12th & Broad Spring 2015

•1•

•2•

•3•

CONTENTS

SPRING 2015 BROAD BASICS

WORDS + COLLABORATIONS BROAD LIFE: FROM THE 12B TEAM 8 EVENTS 9

20 FEATURES CULTURE

LESSONS LEARNED: LIFELONG NASHVILLE RESIDENT’S VIEW 16

NASHVILLE’S GOT THAT SWING

12 QUESTIONS: GEORGE GRUHN

LIFESTYLES

MEET THE COVER ARTIST

10

COLLABORATORS

12

LIFE BEHIND THE LENS 36

ENTREPRENEURS

14

NEW CLASSICS: THE RYMAN

24

96 •4•

20

LOVE IS HARD WORK

30

HOW TO FIX YOUR BROKEN SHIT

50

CONTENTS

62 FEATURES POLITICS

INTRODUCTION : LOUDER Y’ALL! CANDIDATES ANSWER QUESTIONS

39 40-47

COMMUNITY INTRODUCTION 57 WHAT’S NEXT FOR NASHVILLE?

58

CITY OF DREAMS

62

39 FASHION NASHVILLE MADE

71

FOOD EATS: RECIPES FROM HOME

80

LOVE LOCAL HOOD ENVY: EXPLORE

88

OUR NEIGHBORHOODS

86

CREATIVE COMFORTS TAROTSCOPE READING FOR THE NEW SEASON

•5•

88

71

•6•

•7•

BROADLIFE I don’t know about y’all, but now that we’ve had a few 70-degree days, here are some things I feel like doing / have done: Change my playlists. I am DONE with the dark and dreary emo music that comforted me during the winter. Turn up the light acoustic and power pop and roll down the windows. w Premature wardrobe shifts. Raise your hand if you start wearing clothes designed for summer when it’s barely 65?

Trade whisky for gin. As a good Tennessee girl, I am still going to order bourbon (or scotch) at least 80% of the time. But once daylight savings takes effect, I’m thrilled to partake of a good “Porch Swing” or gimlet. w Pull the road bike out of storage. Saturdays, for me, are almost always scheduled with a 25, 40, 50+-mile bike ride with my lovely friend Andrew. This is — hands down — my favorite thing about a return of warm(ish) weather. w Leave town. I love this city, but spring makes me want to explore a little. Long weekends to driveable destinations, and week-long trips to the beach are highlights of the season.

I know I’m not alone in my desire to strip down, make change, and take off — which is why my team, our contributors, and I have themed this issue around the idea of “Call of the Wild”. It’s all about what we do when we take off the reins.

We hope you enjoy!

n

•8•

A QUARTERLY JOURNAL SPRING 2015 12th & Broad Staff General Manager Knight Stivender Community Manager/ EDITOR Marcia Masulla EXPERIENCE MANAGER Codie Gentry Advertising & Sponsorships Charity Toombs 615.512.9265 ctoombs@12thandbroad.com DESIGN & LAYOUT Brian Goins ONLINE #12thbroad Twitter: @12thbroad Instagram: @12thbroad Facebook.com/12thBroad Click “Get Newsletters” to start receiving our Daily Itinerary, which sends directly to your inbox the three to five things in town you absolutely must check out every day.

To submit an event or tip to be included in the Daily Itinerary, email us at info@12thandBroad.com.

Visit 12thandBroad.com for daily articles about Nashville’s creative and cultural scene.

EVENTS

Winter wanderlust Launch Party Jan. 28, 2015 • Hosted at Chauhan Ale & Masala House Photography by Gai Phanalasy

WHOSE CARD IS IT ANYWAY? Feb. 17,, 2015 • Hosted at Emma Photography by Katherin Segher, Nossi College of Art

BROADLANDIA March 28, 2015 • Hosted at Track One Photography by Eric Dulberg, Nossi College Of Art

More event photos online at 12thandbroad.com/events •9•

ABOUT THE COVER The Coach Greyhound took three months and I had to order over 27,000 crayons to complete it. There are fifteen different dog breeds in the Call of Couture exhibit, all paired with different fashion designers and designs on royalty and wildness.

• 10 •

ON THE COVER

colorful art Herb Williams is one of the only individuals in the world with an account with Crayola. He creates original sculptures out of individual crayons that may require as many as hundreds of thousands. His sculptures have been placed in public arenas such as children’s hospitals, corporate lobbies, museum walls and the White House. He received The Joan Mitchell Foundation Museum Purchase Grant in 2004, the Next Star Artist Award in 2008 and was sponsored by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts in 2011. The press and acclaim the crayon sculptures have garnered has reached as far as China, England, Canada, Belgium, Germany, Australia, Croatia and Japan. His work was featured at an Inaugural art exhibit in Washington, D.C., with Shepard Fairey. Recently, he opened “Plunderland”, a walk-in room installation consisting of almost 500,000 crayons in Chelsea; completed a project that broke the Guinness World Record for collage in New York City; and returned from his first international art exhibit in Shanghai to debut a new series of sculptures titled “Call of Couture” at the Rymer Gallery in Nashville.

When did you become a local?

I moved here after the tornado in 1998. The Pastor John Hilley gave me my first studio downtown in the old Egyptian Presbyterian Church with Todd Greene, Tom Wills and Andrew Harding in ’99, and I began to feel like a local soon after.

With both your Call Of The Wild and Call Of The Couture series, you integrate using animals, how and why did this happen: I grew up in the rural south. Just outside of Montgomery, Ala. My favorite memories are of exploring the woods. I feel most grounded when I am back on the pecan orchard where I grew up. So, being in the biggest small city and growing bigger every day, I wanted to surround myself with creatures from the wild.

The Call of the Wild was my attempt to turn the urban jungle into a wilder environment, where you could turn a street corner and run into a wolf, or bear, or fox. I have tagged most of my favorite watering holes around town with several of my spirit animals. So far no one has tagged over them, so I think there may be a few other folks out there who crave a bit of the wilderness in our city.

What are some of your favorite local hangs?

Hard to pick because there are so many great new spots that are popping up daily, but my favorite watering holes are always a little off the beaten path and haven’t been overrun yet by the tourists. I love Mickey’s on Gallatin, great grill cheese, fucking fantastic jukebox, and a sit-down Ms. Pac-Man machine are great for whatever ails me. I love the intimacy of Dino’s, and the fact that even under new management it hasn’t been turned into something trumped up and made-over into something it’s not, authentic. Robert’s around

• 11 •

midnight on a Saturday night is still a sweet spot to get a cheeseburger, beer, and maybe even a little dancing to some of the best country songs from the ’60s or ’70s.

Crayons. Why crayons?

I have tried everything else. Honestly, I experimented with every different medium I could think before I stumbled into the crayons. I made A LOT of bad art for many years. I failed so hard. But I couldn’t stop. You know how every musician has to have their own voice to stand out, well, it’s the same with a visual artist. You have to develop your own unique style to stand apart. I can’t take full credit for discovering the crayon sculpting thing, though. When I was at a point of utter failure and exhaustion I had the strangest most vivid dream that I have ever had, and actually saw one of the crayon sculptures in it. I don’t know if it was divine inspiration, or my subconscious working out what I couldn’t, but I’m not asking questions. Buy me a beer sometime and I will tell you what the dream was about.

How can we view your work and get to know you better?

Drop by the Rymer Gallery Saturday night during the ArtCrawl for the debut of my new exhibit, “The Call of Couture”. I’ll give you the nickel tour and even pour you a drink. If you miss that, I have a studio downtown on Third Avenue where I’m at almost daily, right across from Printer’s Alley, four white corinthian columns, bring coffee.

ON THE COVER Creative Collaborators

COVER PHOTOGRAPHER: GAI PHANALASY

Andrew Maraniss Claudia Kay Cofer Tim O’brien Broadlandia photographer Eric Dulberg, Nossi College Of Art J Bryan Dill Will Vastine Gai Phanalasy Tony Galzin & Caroline Galzin Chris Daniels Danielle McCleave Jason Haley William Edge Crystal Wakitsch Alicia Canon Katie Creekmur

SPECIAL THANK YOU Katie Hutchinson Tom Polaschek World Champion Productions & Dance Club Nossi College of Art Sarah Rose Jones Fifty First Kitchen Speakeasy Spirits Social media contributors for #LouderYall Lisa Dupont - Ryman Auditorium Vincent Dreffs AMAX Talent Ezra Carey Lydia Touchton Sydney Chiyoko

I consider myself my to be a very multifaceted and engaging person. The photographs I take are more documentive in a way that tells a story. Starting off capturing images as a videographer, photography is fairly new and has become something I’ve fallen deeply in love with over the past 12 months. The camera has taken me on several outdoor adventures, bustling cities, backstage at sweltering outdoor summer concerts, to runaway horses. I have photographed portraits, weddings, and events.

How can we view your work and get to know you better?

I post live photographs and video clips very regularly on Instagram, follow me and my antics @gaichicken. I’m currently curating video and photography content on my website at www. gaichicken.com with plans to go full throttle with the site by summer. Contact: gaichicken@yahoo.com.

• 12 •

COLLABORATORS SPECIAL THANK YOUs Mary Wallace William Edge Salon Silver Point Studios Dan Groover Craig Owensby - Nashville City Planning Department Rick Bernhardt - Nashville City Panning

RENAE MORTON Renae is the owner of Lucy Pop Salon and a crystal healing, tarot reading, all over enlightened high priestess. She writes a blog about all things Modern Mysticism that can be found at www.daughterofcups.com

JESS WILLIAMS Born in Miami, raised in Nashville. Jess is a Nashville based commercial photographer specializing in music and fashion portraiture. Jess developed his passion for photography while serving on a deployment with the U.S Army in 2006. He still currently serves as a part-time photojournalist for the military. www.jesswilliamsphotos.com

Department Ryan C Dole - oneC1TY Gabriela Lira - Remax Elite Lindsey Langley Carrie Ferguson Weir Charles Robert Bone campaign Bill Freeman campaign Jeremy Kane campaign David Fox campaign Linda Eskind Rebrovick campaign Megan Barry campaign Howard Gentry campaign

Vivek Surti Vivek Surti is a Nashville native who you can usually find dining in restaurants throughout Nashville.

Vivek launched VEA Supper Club in 2010, a monthly gathering of food and drink enthusiasts who sit down to a coursed meal with beverage pairings which highlight Vivek’s cultural influences of both American and Indian food. It was voted as “Best Supper Club” by the Nashville Scene Editors in 2014. He has also written for StyleBlueprint, The Tennessean, Nashville Lifestyles, Drink Music City and The Daily Meal.

JOSHUA BLACK WILKINS Based in Nashville Tennessee since the fall of 2002, When he isn’t on stage playing music, ​ Joshua Black Wilkins has been photographing musicians, both emerging and legends, with the honesty and approach of fellowship and as a peer. He shoots for record labels, magazines, publicists, mgmt. groups and often simply as personal work.

• 13 •

ENTREPRENEURS

A ‘kind of’ ban

By Katie Adkisson

• 14 •

Infographic by Jessica Hill, Tips by Dr. Bill McDowell, Jones College of Business

What if Martin Luther King, Jr. had said, “I ‘kind of’ have a dream,” or Barack Obama had said “Yes, we ‘kind of’ can,” or the Terminator had said “I’ll ‘kind of’ be back?”

It “kind of ” loses its impact, doesn’t it?

In a recent one-hour meeting with five women from my firm, the phrase “kind of ” was said 15 times. We’re all experienced, college-educated, badass ladybosses. So why did we keep watering down our statements with these meaningless filler words? What does it say about how sure we are about our ideas, our work and our abilities?

It definitely doesn’t instill confidence in our audience that we know what we’re talking about.

While confidence is an issue that almost everyone struggles with at some point in their careers, women seem to struggle with being seen as a strong, self-assured force more often than men.

A recent article in The Atlantic referred to this as “the confidence gap.” It’s not that women are less capable than men or that we have less ambition, but we tend to be naturally more cautious and less self-assured. Combine this with an environment that nurtures us to be “good little girls” in school and it’s a surefire way to end up with a less confident female.

And thus the pesky “kind of” is born. What is it doing for us and why do we keep saying it? If we speak up in a meeting with an idea, shouldn’t we present it in a way that others will listen and believe?

Shouldn’t we be confident in what we’re saying?

The thing is, when we believe in what we’re saying, whether we’re right or not, others are more likely to believe in it too.

“Well, I ‘kind of ’ had this idea, and I ‘kind of ’ put together this great presentation. Also, I ‘kind of ’ got this great result for my client.”

Did you or didn’t you? Of course you did! Stop discrediting yourself with the first sentence out of your mouth. If we question what we’re saying, why wouldn’t everyone else?

So I challenge you to remove those two little words from your vocabulary.

Instead, opt for phrases like “I recommend…” or “I have decided…” because that’s exactly what we’re doing and we want others to do the same.

Try to catch yourself saying it and keep a tally. You might be “kind of” surprised how often that may be.

Katie Adkisson is Vice President of Account Services at Reed Public Relations. She was inspired to write this piece after listening to the Chamber’s “Bizaroo” panel about women business leaders.

Did you read Katie’s piece? Over there. To the left. Read it. Then join us in banning the words “KIND OF” from business life. From creative life. From LIFE life. Be fully passionate and fully confident in all that you pursue, including your mistakes. Be fearless. Be bold. Be whole. There is no room for “kind of” in this town.

For the whole story on Nashville’s young entrepreneur community, visit www.12thandbroad.com/entrepreneurs

• 15 •

ENTREPRENEURS

What I’ve

learned By andrew maraniss • photoGRAPHY SUBMITTED

• 16 •

A

s a lifelong Nashvillian and student of history, Jamie Pfeffer brings uncommon perspective to his role as partner at Invent Communities. Through Invent, Jamie aims to go about building homes in eclectic neighborhoods “the right way,” as evidenced by his company’s work on Lillian Street in East Nashville, which won several awards for creative, sensitive and appropriate work in a historic conservation district. Here, Jamie shares his thoughts on the changes in our city, the concept of ‘citizen architect,’ and the need for community dialogue on growth issues.

