male" (recorded by George Strait) and "Only On Days that End in Y" (number five hit…

 
Anneke Scott, Dan Truman and Me
Thanks to friend Dan Truman of the country band Diamond Rio, I had the incredible opportunity to be backstage at the Grand Ole Opry- the home and heartbeat…

 
  Everybody who comes to Nashville has one thing in common...we all have a dream of making it somewhere. But, as hall-of-fame songwriter Roger Murrah explained to me, "The dream only gets you so far, then the work begins." He…

Nashville has made me a better songwriter.

 

Great songs and songwriters are everywhere and this town is good for me creatively. More than that, though, I came here to work at it and to learn from the…

Last Saturday at the Flea Market, I turned the corner and saw Jesse Goldberg (with me above) at one of the booths. He looked familiar and I was sure he was a songwriter I had met somewhere in…

Recently Monty Parkey stopped by to play on a couple of tunes for my new album Stories Behind Songs. Monty has played keys for country music legends Whisperin' Bill Anderson and Alan Jackson, and he currently plays with Darryl…