Sounds

BOROPULSE.COM/CALENDAR

HANK’S Kenna Elpers Kenna Elpers MTSU WRIGHT MTSU WRIGHT MUSIC BUILDING MUSIC BUILDING SCHOLA Virtual Concert SCHOLA Virtual Concert WED, 4/6

HANK’S Krystal King Krystal King MTSU WRIGHT MTSU WRIGHT MUSIC BUILDING MUSIC BUILDING Chancellor Christian; Chancellor Christian; Guitar Ensemble Concert Guitar Ensemble Concert THURS, 4/7

HANDLEBARS Blues Jam Blues Jam HANK’S HANK’S Ryan Clark Ryan Clark HOP SPRINGS HOP SPRINGS Tanner Fussell Tanner Fussell FRI, 4/8

CARMEN’S TAQUERIA Joe West Joe West HANK’S HANK’S Taylor Hughes; Taylor Hughes; Jack Finley Band JACK’S PLACE JACK’S PLACE Tony Castellanos Tony Castellanos MAYDAY BREWERY MAYDAY BREWERY The Lilliston Effect The Lilliston Effect MTSU WRIGHT MTSU WRIGHT MUSIC BUILDING MUSIC BUILDING Joseph Gonyea; Seth Finch Joseph Gonyea; Seth Finch SEASONS SEASONS Madman’s Diary Madman’s Diary (Ozzy tribute) (Ozzy tribute) THE BORO THE BORO Cow Punx; Cow Punx; Los Swamp Monsters Los Swamp Monsters SAT, 4/9

BERT DRIVER’S BURLAP ROOM Soul Project NOLA Soul Project NOLA CARMEN’S CARMEN’S Joe West Joe West CARPE ARTISTA CARPE ARTISTA Jason Lee McKinney Band Jason Lee McKinney Band CEDAR SPRINGS CEDAR SPRINGS RANCH RANCH Buddy’s Place with Alyssa Buddy’s Place with Alyssa Bonagura; Ryan Larkins; Bonagura; Ryan Larkins; Josh Wolfe Josh Wolfe GALLAGHER GALLAGHER UNPLUGGED UNPLUGGED Clinchfield Clinchfield HANK’S HANK’S Wester; Krista Dudley Wester; Krista Dudley HOP SPRINGS HOP SPRINGS The Crue (Motley The Crue (Motley Crue tribute) Crue tribute) MTSU WRIGHT MTSU WRIGHT MUSIC BUILDING MUSIC BUILDING Maryam Nemati; Joshua Maryam Nemati; Joshua Cook; Symphony Orchestra PANTHER CREEK BREWS Birthday Killroom; Jake Kroll; Bon Mi; Thunderfrog PUCKETT’S Cassidy Daniels THE BORO State of Bliss SUN, 4/10

HANK’S The O’Donnells HOP SPRINGS Americana Sunday Jam MTSU WRIGHT MUSIC BUILDING Jack Crowley; Jacob Campbell; String Studio recital; Brass Ensembles MON, 4/11

HANK’S Open Mic Night MTSU WRIGHT MUSIC BUILDING Concert Band; MTSU Saxophone Ensemble; Flute Studio Recital 1 TUES, 4/12

HANK’S Sir Anthony MTSU WRIGHT MUSIC BUILDING MTSU Salsa Band WED, 4/13

HANK’S Robyn Taylor MTSU WRIGHT MUSIC BUILDING Blaise Hearn THURS, 4/14

HANDLEBARS Blues Jam HANK’S Cary Wat MTSU WRIGHT MUSIC BUILDING Percussion Ensemble PUCKETT’S The Jolly String Quartet FRI, 4/15

CARMEN’S TAQUERIA Joe West HANK’S Sara Simmons; Jeff Caron Band JACK’S PLACE Tony Castellanos MTSU WRIGHT MUSIC BUILDING Catheryn Bolick; MTSU Chamber Orchestra MAYDAY BREWERY Delyn Christian PUCKETT’S Herrick SEASONS Jason Minton Band THE BORO Dystopian; Meditator; Sydewynder SAT, 4/16

CARMEN’S TAQUERIA Joe West FRONT STREET PUB Buddy Jewell GALLAGHER UNPLUGGED JP Cormier PANTHER CREEK BREWS Jason Saitta HANK’S The Hammonds; Cooter River Band PUCKETT’S Larysa SEASONS Brian Holder THE BORO Moru; Shear; Vital Part; Gwitch; Dew Kane SUN, 4/17