***** Nashville has always been creative and hip, in a quirky, eccentric Southern way. What people who have moved to the city in the last 35 years may not realize is that its essence, history and character are resolutely urban. Through the ’70s, downtown Nashville was the commercial and social center of life.

From way back, Nashville was full of colorful, even crazy, people. See Robert Altman’s 1976 film “Nashville” to get an only slightly exaggeration of the scene in town at the time.

The oxygen started to get sucked out of downtown in the late ’70s. The Grand Ole Opry was moved out to the Opryland Hotel and the Ryman was left derelict, dragging down Lower Broadway and Printers Alley as well. Then the first big suburban shopping centers opened, pulling the commercial activity out of downtown. The ’80s and ’90s took this quirky, creative, unique city and suburbanized it and filled it with national chain stores.

Nashville is fortunate to be experiencing a growth spurt at a

time when the general cultural sensibilities are supporting an increasing urban consciousness, strengthening neighborhood identities, a love for creativity and the pursuit of craft, and an admiration of the unique and eclectic.

Other cities have grown at times that celebrated the love of driving over walking or biking, that celebrated national brands over local institutions, or that celebrated sprawl and distance over community and proximity. Those cities’ ill-timed growth is restraining them now.

Just because the general growth sensibilities are good does not mean that every project or trend is good. As residents of Nashville, we have to maintain a community dialogue about how the city continues to change for the better.

We spend too much time worrying about what we do not like rather than what we would like.

This is like futilely bailing a sinking ship rather than fixing the leak or building a better ship. The only constant is change, so the question

• 17 •

is how we can affect this change for the betterment of Nashville.

We consider how the houses and their residents will engage and interact with their community.

Our clients are often interested in living close to the work opportunities and amenities offered by downtown, yet minimizing the transit time. They are as interested in the local park as they are the backyard, or the nearby farm-to-table restaurant as they are the dining room.

They want to meet up with neighbors and friends at the coffee house on a mini Main Street that serves their specific community. They want to live in a diverse and eclectic environment and be surrounded by dynamic, interesting people and places. East Nashville is a prototype for this type of living.

Good development starts with a dialogue that includes neighbors, community leaders, council members and city officials.

When discussing revitalization, the conversation needs to incorporate the inclusion of all kinds of people and sensibilities, as well as the surrounding context.

»

“

If development is done right in Nashville, we will have more neighborhoods with their own cultural dynamics ...

If development is done right in Nashville, we will have more neighborhoods with their own cultural dynamics, their own mini Main streets, and their own unique identities. Saying that you hung out in East Nashville would be akin to saying that you hung out in New York; did you hang out in SoHo or the Village or Brooklyn? Did you hang out in Five Points or Cleveland Park or Riverside Village? All of them should be great places to live, work and play.

Auburn University came onto my radar because of the Rural Studio, which gives architecture students a more hands-on, design– build educational experience while

assisting an underserved population in West Alabama’s Black Belt region.

The Rural Studio philosophy suggests that everyone, both rich and poor, deserves the benefit of good design. In addition to Rural Studio’s outstanding legacy of producing great architecture, its mission is to produce great ‘Citizen Architects,’ which provides me a goal to strive for as I continue in my career.

Because every project has its own unique challenges, in architecture school they cannot teach you the answers, so instead they teach you a process for how to think creatively and analytically, and they teach in a studio environment. Our

• 18 •

office today is based on these principals. We work in an open office space to encourage people to share ideas and questions. When we meet, we follow one rule — let the best idea win the day, regardless of the origin. As we add team members, I always try to hire people who have more talent or skills, different backgrounds and experiences, or are just simply smarter than I am. We then empower them to apply their abilities on each and every project.

Andrew Maraniss is a partner at McNeely Pigott & Fox Public Relations and is the author of “Strong Inside: Perry Wallace and the Collision of Race and Sports in the South,” the New York Times best-selling biography of the first African-American basketball player in the SEC. Follow Andrew on Twitter@trublu24. n

• 19 •

CULTURE

Nashville’s got that

swing So much has changed in the last 80 years, yet you wouldn’t know it by visiting the dance floor at Jump Session in East Nashville on any Friday night.

Young men in two-tone shoes and sharp suits twirl and flip women in dresses with nipped-in waists and full skirts. Amid the Benny Goodman and Artie Shaw tunes, you might hear a guy praise another as “hep.”

Don’t bother checking your calendar to see if you’ve time-traveled back to the Roaring ’20s. It’s just the latest revival of a joyous style of dancing that is enjoying a global resurgence, not least among the younger generation in Nashville.

“There’s an exuberance and playfulness to swing that is infectious,” says Andrew Rozario, 34, who fell

under the spell of swing three years ago. “And who doesn’t like to dress up? There’s something about the ’40s and that look that was very classy. Who doesn’t want to look that cool?”

Nashville has nearly a half dozen regular swing dances around town every week (see next page), and our abundant live music scene means that swing dancing often erupts at venues such as at Robert’s Western Wear downtown. Rozario is the public relations officer for the Nashville Swing Dance Foundation, a nonprofit started by volunteers in 2009 to promote and coordinate swing

• 20 •

By TIM O’BRIEN • Photography by CLAUDIA KAY COFER dancing in the area.

“What I really like about it is there’s not a right and wrong way to swing dance,” says Jon Tigert, who started swing dancing as a sophomore at Hume-Fogg High School.

Now, nine years later, he travels the world teaching and performing dance steps, and choreographed the infectious “I Charleston Nashville” video (see it on YouTube), an upbeat travelogue of tourist sites around Nashville that showcases eight swing dancers from Middle Tennessee.

“I enjoy the music and the pace of it,” Tigert says of swing.

»

Katie Hutchison and Tom Polaschek • 21 •

“

The (swing) scene here in Nashville is popping, just like the city is.”

Although he studied other ballroom dances as a teen, as well as ballet and modern dance, he has always returned to swing. “I felt there weren’t rules I had to follow,” he says. “I could still be myself and still swing dance.”

Swing is the umbrella term for lots of different styles of dancing, including the Lindy Hop, balboa, jitterbug, Charleston, collegiate shag, East Coast swing and West Coast swing. It is believed to have originated in Harlem nightclubs in the late 1920s, surging to popular heights on

the wings of the big band jazz music of the ’30s and ’40s.

You can dance swing to any music with “a four-count to the bar and a swinging rhythm section,” says Corey Manke, a local swing dance teacher. “Lots of bands today call themselves swing bands, but they’re really rock ‘n’ roll.”

That’s why a night of swing dance music might feature vintage songs from Count Basie or Duke Ellington interspersed with revivalist bands like the Cherry Poppin’ Daddies and decidedly non-swing music by

• 22 •

Dwight Yoakam and Billy Joel.

There’s also crossover to the rockabilly style of dance from the 1950s, where Chuck Berry and Jerry Lee Lewis reign and the style of dress reflects a “Grease” and “Happy Days” influence.

The worldwide swing revival has its roots in the mid-’90s, getting a boost from movies such as “Swingers” and “Swing Kids,” as well as a memorable Gap commercial from 1998 in which all the dancers wore khakis. Interest in swing and ballroom dancing went mainstream

with the launch in 2005 of the popular competition show “Dancing with the Stars.”

Beyond the music, many of today’s swing aficionados are intent on re-creating the vintage clothing and hairstyles of the period. Tigert likens himself to a Civil War re-enactor, scouring vintage shops for the right shoes and studying black and white video clips to learn new moves.

“Once people get interested in the dance, they start to embrace the culture,” says Susan Manke, who with her husband, Corey, started teaching swing in Nashville 10

years ago, when they were in their twenties. “But you also have people at dances in jeans and T-shirts.”

It’s that welcoming nature that makes swing more user-friendly than other ballroom styles, she believes.

“You can learn a couple of different steps in one lesson and that’s enough to make you successful that night on the dance floor,” she says.

The large network of swing dance clubs and workshops around the region — and the world — offers plenty of opportunity for dancers to hone skills and forge relationships.

“You can go anywhere around the world and connect with the swing scene through Facebook,” says Rozario. “The scene here in Nashville is popping, just like the city is.”

Whether it’s the music or the look that first attracts people to swing, ultimately it’s the soaring joy of the dance steps themselves that keeps dancers hooked and high-steppin’.

“I’ve heard it said that if salsa is sultry and ballroom is aloof and proper, swing dance is exuberant and playful,” he says. “And I think that’s why it’s had this huge resurgence 80 years later.” n

GET YOUR LINDY ON: Where to find swing dancing in Nashville Jump Session: Vintage swing dancing every Friday at DancEast, 805 Woodland St. Lessons from 8 to 9 p.m., followed by dancing until midnight.

Jump, Jive & Swing: First and third Saturdays, September through May at Otter Creek Church, 409 Franklin Road, Brentwood. Swing, Latin, ballroom dancing.

Swing Dance Sundays: Whiskey Bent Saloon, 306 Broadway, 8 p.m. to midnight.

5 Spot: Keep on Movin! Mondays, 10 p.m. to 3 a.m., 1006 Forrest Ave. Mixture of swing, rockabilly and other styles of dancing.

Music City Shuffle: A weekend of classes and competitions, Nov. 21 through 23, including a crash course for beginners. At The Holiday Inn Opryland Airport.

Go to musiccityshuffle.com for full schedule.

• 23 •

• 24 •

12 Qs

George Gruhn the story of guitar guru

By MARCIA MUSALLA • Photography by j. bryan dill 1. We feature a hefty amount of information on the evolution and gentrification of Nashville as a city in this edition. You’ve made a few moves yourself over the 45 years of your business. Many readers may be familiar with your second and third locations on Broadway — you spent 15 years at the 410 Broadway location before you moved two doors down to 400 Broadway where you spent another 20 years before you relocated to your current location at 2120 8th Avenue.

Can you share with us more about the original location from 1970 and why you opted for 8th Avenue as your current home?

My first business location was a 1,200-square-foot rental at 111 4th Ave. N. which was separated by just one building from the corner building at 400 Broadway which later became my third business location.

The first building had a showroom measuring 15 by 20 feet with the rest of the space devoted to repair and storage, plus a small office.

The roof leaked, it was hard to heat and cool, and termites swarmed from the wood foundation posts each spring for their mating flight, but they only wanted damp wood in contact with the ground so they didn’t bother our instruments. The location was only about 200 feet from the stage door of the Ryman Auditorium and was ideal for being discovered by virtually every musician who passed through town.

Our second location was a building I purchased in 1976 at 410 Broadway. It had three floors totaling about 6,500 square feet. I thought it would take forever to utilize so much space, but within a year and a half we filled it. In 1993 I purchased the 400 Broadway location with 13,000 square feet on

• 25 •

four floors and a parking lot with 15 spaces. It took surprisingly little time to fill it to capacity.

Gruhn Guitars was located within 100 feet of the corner of 4th and Broadway for 43 ½ years. I called the north side of Broadway from 4th Avenue to 5th Avenue the “Magic Block” because no other street location in the city had as much foot traffic or was visited by such a high percentage of both locals and visitors to our city. While the neighborhood was not viewed as upscale, it was great for my business. In recent years, downtown Nashville has experienced booming development and Broadway has transitioned into an entertainment district attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors per year. With changes such as altering codes to permit clubs to have large open windows and blast sound onto the street at high volume, the noise and crowds became detri-

»

mental to our business. Our sales staff was spending 90% of their time on crowd control and damage prevention and we were no longer able to provide a comfortable setting for our customers to play and hear our instruments. In addition, parking for customers became very expensive as well as in short supply. Broadway had morphed into an entity combining all the worst features of Bourbon Street and Daytona Beach at Spring Break with few of the advantages of either. It was time to escape. Fortunately property values on Broadway had escalated permitting me to shop for a larger location in a setting more conducive to our business.

I spent over a year searching for a new location. We now have 18,000 square feet on three floors plus our own parking lot with 47 spaces as well as plenty of street parking when needed. The building has been totally renovated to not only provide a vastly more comfortable and inviting place to visit, but also to maximize efficiency and provide an ideal work environment for our employees. We are only a few minutes from downtown on a major thoroughfare with easy interstate access. Since moving in June 2013, we are seeing far more local Nashville residents and more out of town visitors seriously interested in guitars than on Broadway. I cannot think of any location in Nashville better suited to our needs or more attractive to our customers than where we are today.

2. You’ve been known to say that the basic foundation of your business principles are “knowledge, integrity, and service” which “are remarkably low-tech.” In our high-tech world, this is a refreshing and unexpected perspective.

Can you share more about how you execute this on a daily basis?

I view the business as a biological organism which requires each of its systems to be represented in proper proportions and working together in harmony. The physical layout of our space, our management team, and • 26 •

staff are coordinated to make Gruhn Guitars a viable, adaptable, healthy living entity. The result is happy employees providing customers the service they deserve in person, on the phone, and by email. While we utilize many aspects of modern technology to get the job done, at the end of the day it’s the ability to repair, play, share and connect our customers and visitors with fine fretted instruments that matters most.

3. Your role at Gruhn has also evolved. At your 45th anniversary party, it was announced that you would be transitioning to a Chairman and CEO role and named Eric C. Newell (previously the General Manager) as President and General Manager. What instigated this transition for you?

We now have the finest management team in the history of Gruhn Guitars. Eric is extremely competent and dedicated to serving the best long term interests of the company and our customers. He not only enjoys managing the day to day operations essential to the health of the business, but is better at it than I am. The management team also includes Robert Hobbs (Accountant) who manages our financial planning, and Greg Voros (Repair Shop Manager) who organizes and prioritizes repair projects and oversees our eight full-time repairmen, and Sarah Jones (Operations Manager) who handles a wide range of tasks including new instrument purchasing, international shipping permits, and everything from PR to HR. I enjoy strategic long-term planning, buying vintage instruments, appraisals, and community activities.

Though I still work six days a week (except for the weeks when I work seven days), I am now able to devote my full attention to the activities I enjoy most and make the best use of my talents.

4. Freddie is the Gruhn Guitars mascot — there’s a story there.

How did Freddie come about?

Freddie is my alter ego beastie.

He first came to visit me in dreams.

His baby pictures go back to 1963.

He became a guitar player in late 1969. Since he refuses to pose for photos, I have to draw his portraits.

5. You’ve been very generous with helping out animals in need in our community. And, I’ve been lucky enough to hang out with you and your animal kingdom crew here at the shop in the past. Can you share with us how Gruhn became such a dog and snake friendly spot?

While I had an interest in music earlier, I didn’t get my first guitar until my freshman year of college.

Zoology was my first passion. Gruhn Guitars is an outgrowth of my second passion for collecting which got out of hand and became my profession. My father took me on nature walks as soon as I was old enough to walk. By the time I was four years old I was collecting insects and moved on to frogs and turtles by the time I was six. I caught my first snake when I was eight years old and have had them ever since. I did my undergraduate work in Ethology — animal behavior studies at the University of Chicago and graduate work in zoology at Duke and a semester of grad-

uate work in animal behavior studies at UT Knoxville. After all of that I decided I would rather have a music store. It is natural that our workplace should be pet friendly. My office now houses Freddie the bearded dragon lizard, Orville the cat, and 19 snakes and I have pets at home as well. Sarah started bringing Callie, her American Eskimo Dog, in 2005 and Derek in Repair joined the team shortly thereafter along with his chihuahua, Pablo. Most days, you’ll also find Hughes and Burroughs (both dachshunds) in Shipping and Bitsy (Rat Terrier) in Accounting.

6. Besides music and being a friend to animals, what are some other things that George Gruhn is passionate about?

Musical instruments, music, animals and zoology are at the top of my list, but community activities and environmental and conservation concerns to ensure that Planet Earth remains hospitable to humanity and viable natural ecosystems also consume my attention. ​ 7. Speaking of passion, your Gruhn staff has a tendency to stay put 5, 10, and even 20+ years. Some have even left and come back — (I see you Sarah • 27 •

Jones!) That’s a rarity these days ... why, do you think they are so committed to the Gruhn brand?

Each and every employee at Gruhn Guitars has job responsibilities essential to vitality of the business, enjoys and takes pride in what they do here, and can do their job better than I could (though none can do my job better than me). We strive to provide a great work environment and structure job responsibilities to encourage teamwork as well as individual initiative. People enjoy spending their days in a pleasant place involved with activities and people they enjoy and where their best talents are utilized and respected.

8. Your current inventory includes nearly 1,200 instruments that range from guitars, basses, banjos, ukuleles, mandolins, and more. Is it possible for you to pick a favorite?

My personal collection of 100+ instruments is on display outside my office on the second floor. If I had to pick one favorite, it would be my early 1929 Gibson L-5 archtop guitar which is like the one Mother Maybelle Carter purchased early on during her days with The Carter Family and played throughout her career. Honestly,

»

though, I truly love and appreciate having access to many great instruments. I enjoy playing mandolin and five-string banjo fully as much as guitar. Just as it would be boring and unhealthy to eat only one food item, I find it far more fun to play multiple instruments with a wide variety of inspiring different tonalities.

I’ve often said Gruhn Guitars is an adoption agency for instruments. Not only do we take in and find new homes for instruments, we also improve their chances for a long and healthy life. In addition to the 1,200+ instruments on display at the shop and on our website, we also have approximately 800 upstairs in our repair shop which we have purchased and will be for sale after the necessary restoration and set up work has been completed.

While new instruments require no work prior to sale, the vast majority of vintage instruments need work which can take as little as 30 minutes of set up work to as much as 100 hours or more of restoration time before they are offered for sale.

I am extremely passionate about treating all musical instruments with the respect they deserve and doing everything possible to preserve them for future generations.

9. You’ve worked with so many legends in the industry through the years, I’m curious to know who are some up and coming local musicians and bands that you think will be future legends?

I have dealt with hundreds of great players and collectors over the years ranging from Hank Williams Jr., Eric Clapton, Billy Gibbons, Neil Young, Johnny Cash, Rick Nielsen, Roy Acuff, Marty Stuart, Gillian Welch, Dave Rawlings, Vince Gill, Bela Fleck and thousands more. I am hard pressed to single out just a few local players for future legendary status, but I urge people to listen to Chris Scruggs and Rory Hoffman. The two are

very different, but both are wonderfully talented creative geniuses. As an acoustic music fan, I’m also very impressed with Kenneth Pattengale of The Milk Carton Kids.

10. If you could share a meal with any four Nashvillians — who would it be, why, and where would you break bread?

I make a point of going to lunch at least twice a week with someone I would like to get to know better. Four at once would be sensory overload for me and would not permit sufficiently in depth conversation. My lunch partners don’t need to be celebrities or power brokers. My goal is to learn, make new friends, and expand my horizons. I am a firm believer in the scientific method and enjoy intellectual debates. I learn far more if an opinion I have held is proven to be factually wrong than if I win debate points. While I enjoy abstract thinking, I am especially pleased when new insights can be applied to real life challenges. My ideal lunch spot should have good healthy food, attentive service, be well lit enough to see my lunch partner and my food, and quiet enough to converse without speaking loudly or struggling to hear. A booth at the Vietnamese restaurant Peace Love and Pho a couple of doors from my shop is ideal.

11. What piece of advice would you share with an aspiring

• 28 •

and entrepreneurial spirit who wants to know how you weathered 45 years in the business?

Success requires knowledge, passion, perseverance, and integrity. A business must be organized much like a real live animal with all needed organ systems present in working order and the right proportions.

All successful animals and people have a body larger than their head, whereas most political cartoons feature a head larger than the body. A business constructed like a political cartoon will not be viable. At an early age I managed to turn my passion into a living and am happily serving life without parole in my industry.

I find lifers to be the most reliable people to deal with.

12. I have a feeling that we are going to have to catch up and do another interview with you again in 10 years. You’re never going to retire are you?

Gruhn Guitars is essentially a hobby that got out of hand. I had a passion for collecting guitars and other fretted instruments, but found that in my searches for instruments I wanted to keep, I would turn up 50 or more great deals on fine quality items that were not of interest to me personally. It made no sense to turn them down after discovering them when I knew people who would pay me a profit for them within a few days. At first I regarded these instruments as a nuisance, but soon came to realize that flipping these items was supporting my ability to be a collector while still a college student and later as a graduate student without any other job.

If I had a highly successful and profitable septic tank cleaning service I would want to retire or at least delegate running the business to someone else, but why would I want to retire from my hobby that expanded into a business? I enjoy these fine instruments and the creative, interesting people who play them. n

• 29 •

LIFESTYLES

Jeff & Jenny Pennington

• 30 •

is hard work

By Tony and caroline galzin • photography by chris daniels

Tony and Caroline Galzin

I

t’s been iterated before, but we’ll say it again: The food and beverage industry is not an easy one. To be successful in this business you have to have a real passion and love for what you do, because you’re going to be doing it all the time. Night and day, weekends and holidays, being successful in this world requires a dedication to your job that doesn’t allow for a lot of free time.

We met working in restaurants.

Tony the chef, Caroline the bartender, it’s about as restaurant cliché as it gets. Tony has always been a back of house guy, save for a college stint as a server at Lou Malnati’s Deep Dish Pizza. Caroline has always been front of house, though she did attend culinary school briefly and did some kitchen stages at friend’s restaurants.

Anyone who knows us will tell you we’re thick as thieves, we’re rarely seen apart and sincerely love working together — there’s no one else the other would rather be in business with. Before we moved to Nashville,

we were working at two different restaurants in Chicago. The work experience was great, but the personal life was not so much. We averaged about 3 days a month off together. Hoping to change this, we moved to Nashville in 2012 to pursue opening our own restaurant. It’s been a long time coming, but we are finally fulfilling that dream, and will open Fifty First Kitchen & Bar in The Nations this month.

• 31 •

Some of our friends tell us that while they understand our situation, they could never imagine working so closely with their partner or spouse.

So when the opportunity arose to share dinner and drinks with another couple who are in business together, we jumped at the chance. *** Jenny and Jeff Pennington grew up together in Franklin, and were good

»

Pickers Vodka recipes TENNESSEE ORANGE 2 oz Pickers Blood Orange Vodka 0.5 oz St Germain Top with champagne or sparkling wine To prepare: Pour contents into an ice filled shaker, shake and pour contents into rocks glass. Garnish with an orange slice

SPRING LEMONADE 2 oz Pickers Blueberry Vodka 4 oz Lemonade 1 oz Thatcher’s Cucumber Liqueur To prepare: Build over ice and garnish with a sprig of mint

• 32 •

• 33 •

Braised rabbit with spring pasta: 1 rabbit, 2-3 lbs. ½ yellow onion 2 ribs celery 2 carrots 1 bay leaf 1 bunch parsley (stems only) 1 quart chicken stock olive oil sea salt & pepper To prepare the rabbit: Remove the hind and fore legs. (You’ll only be using these.)

Remove the loins, bellies, and bones and reserve for another use. (You can also ask a butcher to do this for you.)

Chop the onions, celery, and carrots into 1/4 inch thick slices.

Preheat a heavy bottomed pot over med-high.

Season legs with salt and pepper.

Add 2T of olive oil and heat until shimmering.

Add the legs and sear (turning once), until caramelized on both sides.

Add the vegetables and sauté until they begin to sweat (about 5 mintues).

Add the white wine and reduce by half.

Finally the chicken stock, bay leaf, parsley stems, and bring to a simmer.

Cover tightly and cook over very low heat for 3-4 hours and rabbit is tender and falling off the bone. Allow to cool in the broth. When cool enough handle, pick the meat into around inch size chunks. Strain the braising liquid through a fine meshed strainer and reserve.

friends in high school. Jeff says he spent a lot of time in those formative years working in his father’s popular restaurants here in Nashville. After college, they wound up in the wholesale wine and spirits business- Jenny as a sales rep for Best Brands, Jeff for Horizon.

They would see each other out and about, and hung out regularly with the same circle of friends. Eventually sparks flew, and they secretly started dating. For them to publicly be a couple was a bit taboo- beverage wholesalers keep a lot of their inner workings private , and it might by viewed as a conflict of interest for two people from competing companies to

be involved.

Fearing being caught by another rep or manager, Jenny and Jeff went on dates anywhere they could think of that didn’t carry alcohol. That limited outings to things like date night at the Waffle House. (Sidenote: no shame here. We love the Waffle House… scattered, smothered, covered and chunked all day.)

The secret eventually got too hard to keep, and they had to come clean to their employers. Jeff decided to leave his job, and went on to develop a software company. He had a killer idea, but in the pre-iPad and tablet days, it was ahead of its time.

As Jeff had grown up in the res-

• 34 •

To cook the pasta: Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil.

Choose a short tubular pasta, and cook until almost “al dente”. (Just a little bit underdone.)

While the pasta is cooking, add the braised rabbit to a sauté pan with several ounces of the reserved braising liquid, and begin to reduce on high heat.

When the pasta is ready add to the sauté pan, and continue cooking on high heat.

The pasta should finish cooking in the liquid with the rabbit, and become lightly coated with the reduced liquid.

Right before serving, add in a small handful of delicate greens such as dandelion greens or arugula and toss to wilt.

Serve with a drizzle of high quality extra virgin olive oil, and fresh shaved parmigiano reggiano.

taurant industry, he missed being involved in the business. After getting married, they decided it was time to take a leap. Opening a distillery was a perfect blend of their past experiences, and future goals. Speakeasy Spirits was born in 2012, and they found lots of success right away with their signature brand, Whisper Creek Tennessee Sipping Cream.

This spring, they’re launching their newest brand, Pickers Vodka. Made from non-GMO corn, it is the first vodka distilled in the state of Tennessee. In addition to regular vodka, they’re also releasing two flavorsblood orange and blueberry.

While the industry does have those downsides, it has some pretty great perks too; like getting a sneak preview taste of the new Pickers Vodka line.

Since they brought the drinks, Tony provided the noshes- naturally.

Jenny whipped up some amazing cocktails with the blueberry and the blood orange flavors, and Tony served a first course of foie gras torchon with toasted brioche and huckleberry jam, and a selection of house cured charcuterie- lardo and lonza.

While flavored vodka may not be the most common drink selection with charcuterie, no one seemed to mind. Because they’re made with real fruit, the true flavors in the vodkas really shine thorough, and the blueberry made for an unexpected but quite delicious pairing with the huckleberry jam.

Next we ate some of Tony’s extruded pasta- gargati, with braised rabbit, spring onion and wilted dandelion greens. Spring may have been a couple of weeks away, but we were already there.

Finally, Tony made what we hope to be one of our signature items at Fifty First,; whole roasted fish. While the fish and set will change seasonally, you will most always find one on our menu. Keeping up with the

springtime trend, we enjoyed roasted artichokes and celery-fennel relish over red snapper, flavors that are light for spring but still rich and satisfying.

For dessert Tony spun ice cream with Whisper Creek- and it came out great. Whisper Creek is made with dairy cream, pecans, apples, figs and Tennessee whiskey…for ice cream this is a no brainer. It paired perfectly with a little “nightcap”, Pennington’s Strawberry Rye. Though it’s delicious and sweet to sip on its own, we’re already brainstorming how to use it in spring cocktails. *** Over food and drinks, we found that we have a lot in common. Our stories are similar- friends first, a secret relationship, venturing into business together. Their distillery is just down the road from Fifty First, and we’re hoping to find some fun ways to collaborate with our new neighbors.