HANK’S Emily Miller HOP SPRINGS Americana Sunday Jam MON, 4/18

HANK’S Open Mic Night MTSU WRIGHT MUSIC BUILDING Flute Studio Recital 2 TUES, 4/19

HANK’S Will King MTSU WRIGHT MUSIC BUILDING Delta Omicron Musicale; Jesse Gibens WED, 4/20

HANK’S Darryl & Julie O’Donnell THURS, 4/21

HANDLEBARS Blues Jam HANK’S Spencer Maige MTSU WRIGHT MUSIC BUILDING Band of Blue HOF Inductee Concert FRI, 4/22

BELLE AIRE BAPTIST CHURCH TN Philharmonic Orchestra CARMEN’S TAQUERIA Joe West HANK’S Blake Esse; Justin Dukes HOP SPRINGS Mixtape 80s Tribute JACK’S PLACE Tony Castellanos MAYDAY BREWERY Roland Justice MTSU WRIGHT MUSIC BUILDING Choral; Opera Theater PUCKETT’S Matt Nicholls SEASONS Backlit THE BORO Steady Rotation SAT, 4/23

CARMEN’S TAQUERIA Joe West GALLAGHER UNPLUGGED Remy Neal with Chaz Kiss HANK’S HunterGirl; Whiskey Smoke MTSU WRIGHT MUSIC BUILDING MTSU Opera Theater PUCKETT’S Runaway Home SEASONS The Wentzel Brothers THE BORO Murfreesboro Music Scene Documentary Night featuring Seth Timbs and more SUN, 4/24

HANK’S Silent Ruckus HOP SPRINGS Americana Sunday Jam MTSU WRIGHT MUSIC BUILDING Women’s Chorale; Men’s Chorale; Robin Scheufele; Flute Choir; Nick Hmeljack NEW VISION BAPTIST CHURCH Big Daddy Weave MON, 4/25

HANK’S Open Mic Night MTSU WRIGHT MUSIC BUILDING Commercial Ensemble TUES, 4/26

HANK’S Delyn Christian MTSU WRIGHT MUSIC BUILDING MTSU Singers WED, 4/27

HANK’S Phil Valdez MTSU WRIGHT MUSIC BUILDING Chinese Music Ensemble; Clarinet Marathon recital; MTSU Steel Drum Band THURS, 4/28

HANDLEBARS Blues Jam HANK’S Joe Hooper HOP SPRINGS Adam McClelland MTSU WRIGHT MUSIC BUILDING Strings and Friends PUCKETT’S The Jolly String Quartet SADDLE WOODS FARM Bluebird in the Boro with Tim James, Dan Couch and Rivers Rutherford FRI, 4/29

CARMEN’S TAQUERIA Joe West HANK’S Jesse Black; Ryan Clark HOP SPRINGS Sabbath (Black Sabbath tribute) JACK’S PLACE Tony Castellanos MAYDAY BREWERY Miguel Dakota PUCKETT’S The Deltaz SEASONS Cooter River Band SAT, 4/30

CARMEN’S TAQUERIA Joe West HANK’S Lonnie Cook; Wentzel Bros. HOP SPRINGS The Kings of Queen (Queen tribute) PANTHER CREEK BREWS Comedy Night PUCKETT’S Joyanna McDonald & Friends THE BORO Parkway South Band SEASONS Night Flyer Band (Eagles tribute)

BELLE AIRE BAPTIST CHURCH 1307 N. Rutherford Blvd. 615-890-6977

BERT DRIVER'S BURLAP ROOM 175 Hurricane Ridge Rd., Smithville, 615-597-9560

CARMEN’S TAQUERIA 206 W. Northfield Blvd. 615-848-9003

CEDAR SPRINGS RANCH 9638 Rocky Hill Rd., Lascassas, 615-719-3674

GALLAGHER UNPLUGGED 118 N. Walnut St. 615-624-4196

HANDLEBARS 2601 E. Main St. 615-890-5661

HANK’S HONKY TONK 2341 Memorial Blvd. 615-410-7747

HOP SPRINGS 6670 John Bragg Hwy. 615-450-1907

JACK’S PLACE AT MILANO II 114 E. College St. 615-624-7390

MAYDAY BREWERY 521 Old Salen Rd. 615-603-7699

MTSU WRIGHT MUSIC BUILDING 1439 Faulkinberry Dr. 615-898-2469

NEW VISION BAPTIST CHURCH 1750 N. Thompson Ln. 615-895-7167

PANTHER CREEK BREWS 714 W. Main St. 615-203-5089

PUCKETT’S GROCERY 114 N. Church St. 629-201-6916

SEASONS 2227 Old Fort Pkwy. 615-895-5471

THE BORO BAR & GRILL 1211 Greenland Dr. 615-895-4800

TIM JAMES DAN COUCH

The Bluebird Cafe along with the country’s top songwriters and Alive Hospice are raising funds for hospice patients and their families for the 29th year in a row.