Blueberry vodka and the patio at the

• 35 •

restaurant are already filling our mind with visions of summer.

There can be challenges in being partners both in and out of work, but for the Penningtons and for us, we couldn’t imagine doing it any other way. Jeff mentioned that one of the best aspects for him is knowing that at the end of the day, he always knows “we’re doing it for us”. He never has to question if Jenny has an ulterior motive- looking for a promotion, spilling trade secrets, not giving it her all. All the hard work eventually pays off, because you aren’t ever doing it for anyone but yourselves. We can definitely relate to this, and it’s one of the main reasons we wanted to open our own spot. The long hours and hard work can burn you out quickly when you’re doing it for someone else.

Marriage is work, but when you’re working together for the same goals both at home and away, it starts to seem like less of a job and more like what’s just meant to be. n

It’s all happening STORY BY MARCIA MASULLA • PHOTOGRAPHY BY WILL VASTINE

W

ill Vastine is a Nashville based photographer specializing in portrait and editorial photography. If you don’t find him on a shoot, you’ll find him at Barista Parlor connecting with friends or planning his next adventure.

With a severe case of wanderlust, he loves experiencing new places with a camera in hand, ready to capture the story before him.

What neighborhood do you call home?

EAST NASHVILLE! Really close to Rosepepper.

When did you become a local?

Four years ago after the town I was living in got hit by a large tornado.

Who are some Nashvillians that you admire?

Jeremy Cowart (Photographer) He’s super talented and gives so much back to the creative community.

Sean Brock (Chef) I went to his place (Husk) when I first came to Nashville, and fell in love.

Where do you hang out?

You can find me mostly on the East Side at places like Barista Parlor or Holland House, or out hiking at Long Hunter State Park.

What do you shoot with?

My shooting style is really stripped down. I shoot with Nikon dSLR’s, and mostly prime lenses. Outside of that, I don’t use much gear. My favorite piece of equipment the sun. Natural light is my main source of inspiration.

How and when did you pursue photography?

I’ve been into photography as long as I can remem-

ber. I got my first camera when I was in middle school and really haven’t looked back. I’m addicted.

Share with us a story or instance when you had a call of the wild?

Just recently I was able to take a road trip with my friends out west. We were able to experience sunrise and sunset at the Grand Canyon. Run through the Joshua Tree desert, and meet some amazing people at Salvation Mountain and Slab City. You can view a lot of the photos if you search the #itsallhappeningtour on Instagram What do you enjoy photographing the most?

I really love working with people. And specifically people in nature. There is a beauty and magic when we find ourselves in new places and spaces.

Who are some other photographers that you enjoy or respect?

A few would be Zack Arias, Gregory Heisler, Jimmy Chin, and Jon Duenas. All of them are very different in style and subject matter, but I find that difference more inspiring to my own work. Gets me out of my own box.

What has been your most memorable shoot to date?

I got to work with a tourism company and had the chance to document a Second Line parade in New Orleans. That had to be the most fun, the most colorful and dynamic photos that I have ever taken.

Who or what is a dream subject to shoot?

I would love to go back in time and photograph George Mallory and Andrew Irvine as they make there attempts to summit Mount Everest. They are a perfect example of some one with wanderlust.

VIEW, PURCHASE AND BOOK WILL VASTINE: WWW.WILLVASTINE.COM INSTAGRAM: @WILLVASTINE • FOLLOW WILL’S #LIFEBEHINDLENS GALLERY AT 12THANDBROAD.COM • 36 •

#LIFETHROUGHLENS

• 37 •

• 38 •

POLITICS

Louder, y’all!

We asked our readers and collaborators to submit questions for a roundtable discussion open to candidates for mayor about the future of Nashville.

Take a look at what the candidates had to say, and continue the conversation with #louderyall @12thBroad.

Answers have been edited for clarity and brevity.

-12th & Broad

• 39 •

Linda Rebrovick/submitted

What is the plan for reducing food deserts in poorer areas of the city? @KCGibbons Megan Barry: While serving as a member of the Metro Council, I’ve voted to pass legislation to promote urban agriculture including backyard chickens and neighborhood and community gardens. We also need more grocery stores in underserved areas. I will focus on stimulating investment and removing barriers for supermarkets in lowerincome communities. Our nonprofits also play a key role in alleviating food security issues – and partnerships with organizations like Second Harvest are critical.

Charles Robert Bone: Among other things, I would like to see Nashville pursue a public-private partnership, similar to the FreshWorks public-private partnership loan fund that was created to bring grocery stores and markets that offer fresh produce and other innovative forms of healthy food, retail and distribution to communities that do not have them.

David Fox: Better transit will enable low-income residents to more easily travel to buy food and will increase the accessibility by potential customers to areas currently under-served by groceries and restaurants. Encouragement of community gardens also will help.

Bill Freeman: As mayor, I want to bring local advocates on food security to the table to find practical and effective solutions. These could include economic incentives to locate food stores in disadvantaged neighborhoods. Metro itself could sponsor regular farmers

markets in our urban parks citywide.

Howard Gentry: I plan to first incentivize existing family and convenience markets to offer fresh fruits and vegetables at affordable prices. For longer-term solutions, I would like to engage our Farmers’ Market and their suppliers to find innovative ways to collaborate

• 40 •

to address this problem and then to work with developers to offer healthy food options such as community gardens as a part of any plans they might have.

Jeremy Kane: Fixing food deserts requires a two-pronged approach.

First, a Kane administration will judiciously use incentives to spur developers to build grocery stores

at reasonable prices. In surrounding urban areas, we need to add more grocery stores, pop-up markets and community gardens. In suburban areas and rural areas, we must enable access to existing food resources with better connectivity to surrounding communities.

If we have a reliable and affordable transit system, these residents will be able to get to existing stores quicker and more frequently. Rural areas should also be tapped as sources for local food.

How will you strengthen the infra-

• 41 •

»

CHARLES ROBERT BONE/submitted

in areas of Nashville without them.

Too many Nashvillians rely on convenience stores that lack basic necessities like milk, fruits, and vegetables for their grocery shopping. Second, food deserts exist in areas cut off from the transit system and devoid of sidewalks.

Fixing this issue requires an integrated, multimodal transit system, defined by reliable, regular, and accessible public transit service.

Linda Rebrovick: In downtown, we need full-service grocery stores with produce and other healthy foods, including take-out

DAVID FOX/ submitted

structure of the metro area and make sure we don’t become a gridlock nightmare? @jimmyRabbitte Bone: Infrastructure will have to be a major priority of this city going forward — both in terms of 20th Century infrastructure (streets, water lines, sidewalks, schools and fire trucks) to 21st Century priorities (such as access to high-speed internet and mass transit). It is my belief that we should develop an infrastructure plan that is unique to each community as the infrastructure needs and opportunities are different in East Nashville than they are in Bellevue.

Fox: We must improve our transit, sewer/water, sidewalks, bike paths etc. if we are to maintain our quality of life as Nashville grows.

If we can create enough alterna-

tives to the use of cars, then we will avoid the congestion that has diminished other cities.

Freeman: Nashville is behind on storm-water management and to a lesser degree on road and bridge improvements.

As mayor, I will set priorities with these needs in mind, and I will work with TDOT and federal authorities on road and bridge maintenance. As for traffic, we need a regional solution, but we need to be creative and involve counties surrounding Nashville as part of the solution.

Gentry: The first step is to adequately fund our public transportation system and work with the top minds in this field to make sure we are exploring all options, such as dedicated bus lanes and circulator patterns that adapt to our citizens’ needs. We have to simultaneously move people in and out of Davidson County more efficiently, and — as important — see that people can move around within our city in a convenient and affordable way.

Kane: First, we know what doesn’t work — adding more lanes will only make our traffic problem worse. Fixing our traffic problem requires several steps. In the short term, we can utilize technology to incentivize bus ridership by going

• 42 •

mobile: you should look up bus arrival times and pay for your bus with one app on your phone. In the medium term, we can add more connections and make Charlotte the spine of a BRT project, similar to the AMP. In the long term, we can work with the state and the federal government to fund and build a regional, integrated transit system.

Rebrovick: We can implement real-time adaptive sensors on our traffic lights, and this is something we can do immediately. Metro can also build apps to help with parking — both finding spaces and paying for them — and work with 9-to-5 businesses to open up unused parking spaces at night for retail and restaurant customers.

We need more sidewalks, more and safer bikeways, and more greenways. Often, it’s not a case of needing to add a lot of new pavement, but rather connecting existing paths. Also, in the midterm, we can overhaul our existing bus system to make it more reliable and efficient.

Barry: I will create an office of transportation responsible for coordinating metro departments and working with local, regional, state, and federal agencies to streamline the process for improving all of our transit infrastructure — from sidewalks and bike lanes and greenways to roads and buses. I will implement short-term fixes like improved technology for our bus system through real-time tracking and alternative payment methods.

I will aggressively go after federal funds like the TIGER grant we have for Murfreesboro Road. Me-

dium and long-term, everything is on the table: from investments in complete streets and dedicated transit infrastructure along our pikes and corridors; to better and more sidewalks in residential neighborhoods that are connected to transit lines, schools, and places of work; to regional transit solutions such as light rail that reduce highway traffic congestion.

What can we do to give Davidson County folks better school choices without having to move out of Metro? @KPNashville Fox: We can elect excellent school board members, help them identify/recruit a great superintendent and then fund it generously. But we also must demand that each

school is successfully managed and not quibble over whether it is run by MNPS or a non-profit charter organization.

Freeman: There is a false narrative going around that Metro schools are “failing.” I have seen first-hand schools that are seeing remarkable success. That said, I hope to improve schools throughout Metro when I am mayor. We should embrace the new Community Achieves initiative to bring wraparound services to our schools. We should work toward universal pre-K. We should begin to address the backlog of school building and renovation projects.

Gentry: A mayor needs to support and encourage acceleration of our emphasis on improving our

• 43 •

weakest schools so that options are attractive to every part of our community. I attended Nashville Public Schools. My oldest daughter teaches in MNPS. I also have two daughters attending public schools who are getting a great education. I passionately want that for every family in our city.

Kane: I’m running for Mayor because of my work with students at LEAD and my determination to ensure every child, no matter their neighborhood, has the opportunity to receive the same high-quality education my LEAD students were lucky enough to have. As Mayor, I’ll work to get the results every child deserves: a strong start due to affordable childcare and accessible pre-K and a secure future

»

BILL FREEMAN/ submitted

because of a strong neighborhood school. Finally, an integrated transit system will guarantee no child or parent can be limited by a lack of strong options near their neighborhood.

Rebrovick: We must replicate best practices across all of our public schools — including academies, magnets, charters and other neighborhood schools. We cannot think about education as just K-12, but must embrace a cradleto-career approach that uses technology, expanded public-private partnerships, early intervention and after-school programing to provide a truly holistic education.

By doing so, we will work toward our collective goal of ensuring all Nashville students graduate from high school with the skills needed to attend college or enter a career.

Barry: Graduation rates are high for some high schools - but many of our graduates aren’t college and career ready. We must ensure that each child has a great teacher and those teachers have the resources

they need to invest in each child.

And that starts before kids get to kindergarten. In my administration, I will find the resources to fully fund pre-K because we know there is a $7 long-term return on investment for every $1 spent on pre-K. Bone: We need to invest in developing higher-performing schools faster. We shouldn’t ignore the positive results of charter schools, but having a healthy charter school component is only one piece of the overall puzzle. As a city, we must be laser-focused on increasing the number of seats in high performing schools and decreasing the seats in lower performing schools.

We have to also look at how to leverage other assets across the city. A great example of this is the Stride program being administered by MNPS and MTA where all MNPS students and charter schools students (grades 9-12) are able to ride MTA buses at no cost.

This is allowing students to access not only school choice, but also out-of school programs, jobs and entertainment.

Plans for #masstransportation alternatives to #AMP? @JAKreft Freeman: My focus for mass transit is not to find an alternative to The Amp. I believe that was a wellintended but ill-advised decision 1) to focus on that east-west corridor that does not have the depth of problems as other parts of town, and 2) to embark on the project without getting adequate buy-in from the community before drawing up the plans. We can generate new mass transit users by providing free shuttles between bus stops and park-and-ride lots, and we can

• 44 •

expand free trolleys and shuttles to congested shopping areas with the support of merchants.

Gentry: Urban landfill, such as the marvelously successful transformation of The Gulch, taking a desolate group of properties and creating an exciting place to live, work and play is great, but much of our infrastructure, especially transportation, hasn’t kept up.

Whether it’s dedicated bus lanes or a more walkable city, there is no single solution, but we need to adequately fund our current public transit needs and find new and innovative ways to move people into, out of, and around our growing exciting city. Within our city, we need a multi-modal mass transit plan that meets everyone’s needs.

As a region, we need to work with the Mayor’s Caucus to seek high speed mass transit bring people in and out of our city.

Kane: The Mayor and the Council must focus on increasing a diverse supply of accessible housing. Improved transit guarantees accessibility. Nashvillians should be able to easily get from their home to their jobs and back again by whatever means they choose.

Additionally, every neighborhood in Nashville needs a diverse stock of housing options so Nashvillians pick their home based on neighborhood preference, not price. Finally, when recruiting businesses to Nashville we will incentivize them to contribute to affordable housing for their workforce or contribute to affordable housing development for musicians, artists, and other creatives in Nashville.

Linda Rebrovick: I believe that we must take an “all of the above” approach to reduce traffic con-

HOWARD GENTRYsubmitted gestion and create a viable rapid transit system. The only way we’re going to avoid a future of gridlock is through a smarter and more efficient transportation network. We can build roads that are as smart as the latest cars coming off the production line, sharing real-time traffic data and adapting responsively to relieve congestion. We can boost alternative methods of transportation, from public transit to biking and walking. We can create mobile and online apps that keep residents informed of bus schedules and traffic hot spots to minimize travel times.

Megan Barry: One way to sum up the Amp project is to say that it mixed good intentions with questionable strategy. Bus Rapid Transit that incorporates complete streets (which allow for walking, dedicated bike lanes, and streetscaping), is a good idea and works well in other areas of the country. Improving transit and encouraging economic development along our major corridors makes sense because that’s where we need to see more density. We have

»

• 45 •

MEGAN BARRY/ submitted

to connect all modalities togetherand that means making sure that your neighborhood has a sidewalk so you can walk to the bus stop.

It means having a bike lane that doesn’t end in a construction zone and it means making sure that the entire transit grid now and in the future is connected.

Charles Bone: As mayor, I’ll build off of the MTA Strategic Plan to pursue a long-term, bold transit vision that has been designed by and received input from thousands of Nashvillians. We need both an 18-month plan as well an 18-year plan. This must be based on a high-capacity, high-performance regional transportation system that addresses our significant and unique traffic issues.

David Fox: I’d like to explore having the private sector build and own a commuter transportation system, which Metro Nashville could lease back and use to collect rider fees. For inside Nashville, we must restart the conversation, do

so very publicly, transparently and inclusively, build a broad vision, gain general buy-in, decide how to fund and sequence it, then move deliberately to execution of the plan.

Can you lay out a legislative agenda for affordable housing in Nashville a policy you would support in Metro Council? (Similar questions were asked by several people on Twitter and Facebook.)

Gentry: First, I would support a dedicated stream of funding to adequately secure the Barnes Housing Fund. Next, I would support effective inclusionary zoning that produces results. I strongly believe that as we continue to grow, as we must, people who work in Nashville should be able to live in Nashville. We need to harvest the creative thinking of this city, including new ideas from millennials, to find solutions that work consistently. I believe we can do it, I know I am dedicated to trying.

Kane: The Mayor and the Council must focus on increasing a diverse supply of accessible housing. Improved transit guarantees accessibility. Nashvillians should be able to easily get from their home to their jobs and back again by whatever means they choose.

Additionally, every neighborhood in Nashville needs a diverse stock of housing options so Nashvillians pick their home based on neighborhood preference, not price. Finally, when recruiting businesses to Nashville we will incentivize them to contribute to affordable housing for their workforce or contribute to affordable housing development for musicians, artists, and other creatives in Nashville.

• 46 •

Rebrovick: First, I will work closely with MDHA to support the recently-launched program approved by HUD called RAD (Rental Assistance Demonstration). Second, I will work with developers and planners to build a variety of innovative, new mixedincome housing. This includes micro-units for young professionals and single-family homes that don’t need or want a lot of square footage, co-housing developments and shared-equity housing. The third focus, which also involves working with MDHA, is taking advantage of underused and vacant Metroowned land by adding affordable housing and by selling unwanted property to fund more affordable housing. Finally, the Barnes Fund must be expanded by creating a dedicated funding stream to help support the nearly 4,000 new units per year needed to provide affordable housing to all Nashvillians.

Barry: I’ve co-sponsored and passed legislation that created the Barnes Fund and found new revenue to direct funds from short term rentals into the fund — but it’s not enough. We incent developers all the time to build what we want and need — and I support using increment financing (TIF) for affordable housing.

Bone: Our lack of workforce housing is a complex challenge that will require new solutions including a variety of programs and incentives from significantly increasing our financial commitment to the Barnes Housing Fund to leveraging federal and community funds through MDHA to working with both our for-profit and non-profit developers to increase the amount

What do you know now that you wish you had known when you were 25? @12thBroad Kane: When I had the opportunity to swim at the Olympic trials at the age of 17, my approach was tempered by the belief that no matter what happened, I could always try again in four more years.

During that time I became every ill, and four years later the Olympic trials were no longer in reach

for me. So my advice would be to approach every opportunity as if this is the best and only chance you’re going to have.

It may be cliché, but carpe diem makes a lot of sense in the long run.

Rebrovick: Often, young professionals want immediate success, and they try to achieve that by prioritizing work over everything else. I would tell them to work hard, but to also be patient and enjoy other aspects of their lives that will make it more fulfilling in the long run.

Barry: I wish I had known to buy stock in Microsoft and Apple.

Bone: First, having a large and vibrant family has blessed and enriched my life beyond anything I could have ever asked for or dreamed. Second, in the business world, it is ok to dream big, try hard and fall short.

Fox: It’s important to avoid stifling your instincts, even when your common sense judgment might not be in accord with mass thought.

Freeman: At points in my life, I’ve thought that I had a good handle on how the world works, and it always amazes me that you never truly do. There’s always more to learn, whether it’s personal, professional, or with others.

Gentry: Realizing earlier that one can make a difference at any age.

I would have pushed myself to do more in the broader community, to make sure we vote, to make sure that our voices are heard…..which is what you are doing here and I applaud you for that. n

• 47 •

JEREMY KANE/submitted

of available housing. Market economics alone are not likely to solve this problem.

Fox: Greater funding in the Barnes Fund. Provide voluntary zoning density bonuses to developers in exchange for setting aside a portion of a new development as below-market priced housing. MDHA’s rental assistance demonstration project looks promising, though it might need some modifying to guard against a few possible risks of that program.

Freeman: My plan for affordable housing is less about a legislative agenda than it is about the ability of the mayor’s off ice to bring government, private developers and the nonprof it community to address the crisis this city faces over housing — one that will not be solved overnight. I am uniquely qualif ied for this task because of the work in housing that I have done in my business for 36 years and because of my deep involvement in the community. Nashville needs a mix of high-end, middle- and lower-income, and subsidized housing, and right now virtually all of the building favors the high-end market.

• 48 •

• 49 •

LIFESTYLES

HOW TO FIX YOUR BROKEN SHIT STORY AND PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY KNIGHT STIVENDER

• 50 •

M

y thermostat started clicking over and over again a couple weeks ago. Not the kind of clicking a thermostat makes when it’s switching from heat to cool or fan to not-fan or whatever, but the kind of clicking a thermostat makes when it’s broken and needs to be replaced.

Google it. That’s what I did. If you want confirmation, head to Facebook.

“Replace it”, was the general consensus among people who seemed to know what they were talking about. Or at least conveyed the confidence that comes with brevity. (“It’s broken. Replace it.” That’s way more authoritative than, say, “Hmm. How old is it? Gas or electric system? Heat pump?”)

Whatever. I digress.

In short, enough people on the Internet gave the impression this was an easy thing to handle myself that I said the hell with Saturday night and drove to Lowe’s for a replacement.

What follows is a single woman’s step-by-step guide to replacing a faulty thermostat — complete with playlist, cocktail selection, conversation starters with bored girlfriends, and applications to the finer parts of life.

1. I cranked up my “She’s Got That Look In Her Eye” playlist on Spotify.

(Look out, men. When I play it, I’m coming for you with a screwdriver in hand.)

2. I found said screwdriver.

3. I stared at the broken thermostat for a long time, trying to figure out how to get the cover off in a reasonable way.

» • 51 •

“

In short, enough people on the Internet gave the impression this was an easy thing to handle myself that I said the hell with Saturday night and drove to Lowe’s for a replacement.

4. I failed, and ripped it off dramatically instead.

(I believe Adele was playing. Maybe Joan As Police Woman, and if you don’t know her ... and if you take nothing else from this post ... then at least download “The Magic”.)

5. I battled intimidation from the naked thermostat. At least 12 different colored wires poked mysteriously into equally mysteriously labeled metal conductors. I took a picture of it with my iPhone in case I screwed it up later and needed to remember how to put it back together.

6. I went downstairs to the circuit breaker box (and, to be honest, I wasn’t sure switching off a circuit breaker was the thing I was supposed to do in this situation). This thought went through my mind: Who will “save me” from being that woman whose cats devour her as Liz Phair plays in the background?

7. Risk of death averted, I went back to staring at the scary mess of wires.

Google taught me RH is heating and W turns the heating on; RC is air conditioning and Y turns it on; G turns on the fan. There are myriad other colors and letters. Blue, brown, etc. But the wires on my old thermostat did not, in the least, line up with the wires on my new one.

8. I tried to follow the instruction manual and got as far as Page 2 when I realized I’d bought the wrong thermostat.

9. I drove back to Lowe’s and bought a more complicated one.

10. I drove back home and poured myself a scotch.

11. I read the instruction book for the newer new thermostat.

12. I stared at the wires some more.

They still did not line up the way the instruction book said they would.

13. I called the 1-800 number on the manual. No one answered.

14. I Googled some more.

• 52 •

15. I stared at the wires some more and made a few somewhat educated guesses as to what to do with them.

16. I finished my scotch.

17. I put the thermostat cover over the crazy wiring.

18. The last few instructions involved programming some things into the electronic panel like, “Gas” (as opposed to “Electric”) and “Zone System” and “Heat Pump”, etc. I had to look up definitions for every single one of these.

19. The fancy new thermostat clicked on and my house began to feel warm again.

I WAS SO FREAKING HAPPY AND PROUD!!

A couple days later, it was particularly cold outside and — I realized — in my house as well.

I WAS SO FREAKING MAD!!

20. I sent a series of frustrated, bitter text messages to my bestie single mom friend, who told me to call a pro-

fessional so I could spend my time on things I am actually good at doing.

21. I relented and called a professional.

22. The professional came out to my house, and I promise - here is the real point of this dysfunctional, mis-wired story.

I did it right.

That’s right. I replaced the thermostat properly, and I didn’t electrocute myself, and I put the wires in the right places, and I programmed the complicated part the right way, and yeah it took me a lot of Googling and a glass of scotch and two trips to Lowe’s — SO WHAT. You know what I did wrong? I didn’t bother to program the clock.

The default timezone setting on it meant the thermostat was automatically switching to 50-something degrees when I came home from work, then gearing up to around 70 by early afternoon.

Another close friend told me today I will always be most fulfilled, most productive, most happy and creative, when I’m choosing the most challenging option. She has me pegged.

What I need to remember is this: Don’t assume I’m finished because the hard part is over. Don’t write off the details. That goes for home repair, relationships, my career and the whole bit.

That is the lesson of the thermostat. n

• 53 •

• 54 •

SPONSORED CONTENT

What to Expect With Vacation Express All-Inclusive

P

lanning a vacation can cause stress, from deciding on the perfect hotel and flight to trying to keep a great vacation within your budget. With all-inclusive packages from Vacation Express, the process of booking and planning your vacation becomes as simple as making an online purchase. Over the past 25 years, Vacation Express has developed amazing partnerships with hotels in 35 destinations across the Caribbean, Mexico and Costa Rica. Through these partnerships, you can book an all-inclusive vacation and alleviate all the stress typically found when booking a vacation. The packages that you found on VACATIONEXPRESS.com are perfect for multigenerational families, and even singles, couples and groups. In three easy steps, you can book the perfect vacation.

Finding the perfect budget for your vacation Let’s admit it, everyone loves to take a vacation without having to feel stressed about budgeting and overspending, then to return home to empty pockets. All-inclusive vacation packages with Vacation Express make budgeting simple, once

you show up to the airport, you will not have to spend another dime.

What to eat?

Where to eat?

The dining options available with allinclusive hotels can sometimes be the determining factor when choosing where to stay. With all-inclusive, the dining offered at a resort varies from resort to resort. For instance, Azul Hotels, Generations Hotels and El Dorado Hotels, pride themselves on offering gourmet dining for their guests. Their awarding winning restaurants are some the best rated around the world. These resorts and others offered by Vacation Express allow guests unlimited dining with buffet and a la carte options. Besides dining, the other question you should consider is beverage options. With most resorts, soft drinks, bottled water and local brand alcohol are included with the all-inclusive package with some resorts offering premium brands for you to enjoy as well.

We’re here, now what do we do?

How often do you find yourself spending so much time planning for a vacation, then when you arrive and you’re not sure about what you should do. Most resorts offer you a

• 55 •

great solution by including recreational activities in the all-inclusive package. Some activities that you may find included in your stay are kayaking, snorkeling, hobiecats, and introductory scuba diving lessons.

The next thing that usually comes to mind, “What can my kids do for fun?” With Vacation Express’ partner resorts, your kids are covered.

You will find that most resorts have kids clubs featuring activities for children ranging from toddler to pre-school age with many also featuring areas for teens to hang out and enjoy their getaway. These options are in addition to the fun water parks some the resorts have available on their property, giving you easy access with no additional cost.

Connectivity and phoning home Ever found yourself on vacation and completely disconnected from the “the real world?” For some, that may be just how you like it, but for many, this disconnect can become stressful. Many resorts offered by Vacation Express give you access to Wi-Fi throughout the entire resort, which includes the beach, bar, restaurants and many locations. In addition, you can often make free calls back home just in case you need to check in on your family.

{

Join 12th & Broad to experience Nashville’s creative and entrepreneurial culture through the most original lineup in town.

JaNuaRy: SaINTS & SINNERS

We take on Blue Monday – known as the worst day of the year because it’s cold, debt-riddled and dark – first with hedonistic defiance, then with transcendent grace. Our seven deadly sins-inspired Saints & Sinners party will be an evening of indulgence and inspiration.

MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS: • • • • •

FEBRuaRy: WHoSE CaRd IS IT aNyWay?

“Whose Card Is It Anyway” is a one-time networking about networking event – think of it as “speed networking” – styled after throwback television games shows. You’ll get to know a little about all the networking groups in town, meet the key players, and learn about everyone in a fun, interactive way compete with happy hour drinks.

Complementary tickets to our signature events Invitations to private events and exclusive experiences around town Our magazine mailed to your home before everyone else gets it Full digital access to Tennessean.com and its mobile apps First dibs on giveaways, tickets and other promotions from our partners

A membership is just $14 a month and is valued at more than $60.

Become a member today at 12thandBroad.com.

MaRCH: BRoadlaNdIa yaRd SalE

Imagine a yard sale full of stuff from the closets, guest rooms, garages and etsy shops of your most interesting Nashville friends, and so big it takes up an entire warehouse. Imagine being able to pack up all your extra stuff, set it up at a coollooking display surrounded by like-minded people, and sell it off by noon on a Saturday. Plus bloody marys and biscuits. And an art tent of locally created artwork for sale. And a special Man Cave full of manly stuff.

July: MagazINE RElEaSE PaRTy auguST: WaTERPalooza

It’s hot, vacation is over, and the kids are climbing the walls as they wait for school to get started again. We have a solution – giant bounce houses with water, water games, giant slip & slides, dunking booths with local celebrities, watermelon-eating contests… Join us for the second annual Waterpalooza for a pop-up waterpark.

aPRIl: MagazINE RElEaSE PaRTy SEPTEMBER: MuSIC CITy HaIR Ball

Nashville’s avant garde ball returns for its second year, celebrating fashion, individuality and decadence with a focus on the thing Dolly Parton said brings us closer to God: our HAIR. Big hair, crazy hair, hair-as-sculpture, hair-to-die-for, hair-that-might-kill-us, hair in the shapes of other things… You name it. This is the place to find it. Event includes a runway show, dance party with DJ, food stations, cocktails and crazy touches like naked sushi models, glow-art display and more.

May: MEaT ya IN THE PaRk

Finally: The cold has passed, the rains are over and it’s cookout weather! Join restaurants from across Nashville for the second annual Meat Ya in the Park for a celebration of all things smoked, grilled and charbroiled. Don’t worry: We’ll have tents for vegetarians, and plenty of side dishes and desserts as well.

The family fun includes live music, interactive creative stations and games, a “Beer Olympics” for those inclined, jorts contest, and bounce houses.

oCToBER: MagazINE RElEaSE PaRTy NovEMBER: aRT CaMP NaSHvIllE

At the second annual ArtCamp Nashville, members of Nashville’s arts and arts business community gather for a day of inspiration and learning. We solicit members of this community to create 40-minute TED-style talks, which run currently during a day-long conference at a local art college.

dECEMBER: 2015 NaSHvIllE CREaTIvITy aWaRdS JuNE: PolITICal JEoPaRdy

Nashville will elect a new mayor this summer. We’ll help you figure out who that person should be by putting the five candidates on a Jeopardy-style game show panel.

• 56 •

|

We celebrate the year’s most 6 most creative businesses and 6 most creative individuals with an awards ceremony we are sure will become a yearly tradition. Award nominations are solicited in the summer and finalists are named in the fall. Winners are announced at this three-course dinner and creative showcase.

12thandbroad.com

COMMUNITY

Consider the changes in median home sale values from March 2010 to March 2015 in these three neighborhoods: Inglewood: From $149K to $208K. Sylvan Heights: From $170K to $232K. Germantown: From $224K to $305K. As the value of Nashville real estate increases, the composition of neighborhoods changes. Must the changes be toward homogeny? Can we, as a city, take steps to curtail gentrification? Can we enact meaningful affordable housing policies? We asked a roundtable of developers, planners and affordable housing advocates to weigh in. Join us for more at our website. Search “Gentrification” at www.12thandbroad.com.

— 12th & Broad • 57 •

COMMUNITY

WHAT’S NEXT FOR

NASHVILLE? LET’S DISCUSS

Meet Our Community Roundtable

Carrie Ferguson Weir Original founder of Eastwood Neighbors & current State of Tennessee communications staffer Lives in Bellevue after 14 years in Kingston Springs

Gabriela Lira Remax Elite Agent & Weekly 12th & Broad Real Estate Columnist Lives in West End

Rick Bernhardt Executive Director, Metropolitan Nashville-Davidson County Planning Department Lives in East Nashville

Ryan C. Doyle General Manager — oneC1TY Lives in Brentwood

• 58 •

Lindsey Langley Community Organizer for the Katie Hill neighborhood Lives in Katie Hill

photos By JOSHUA BLACK WILKINs

Are there cities or communities that have figured out a solution to the dilemma of escalating property values pricing out the people and businesses whom many would argue made the community so desirable in the first place?

CARRIE: I purchased a beautiful 1918 home in Eastwood in 1993 (before it was Eastwood). We paid $80,000 and I could have qualified on my modest newspaper reporter’s salary alone. Our neighbors were young families and single people who, mostly, made average livings.

The houses on my former street are now worth upwards of a half-million

dollars. That is awesome and hurrah for my former neighbors, and we certainly did well when we sold the house in 2001, but what my house search last year tells me: It ain’t the 1990s in Nashville anymore. Finding a home -- for under $250,000 -that was close to downtown, where I work, safe for my child, and near her school and our friends was nearly impossible and hugely frustrating.

RYAN: “Early settlers” go into parts of cities that are underappreciated for various reasons, one of which is often the affordability. The organic growth or success of these trailblazers is typically followed by interest…demand…higher value. These

• 59 •

visionaries bring the ingredient to a mixed-use district or neighborhood on the front end that larger commercial developers always seek to integrate into their developments after the fact. The key is for cities to develop tools to promote these forward troops in making creative investments and keeping them in those neighborhoods to keep the context, soul and attraction for long-term sustainability.

The Housing Fund is a local example that is making strides towards this objective. Programs like the Make a Mark initiative will help the artistic community make permanent investments in the neighborhoods where

»

approaches. The challenge is to help them fit together in a harmonious manner. Not all residential construction goes through the Planning Department review process, but we do often work closely with builders and developers to maintain existing community character while encouraging more sensitivity to creative design.

LINDSEY: I have seen Planning Commission meetings where residents show up to appeal a particular zoning change to build “tall skinnies” in their neighborhood. Despite the huge showing of those in opposition, the planning commission still approves the zoning changes.

One question I would challenge everyone to ask their current and future councilman is, “What is your relationship with developers and builders, and how do you plan on working with both the community and builders as this growth occurs?”

they wish to set a foundation. By now it shouldn’t be a surprise to Nashvillians that the creative class is driving the pattern of development throughout much of Davidson County. The culture they bring to new areas attracts and retains talent, supports a more authentic development narrative and breeds tolerance while integrating diverse populations. We need more tools like “Make the Mark” to

weather the growth storm over the next decade and solidify great neighborhoods that already exist and the new ones on the horizon.

What are your thoughts on the blend of new design styles with Nashville’s traditional design standards? Can they all fit together?

RICK: Certainly, there’s room for a wide and diverse variety of design

• 60 •

How can “landmarks” like Katy K’s afford to stick around inside this new Nashville where rents are higher and / or the value of real estate outweighs the value of running a small business in certain areas?

GABRIELA: This is a tough one and I don’t have an easy answer. The idealist in me wants to believe that this is our city and that we have the power to make it what we want. If we want Katy K’s to remain in 12South because it is part of our identity, then we are responsible for speaking up. Perhaps a certain percentage of commercial districts can be allotted

specifically for these types of small business with a discounted rate so that they are able to stick around.

They have done this with residential housing. Werthan Lofts, for example, has restricted income units being sold below market value; why not try this with commercial spaces?

RYAN: As much as real estate developers would like to believe the buildings create the place, the real place-makers are the people who occupy the space and share their personality, their craft and their beliefs. Developers need the independent bookstore operator, the local clothier or the next great culinary artist to give their investment a soul and authenticity that visitors really want. That’s where the creativity of the right developer can develop a plan and design that caters to neighborhood

history, future density drivers and the banks..

Are there any areas outside the urban core, or even outside Davidson County, that you see as the next frontier?

GABRIELA: We will continue to see rapid growth in the Nations, Wedgewood-Houston, and Inglewood. Other notable, slower growth areas are Woodbine, and Buena Vista. Next hot spots in Nashville would be Chesnut Hill and that area between 12South and the Gulch. In Williamson county, Nolensville and Thompson Station are becoming more popular.

Ready to join the conversation?

The NashvilleNext 25-year plan

• 61 •

is available at www.NashvilleNext.net, with comments accepted through April 30. A series of five meetings will present the plan: • 5-7 p.m. April 20 at North Police Precinct, 2231 26th Ave. N • 5-7 p.m. April 20 at Edmondson Pike Library, 5501 Edmondson Pike • 5-7 p.m. April 27 at Madison Police Precinct, 400 Myatt Drive, Madison • 5-7 p.m. April 27 at Bellevue Library, 720 Baugh Road Public suggestions could be incorporated into the plan’s final version, which is scheduled for review by the Metro Planning Commission on June 11. For more information call 615-862-NEXT (6398) or email info@nashvillenext.net. n

city of dreams story and photos By JOSHUA BLACK WILKINs

• 62 •

COMMUNITY

IF YOU BUILD IT, THEY WILL COME It is pointless to take Nashville back to how it WAS. The way Nashville seemed when we moved here. » • 63 •

I

’ve been here nearly 13 years. I’m certainly not native to Tennessee, but Nashville wasn’t that cool in 2002. Actually, it was VERY cool in 2002. We had The Slow Bar. Melrose Bowling Alley.

Lower Broadway was filled with LOCALS on the weekends and parking was free, or $3 if you got down there before 11pm. I-440 was 65MPH (which was way too fast) but it served as a detour to all the people that were traveling across I-40 and WEREN’T stopping in Nashville.

When I arrived in East Nashville, it was the affordable section of town where the musicians were moving to. It wasn’t safe, but things were looking up. They added a street lamp near 5 Points. East Kroger was WORSE than it is now, but East Nashville was a melting pot of people all just trying to keep it together.

And this was the Nashville I fell in love with. It wasn’t the suburbs that I grew up in and around.

By our later 20’s, friends were buying houses. They were affordable, but the word was out that Nashville was getting popular and the real estate market was getting hot. For all the years that locals told their families and friends about how great Nashville was, and by the time the economy crashed in 2008, Nashville started to Flood. (no, not that Flood). Our economy didn’t crash.

Not compared to NYC or LA. or Detroit. Or anywhere else in America that didn’t rely almost exclusively on the music industry and genuine kindness.

Even without Opryland (the amusement park), Nashville had been popular with family tour-

ists. And by the late 2000’s, you could take them downtown on the weekends. Tourists spent money on entertainment. Entertainers worked for tips and became human jukeboxes for midwestern bros and broads. The original music left downtown, by force. Those tourists loved our accommodations so much that they packed up their belongings, bought the ironic cowboy hat and boots, and pulled their Land Rover behind the U-Haul.

But they ran into a problem: These people didn’t like our 1940’s bungalows and Craftsman homes.

They were too old to live in apartment complexes, and had enough money to buy a brand new house smack dab in the middle of the hippest neighborhoods.

Not only do the newcomers now have their $400,000+ townhomes, but also corporate boutique ice cream, new street lamps, sidewalks, crosswalks, dog parks, kid parks, a NEW Land Rover, 12 hipster chickens in the back yard and the audacity to complain about ... anything, everything.

They aren’t the only ones complaining though. The homes, rents and local food we enjoyed for many years, and shared with out-of-town guests; the very thing that brought US here, has forced many Nashvillians out.

The heart of Nashville is a “little big town” (not the band). We are inspired, inspiring, friendly, welcoming and talented. We found our little haven for affordable living and industry elbow rubbing. You could do ANYTHING here. The sky(scraper) was the limit! And after countless other notable people moved here, and endless amounts

• 64 •

of media attention, “best-of ” lists, “it-city alerts” and a horrible television show (that we all watch), we got just what we asked for. We only have ourselves to blame (if you’re complaining at all, that is). We set ourselves up to be pushed away and out-priced from our own little utopia.

So there is no “going back to the good-old-days”. I MISS The Slow Bar, but if it was still around, I wouldn’t be able to get in, and I wouldn’t know anyone there, anyway. I am in my mid-30’s now, and the people moving in are following their dreams like I did 13 years ago. Nashville is awesome to them. everything is new and fancy and special and exciting. The way it was when I got here. Their rent is affordable to them because they’ve never paid less here. If they moved from one of the other big entertainment industry towns, they can finally BUY a home for under a million dollars.

What I am afraid of is what happens when the bubble bursts. When Rolling Stone writes about how corporate and fake Nashville has become (Music Row, anyone?!). When Food & Wine Magazine discovers that we are just copying everything City House did well the first time and then putting televisions in every corner of your new favorite restaurant and calling it french fusion/ sports lounge. When folks STILL don’t know that Jeni’s is a corporate chain from Columbus, Ohio, and have never tried Mike’s Ice Cream or Pied Piper Creamery.

When the bubble bursts, the new “tall-skinnies” won’t be sellable at a profit. But many of us that will stick it out in Nashville WILL help you load your U-Haul. n

“

Not only do the newcomers now have their $400,000+ townhomes, but also corporate boutique ice cream, new street lamps, sidewalks, crosswalks, dog parks, kid parks, a NEW Land Rover, 12 hipster chickens in the back yard and the audacity to complain about ... anything, everything.

• 65 •

• 66 •

• 67 •

EAST NASHVILLE

KEY

ABOUT TAPESTRY MIDDLE GROUND: Lifestyles of thirtysomethings

GENXURBAN: Gen X in middle age; families with fewer kids and a mortgage

HOMETOWN: Growing up and staying close to home; single householders

UPTOWN INDIVIDUALS: Young, successful singles in the city

MIDTOWN SINGLES: Millennials on the move — single, diverse, urban

SCHOLARS AND PATRIOTS: College and military populations

SENIOR STYLES: Senior lifestyles reveal the effects of saving for retirement

NEXT WAVE: Urban denizens, young, diverse, hard-working • 68 • families

Tapestry maps lifestyle choices, what people buy, and how they spend their free time. Tapestry classifies U.S. residential neighborhoods into 67 unique segments based on demographic and socioeconomic characteristics. The above neighborhoods are classified by their “life modes.” For more explanation about each of the unique segments or “life modes”, visit esri.com.

NOT CLASSIFIED MAPPING BY JASON HALEY; GRAPHIC DESIGN BY BRIAN GOINS FOR 12TH & BROAD; SOURCE: ESRI.COM

• 69 •

• 70 •

FASHION

Nashville celebrated seven of our own during the kickoff night of Nashville Fashion Week on Tuesday, April 7. The wealth of local fashion industry talent were applauded on the runway and throughout the stylish week, but fashion is more than a week …

Wear local. Shop local. Love local. »

• 71 •

• 72 •

»

• 73 •

• 74 •

» • 75 •

• 76 •

» • 77 •

• 78 •

Creative Director: Marcia Masulla Photography: Jess Williams Hair: William Edge — William Edge and Crystal Wakitsch Makeup: William Edge — Alicia Canon and Katie Creekmur typography/art: brian goins Location: Silver Point Studios

AMAX Talent: Sydney Chiyoko, Ezra Carey, Lydia Touchton, Mary Wallace

blackbymariasilver.com ericadlerclothing.com vanhoangdesigns.com pinkelephantsdesigns.com amandavalentine.com onarex.com olamaiclothing.com williamedge.com n • 79 •

EATS

Matt Bolus

• 80 •

recipes from home U

By VIVEK SURTI • PHOTOgraphy submitted nquestionably, we are in the midst of a restaurant boom here in Nashville.

Local restaurants frequently grace the pages of the national media.

Celebrity chefs like Sean Brock and Jonathan Waxman have opened up establishments here. There’s a rumor swirling that Andrew Zimmern of Bizarre Foods fame may open up an outpost.

New restaurants seem to pop up daily, and developers create new neighborhoods to help market all the new business. (East Gulch?!)

Given Nashville’s charm, growing population and smart business opportunities, it’s clear that a lot of hungry eyes are fixed on us.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the restaurant business, operations continue to grow and face challenges. A bigger food scene means

the town needs more chefs, more line cooks, more sommeliers, more servers, more space – really, more everything. A business that already requires long hours and stressful situations continues to get harder.

So with this article, we’re giving our chefs a night off. Instead of asking, “Where should we go for dinner?”, we’re asking, “What do you make when you’re at home?”

Blessed be the occasions when they actually get to cook for their own families.

Matt Bolus opened The 404 Kitchen to great critical acclaim, including a James Beard Award Nomination for Best New Restaurant.

While you can see Matt working the pass almost every night at the restaurant, he’s also been active on the festival circuit, traveling to Miami, Charleston and even doing a guest chef dinner in Tampa, where his in-laws live. When Matt was about

• 81 •

to open The 404 Kitchen, his wife was pregnant with their daughter.

At that time, Matt began dedicating their Sundays to cooking Sunday Supper, what he calls, “fresh, honest and uncomplicated food.” While Matt makes mouthwatering dishes like his recent cherry-glazed whole duck, it’s always a fun night with family - food made with love and of course, plenty of wine!

James Peisker and Chris Carter from Porter Road Butcher are a hardworking duo. With two butcher shops, a recently purchased processing facility and frequent visits to their farmers, these guys are also doing numerous charity events and cutting your steaks to order. “We work so hard during the week that when I get a day off, I just want to sit on the couch and do nothing,” James said. Chris talked about how he grabbed one of Porter Road’s “Slow Food Fast” meals (the fiesta-braised

»

beef shank, in case you were curious) on his way out of the shop one day. We joked about how they made the meals at the shop just so they wouldn’t have to cook when they got home. James loves to go see fellow chefs, like Andrew Little at Josephine, where he can sit back, relax and let someone else do the cooking.

When chef Hal Holden-Bache of Lockeland Table gets a day off, his favorite thing to do is to spend time with his son, Cole.

When Cole was a baby, Hal made all of his son’s baby food. But now that Cole is growing up, Hal has slowly integrated him into the role of kitchen helper. “I really like making grits,” Hal said. “And Cole is definitely a meat eater.”

They’ll cook a simple meal, like meatballs braised in tomato sauce, with cheesy, buttery grits or shephard’s pie, and enjoy their time together.

Levon Wallace recently moved to town from Louisville, Ky. An acclaimed chef at Proof on Main, Levon will take over as chef of the upcoming restaurant, Cochon Butcher in Germantown. Levon’s go-to at-home food? Anything Asian. Locally, he recommends Thai Esane and King Market for khao soi. His favorite thing to cook at home for his family? Well, that’s a soothing Korean soup with soft tofu and kimchi. “It’s unassuming,” he says, “but it’s food for the soul.”

Molly Fitzpatrick Martin of The Food Co. in Green Hills just opened up a new outpost at the Entrepreneur Center. Molly, who runs a restaurant, large catering busi-

Hal Holden-Bache

James Peisker

Molly Martin

Levon Cochon

ness and a brand new location, is a pretty busy woman. When she’s got some time off, she loves going to City House, Chef Tandy Wilson’s Germantown restaurant. “I used to work there,” said Molly, so obviously she has a lot of close friends there. Regardless of how many new

places open, “there’s just no place like City House.” When she’s relaxing at home, her mom makes an egg dish called egg rice — a mixture of leftover Chinese food, rice, eggs, cilantro and sriracha. “It may not be the fanciest, but it is so damn satisfying.” n

SEE RECIPES FOR EGG RICE, MEATBALLS WITH GRITS AND CHERRY GLAZED DUCK ON PAGE 85.

• 82 •

• 83 •

• 84 •

RECIPES 1 Tsp freshly ground black pepper Kosher Salt to taste

To Taste Salt and Black Pepper 1 Whole Duck

To prepare:

To prepare:

Combine all the ingredients and mix well. Season with salt.

Weigh out 2.5 oz of the mixture and roll into balls.

Roast in a 375 degree oven for 12 minutes. Then, simmer the meatballs in marinara sauce until they

Egg Rice

By Molly Fitzpatrick Martin Ingredients: Leftover Rice (preferably, Chinese take out rice) 2 Eggs A Ton of Cilantro Sriracha Sauce

Grits Ingredients: 1 cup Fall Mills White Grits 3 Cups Water 2 Cups Milk ½ Tsp Kosher Salt 3 Tbsp Butter Cheddar Cheese To prepare:

To prepare:

Combine milk and water in a pot,

Get a pan over high heat, and add butter (or bacon fat). Throw in the eggs and rice. Let the eggs cook and the rice warm back up. Finish with a ton of cilantro and sriracha.

add salt, and bring to a boil. Slowly

Meatballs with Grits

By Hal Holden-Bache

getty images/thinkstock

are done.

Meatball Ingredients: 1 lb. Ground Beef (80/20) 1 lb. Ground Pork 2 Tbsp Fresh Oregano, chopped 2 Tbsp Fresh Parsley, chopped 2 Tbsp Grana Padano, grated ½ cup Ricotta Cheese 1 Egg Yolk 1 Tsp Red Chile Flakes 1 Tsp Italian Seasoning 1 Tsp Garlic, chopped

pour in the grits and whisk to avoid lumps.

Cook until grits are done, about 2530 minutes. Finish with butter and grated cheddar cheese.

Cherry Glazed Duck

By Matt Bolus Ingredients: 1/4 Cup Dried Cherries 1/4 Cup Orange Juice 1/2 Onion, chopped 3 each Calabrian Chilies 1 Garlic clove 1/2 sprig Rosemary 2 Tbsp Saba 2 Tbsp Red Wine Vinegar Dash Almond Extract

• 85 •

1. Using a mortar and pestle (or food processor) combine the cherries, orange juice, onion, Calabrian chilies, garlic, rosemary, saba, vinegar, and almond extract. Grind to a smooth consistency. Reserve 1/4 of the mixture in a separate container.

2. Fire the grill or if using an oven set the heat to 400 F. Season the duck evenly with salt and black pepper. Place the duck breast side down over the hot coals or in a pan in the oven. Brush the bottom of the duck as well as the legs and sides with the glaze.

3. At the 10 minute mark turn the duck over and set it away from the coals. Brush the breast with the cherry glaze and cover the grill (if cooking in the oven turn the duck over, brush with the glaze, and turn the oven down to 250 F). Continue brushing the entire duck every 30 minutes. Cook the duck until the internal temperature of the legs reaches 155 F. 4. Remove the duck from the heat and place a piece of aluminum foil over it and then a thin towel over that. Allow the duck to rest for at least 15 minutes, 20 to 30 is preferred.

5. With the reserved glaze you can brush the whole duck one last time or use it as sauce when you serve.

LOVE LOCAL

’HOOD ENVY KNIGHT STIVENDER: general manager

why we love our NEIGHBORHOODS

Neighborhood: Franklin

I own a house in Franklin, and sometimes I actually live in it. When I’m in Franklin, I’m most often nesting with my precocious 13-year-old daughter, Lily, who is about to be a freshman at Franklin High School. Quaint little Franklin is a great day trip for all my friends in Nashville, just as Nashville is a great everyday trip for me. When I’m in Nashville, I spend my time in business meetings at Pinewood Social, on my bike along all the city’s greenways, at great restaurants like City House, and at wonderful art venues like Cheekwood.

MARCIA A. MASULLA: EDITOR AND COMMUNITY MANAGER NEIGHBORHOOD: Marathon Village

I believe that it’s kismet that the first time I stepped foot in Nashville was for my boyfriend’s band photoshoot at Marathon Village. Fast forward from 2008, and while the band has long parted ways and the boy is long gone, I proudly have called my quirky loft on 17th Avenue North, home for 3 years now. From grabbing cocktails at William Collier’s, catching shows at Marathon Music Works, and tipping my hat to the creative energy of my neighbors Lightning 100, Otis James, Imogene & Willie, Corsair, and Bang Candy Company, we’re writing our own history in this resurfacing neighborhood.

• 86 •

LOVE LOCAL

CODIE GENTRY: MANAGER OF EXPERIENCE NEIGHBORHOOD: Inglewood

CHARITY TOOMBS: manager of advertising and sponsorships NEIGHBORHOOD: Providence

One of Nashville’s fastest growing neighborhoods, Providence is my balance between surburbia and downtown living. Conveniently located 15 minutes from downtown, the neighborhood provides its own necessary retreat from the city with private shopping, entertainment and dining, all in one walkable destination. You will find me any Saturday at Billy Goat Coffee Company enjoying good conversation with the one I love or leisurely enjoying the outdoor pleasures at Charlie Daniel’s Park.

BRIAN GOINS: DESIGNER NEIGHBORHOOD: Donelson

I live in the *real* East Nashville: (Hip!) Donelson. What drew me to this area is its sense of small-town atmosphere. I love shopping at the local businesses in the area and the seasonal Farmer’s Market. Nearby is a favorite hangout for beer and food: McNamara’s Irish Pub. There is easy access to greenways and recreational areas, alongside high-profile shopping venues such as the shops at Opry Mills — and it’s a short 10-minute drive to the heart of downtown.

• 87 •

I love living in Inglewood because it’s still got that “East Nashville” feel and vibe but with a little less pretentiousness. The neighborhoods are filled with ranchstyle homes and have large yards which are perfect for families or people who just like to stretch out a little. Inglewood is conveniently located less than 10 minutes from Downtown Nashville and there are several ways to get in and out of the city which comes in handy during rush hour. I love hanging out in Riverside Village, dropping into OMG for cool vintage finds and I have the problem of running into several people that I know when shopping at our friendly neighborhood Kroger.

new season, fresh beginnings • 88 •

CREATIVE COMFORTS

S

By renae morton of daughter of cups • photography by BRANNON MORTON

pring is finally here and it brings with it so much new beginning energy!

Consider this a time when your slate is wiped clean, and energetically you are able to move forward and grow your intentions and dreams with the light of the sun — as it intensifies, giving new life and growth throughout the spring season until we reach the Summer Solstice on June 21st. With all of this fresh, manifestation energy happening, I thought it would be the ideal time to do a special seasonal Tarotscope spread using Tarot cards and Oracles cards, that relates to the theme of the time period, personal energy, growth, and guidance for each zodiac sign for the spring season through the Summer Solstice. Tarotscopes are a Tarot card reading for your zodiac sign. Like a horoscope, but with the insight from the Tarot card deck as well as the energetic influences of the season.

Aries (3/21-4/20) The sign of Pioneers Happy Birthday Aries! Your sign is ushering in the Astrological New Year and the spring season - bringing lots of ambitious, manifesting, fire energy with it. The card representing this season for you is the Father of Wands, and it represents a sense of directness and productivity. You will be getting things done, taking care of business, and performing very well in your career life. This clear sense of direction will

also carry over into your personal life — you won’t be wasting anytime on superficial relationships and one-dimensional activities. Your energy is represented by the Hierophant card, and brings a message of your alliance to a certain group that will help you progress towards your goals,gain knowledge, and expand your skill set. You will enjoy a sense of belonging and feelings of acceptance from this association or company. And the Ace of Pentacles represents growing energy for you — in this case a new business or financial opportunity that will be prosperous. The energy of this particular time period as well as your own energy will feed and nurture this new opportunity, bringing much benefit and advancement.

Your message of guidance is represented by the Union card. Again, just driving home the message for you to rely on people that are supporting you with knowledge and positive energy. Your connections to friends and associates will help you overcome challenges in your career and personal life. Don’t take people for granted, and find joy in the relationships and interactions you experience with others. At the end of the day, no matter how many goals you reach and how much wealth you gain, none of it will compare to the honest, authentic relationships in your life.

Taurus (4/21 - 5/21) The Sign of rewards Happy Spring, Taurus! You are looking ahead towards your birth-

• 89 •

day in the middle of this season, and that always feels like a marker of time or point of reflection. The card that represents this season for you is Temperance, which calls for balance and patience. This would be a great time to do a little selfevaluation. Check in with all aspects of your mind, body, and spirit. Are you giving your self everything that you need to feel harmony? Balance work with play, activity with rest, and chatter with silence. Don’t let your pendulum swing to far in either direction, and try to maintain a steady, equalizing life pace. Your personal energy is represented by the Daughter of Wands card which brings lots of creativity, fire energy, and vibrancy. You are inspired and busy with your work life, and have lots of ambition to work towards your goals. Remember to balance this fiery energy. If you go too hard, too fast it can be super easy to burn out. Keep your inner fire burning by rewarding yourself with playtime and rest. The Three of Pentacles is in the position of growth for you this season. The message here is to grow your team and support system. A strong foundation will help you overcome obstacles and challenges up ahead. You have big dreams, and you will reach them so much faster if you have the right people on your side. Surround yourself with those that you can trust - the ones that will be honest and caring - and listen to their input and feedback as you move forward this season. Your message of guidance comes from the Enchantment card.

»

Enchantment is what we are drawn to - what we want to chase - what we can’t take our eyes off of because it seems magical. Follow the magic in your life, and let it lead you the brightest places.

Gemini (5/22-6/21) The Sign of Communication This spring is represented by the Mother of Wands for you, Gemini. This is a card of exuberance, warmth, and vitality. You can expect to be the center of attention for the next few months — especially leading up to your birthday towards the end of the season. Spring will be a time of physical energy and social activities. Be sure to stay positive and not get caught up in unnecessary drama — especially within your friend group. Keep your optimistic energy focused on your goals and you will be surprised at how much you can achieve quickly. Your energy is represented by the Moon

card which ties in with your inner thoughts, dreams and visions. The Moon card has a peaceful, quiet energy about it, and can also connect to your darker thoughts and dreams.

What’s interesting about this season is that your growth card is The Sun. The Sun card represents your inner strength, positive attitude, and inner light — all of this will be growing and intensifying over the spring season — shedding light on your darker, quieter side, bringing forth and exposing your dreams and goals as you move towards closer to reaching them. There really are two sides to you in the coming months — the side that you keep hidden, where you protect all your hopes and dreams, and the happy, smiling confident side that you show to the world. As you become more confident with your ability to manifest your dreams, the sun side of you, the bright, happy side — is going to grow and dominate. This is the side that will attract people and opportunities that will accelerate your achievement. Don’t be afraid to let it shed light on the goals that you have been keeping quiet. Your guidance card for the season is Patience, with a message for you to enjoy the moment. Let things grow at their own pace, and don’t be so hard on yourself. Be patient and let go of the idea of perfection. Instead, move forward with what you have and let things unfold.

Cancer (6/22-7/22) The sign of Home Spring is going to be a time of shifts for you, Cancer. The Five of Pentacles represents this season for you, and it brings a message of shifting your perception about success and worldly possessions. You are not your bank account, your closet, or your car. For the next few

• 90 •

months take a look around you, and put more focus on relationships, creativity, and spirituality. This spring offers you a new beginning - a chance to really reconnect back to the things that money can’t buy.

Your energy is represented by the Judgement card, which represents you becoming free from heavy burdens and opening yourself up to new possibilites. It’s like an awakening of sorts where you will have the chance to clearly hear your inner calling. Your growth card is the Five of Cups card, bringing you a message that past losses, experiences, and lessons are going to inspire this shift in perception and change in direction. Life lessons are pointing you in the direction that you know you are meant to go in. Practice optimism - your glass is half full. So what are you going to fill the rest of your space with?

Love, compassion, and inspiration?

Your guidance card is Change. Accept change this spring, and let go of past attachments. Allow yourself to be excited for new opportunities because your new journey has many gifts ahead that will shape your path for the better.

Leo (7/23- 8/23) The sign of Respect This spring is represented by the Mother of Wands for you, Leo. You can expect the season to be energetic and social with a good sense of life direction. You’ll be achieving quite a bit in the next few months and there will be lots of creative activity. Your personal energy is represented by the Nine of Pentacles, bringing your feelings of gratitude for everything you are acheiving.

Enjoy the good life, and all the rewards of your hard work - you deserve it! But stay graceful and disciplined. No one likes a show off, and

too much of anything (especially celebration) can turn south real quick. This message is strengthened with the Temperance card in your growth position. The Temperance card represents moderation and self restraint. Practice these virtues and act with thoughtfulness and purpose so that you can continue to grow, evolve and reach the next level of success. Your guidance card is Patience. Simply put, let things unfold at their own pace. You are experiencing a time of reward and enjoyment - but remember, it didn’t happen overnight. Everything happens in perfect timing, so don’t force situations no matter how eager you are to move ahead.

Virgo (8/24 - 9/22) The sign of Ideals Your spring is represented by

The Fool card. This is the card of fresh starts, clean slates, and new beginnings. There is a new journey unfolding before you, and you are excited to step onto the path with a pure heart and untainted thoughts.

It’s a season of unlimited potential for you, and anything can happen.

This is a time to take risks and follow your heart. Do you know what your heart wants? Your energy is represented by the Two of Wands.

This card is about your determination, focus, and confidence. The message is for you to call on that determination to make progress and expand your horizons by stepping outside of your box. Get a little uncomfortable - something new might happen. The Two of Pentacles is your growth card, and the message here is to be heeded prioritize and balance. You will not

• 91 •

receive that which you do not make time for. Take a look at all areas of your life, and pay attention to what you are choosing to invest your time and energy in. Are you nurturing your goal and making room for it to grow? If not, you need to change your focus and energy output up a little bit, or your ultimate goal isn’t going to ever flourish into reality.

Your guidance card is Purity, and the message relates to your physical space and your heart. Clear your space. Make room for what you desire. In your heart and in your life.

Do a little spring cleaning - clear the clutter to make way for new possibilities and clarity. And remember, your thoughts are purist when they are in your heart, before they ever reach your logical mind. Tune into your heart, and listen to what it is saying.

Libra (9/23-10/22) The sign of Partnership Libra, this spring is a very powerful season for you. There is potential for major growth and change, and it’s up to you to choose to move forward and evolve. Your spring season is represented by theFive of Swords card. This is a card of conquests and conflict. the message is to choose your battles wisely and learn from past mistakes - i.e. don’t repeat them. Your are going to have to channel your inner warrior and be aggressive in order to accomplish your goals - but remember not every battle is worth it. Your personal energy is represented by the Wheel of Fortune and represents your path to your destiny. You have

free will and choice, and it’s time to make positive choices that will speed you along towards your goals.

Become comfortable with the cycle of life, and remember that nothing is ever permanent. The Tower card is in your growth position and represents change. This may feel like an upheaval of sorts, but it is necessary to propel you forward. Let old walls be torn down, and expose the truth of who you are meant to be. Your guidance card is Power.

The message is to remember your own power and use it. Let your inner strength and truth guide you through this season of change and growth. Use it wisely, and don’t give it to anyone else. You are in control of your destiny by choosing how

• 92 •

you react to people and situations you meet along the way.

Scorpio (10/23-11/21) The sign of Authenticity This spring will truly feel like a fresh start for you, Scorpio, and is represented by the Two of Cupscard — the card of new beginnings.

You may feel excited this season, and even experience butterflies (like with a new love) when you think about the potential of what may be. Fresh energy is growing, you are inspired, and you are learning new things over the next few months. Your energy is represented by The Star card. Your aura is glowing because your inner fire

is shining through. This season is about you and the direction you are feeling from your intuition and the divine light that fills your soul.

This is a very special energy — pay attention to it, and go with it. Your growth card is the Mother of Wands card. This is a fire energy card that represents your inner fire and growing manifestation energy. You are self assured, and are able to grab the attention of others who can help you achieve your desires. With all of this exciting fire energy, it’s worth paying close attention to your guidance card of Balance. Super hot fires burn bright, but they also burn out quickly. Find balance and rest in this season of growth. Don’t over accelerate. You have to rest and

recharge your heart and mind — check in with your body, mind, and spirit, so that you are giving yourself what you need to stay on track.

Sagittarius (11/22 - 12/21) The sign of Voyagers This season has an energy that is represented by the Ten of Cups for you, Sagittarius. This card brings a message of happiness, joy, and alignment in love, family, and friendships.

Your connections with other people are the brightest right now, and will leave you fulfilled. It is the right time to follow your heart, and your aura is so bright it will attract the most positive energies to you. Follow your

• 93 •

heart’s desires and do what makes you happy. Your energy is represented by the Ten of Wands, and it’s very important that you relax and let some things go in order to be able to enjoy the happy energy of this spring.

You may be feeling the weight of responsibilities associated with recent achievements, but it is important not to let yourself get overwhelmed. You must be able to trust your teammates with work obligations so that you can enjoy free time with the most important people in your life. Your growth card is the Death card, which sounds ominous, but really is just a message to truly release old baggage and clear away the past. You have to let go of unhealthy attachments because there is so much positive energy waiting to

• 94 •

fill you up this season! Close the door on the past so all the new amazing opportunities for happiness and fulfillment can start to take root. Your guidance card isInnocence, and it’s message is for you to let go of blame and guilt. Look at life through the eyes of your inner child, see the good in every person and situation. Accept fun and positive energy into your life so that you can let go of all of those old trappings.

Capricorn (12/22 - 1/20) The sign of Ambition This is a spring of stability and safe energy for you, Capricorn.

The Four of Pentacles card brings a message of quiet and secure energy. This is comforting, and will enable your mind and thoughts to expand because your physical and worldly situation is unchanging and continuous. Your personal spring season energy is represented by the Daughter of Cups card, speaks to your creative impulses, free energy, and ability to express your emotions truthfully. Listen to your intuition and believe in your dreams there is nothing blocking the line of communication between your mind and spirit. The Nine of Cups card serves as your energy growth card, and brings a message of comfort, happiness, and satisfaction. This energy is contributing to your feelings of security and in turn helping your ideas and visions grow into the reality of abundance. Take advantage of this season of stability to advance your biggest dreams. Your guidance message is from the Reflection card, speaking to an ability to reflect on past actions and situations in order to build on your current ideas and visions. You are presently in a safe

place - it’s okay to return to areas of your mind that you haven’t visited in awhile. You may find something that you need.

Aquarius (1/21- 2/19) The sign of progression This is a season of prosperity, wealth, and sharing for you, Aquarius, represented by the Six of Pentacles card. You are reaping the rewards of your past work, and are reinvesting in yourself and your career. Times of financial harmony and peace should also be times of giving and generosity. Share your knowledge and support with those who can benefit from it. Donate to causes that you believe in, and as you give, also be accepting of someone else’s generosity. Your energy is represented by the High Priestess card, a card of wisdom, understanding, and intuition. Pay attention to your subconscious by analyzing your dreams and inner thoughts. There are meaningful messages coming through, so you must be in touch with this aspect of your mind. Your growth card theDaughter of Swords - represents your ability to communicate verbally - use your knowledge, understanding, and communication ability to teach and help others while you share new ideas and information.

Communication should be used for the highest good and advancement - not for gossip, control, and negativity. Your guidance card is New Beginnings, and points to a new phase or situation that will help shape and guide you this spring. New beginnings are clean slates and fresh starts and that energy and feeling will play a key role in eliminating old habits so that you can sail through spring with positive vibes.

• 95 •

Pisces ( 2/20 - 3/20) The sign of Emotions The Two of Wands card brings a message of ambition, determination, and progress to your spring season, Pisces. It’s a time to broaden your life experiences and step outside of your own comfort zone. You need to start reaching towards bigger goals and aspirations by exploring all of your options. Your own personal energy this season is represented by the Two of Pentacles. You are balanced and adaptable when it comes to different desires and life goals. It’s good to remain flexible and to go with the flow, but you also must practice good time management and financial habits. These habits will create freedom so that you can move back and forth between all of your goals and dreams, without being tied or trapped to one specific reality. The Fool card represents your growth card, and a time of new beginnings and accelerated evolvement. You have a free spirit and to keep your personal development moving forward you must take advantage of all opportunities that present themselves. Trust the universe and follow your heart. Your guidance card is Adventure. This message is about shaking the dust off your wings and striking out on a new path. Get outside of your box, take risks and opportunities - if only to expand your mind. Do things differently. It will be completely worth it. n

New classics

THE RYMAN

THEN In 1994, an $8.5 million renovation project brought this National Historic Landmark back to its original splendor. Each of the original wooden pews was refinished. The stenciled artwork on the face of the balcony was painstakingly recreated. For the first time, proper dressing rooms were added which would ultimately be dedicated to the stars of the Ryman’s rich musical past. The latest technology in sound, lighting and engineering was included throughout every phase of the project. Central heat and air conditioning were added for the first time as well as a 14,000 square foot support building for ticketing, offices, concessions and a gift shop. The result was a state-of-the-art performance hall praised by per• 96 • formers for its beauty and, most importantly, for its acoustics.

photography by GAI PHANALAY

now The current expansion and renovation will improve the Ryman Auditorium experience for both tour guests and concert attendees and will include an event space featuring a new, state-of-the-art daytime tour attraction, which will provide a unique way to relive the Ryman Auditorium’s storied past. Other amenities include a dedicated café space, enhanced food and beverage services throughout the building and an expanded retail area with interior and exterior access. Renovation plans also include a new box office, additional restroom facilities and larger lobbies.

Artists Then: Bill Monroe, Bob Dylan, Alison Krause, Emmylou Harris 97 • Artists Now: Ryan Adams,• Willie Nelson, Hozier, The Beach Boys

• 98 •

• 99 •

• 100 •