The only nonprofi t hospice in Middle Tennessee, Alive provides nearly $2 million each year so that all who need care can receive it and no one has to die alone. Proceeds from the Alive & The Bluebird concert series support Alive’s community services: grief support, fi nancial assistance for patients when insurance doesn’t cover everything, education for families and professionals, grief camps for kids and more.

Throughout the month of January, 25 shows raised funds at The Bluebird Cafe.

The spring show takes place April 28 in Murfreesboro—Alive & The Bluebird in the Boro—and features longtime supporter and local songwriting star Tim James along with Dan Couch and Rivers Rutherford. Performances will also be held later in the year at Amy Grant’s Hidden Trace Farm and at Green Door Gourmet.

“Financial support from the community is what allows us to go above and beyond standard Medicare offerings to provide fi nancial assistance to hospice and palliative patients as well as professional grief counseling and education for the whole community,” said Kimberly Goessele, Alive’s President and CEO. “We are incredibly grateful to the artists who donate their time, The Bluebird Cafe and our sponsors.”

Alive is currently raising funds to expand services in Rutherford County and add six new rooms to the Murfreesboro residence.

Alive & The Bluebird in the Boro featuring Tim James, Dan Couch and Rivers Rutherford will be held Thursday, April 28, at Saddle Woods Farm, 9522 Franklin Rd., Murfreesboro.

Individual tickets to Alive & The Bluebird in the Boro start at $150; fi nd tickets at alivehospice.org.

Tim James is a Murfreesboro native and hit songwriter. He wrote “My List” recorded by Toby Keith, “It’s Good to Be Us” by Bucky Covington, “Holler Back” by the Lost Trailers, “All I Ask for Anymore” by Trace Adkins, “Love Like Crazy” by Lee Brice and others.

Each year, a local artist creates the designs for Alive & The Bluebird souvenir merchandise. This year’s collection was designed by Alive’s own graphic designer, Christine Stiles.

Find souvenir shirts, wine glasses, posters, koozies and more at alivehospice.org/shop.

Alive’s mission is to provide loving care for people with life-threatening illnesses, support to their families and service to the community in a spirit of enriching lives. A pioneer in the “good death” movement, Alive established the third hospice in the nation in 1975. To learn more or volunteer, call 615-675-9578.

Numerous aspiring artists and songwriters have been discovered and countless songs were fi rst heard by artists, A&R execs, producers and others in the small but infl uential 90-seat Bluebird Cafe, just south of downtown Nashville.

Outside of its home base, The Bluebird Cafe continues a host of events that bear the iconic name: Bluebird on the Mountain at Vanderbilt’s Dyer Observatory, The Bluebird Cafe at London’s Country2Country Festival, among others.

RIVERS RUTHERFORD

 ONLINE AT BOROPULSE.COM/KARAOKE

 MONDAYS AHART’S PIZZA GARDEN Trivia 6:30–8:30 p.m. HANK’S Open Mic Night 6–9 p.m. JACK BROWN’S Trivia Night 7 p.m. LEVEL III Trivia 7 p.m. THE FISH HOUSE Bingo 7 p.m.

 TUESDAYS COCONUT BAY Trivia 7:30 p.m. FRONT STREET PUB Acoustic jam session NACHO’S MEXICAN RESTAURANT Trivia 7 p.m. SEASONS OF MURFREESBORO Karaoke 7–11 p.m.

 WEDNESDAYS BOOMBOZZ Trivia 7 p.m. EL TORO Trivia 7 p.m. GEORGIA’S SPORTS BAR Karaoke 8 p.m.–12 a.m. JACK BROWN’S Steal-a-pint night 6 p.m. SEASONS OF MURFREESBORO Open Jam 6–9 p.m. THE BOULEVARD Trivia 7 p.m.

 THURSDAYS 219 MIXED CUISINE Trivia 7 p.m. FRONT STREET PUB Trivia MARGARITAS Karaoke 6–10 p.m. PARTY FOWL Trivia 7 p.m. SEASONS OF MURFREESBORO Karaoke 8 p.m.–12 a.m. THE FISH HOUSE Bingo 7 p.m.  FRIDAYS FRONT STREET PUB Karaoke 7 p.m. GEORGIA’S SPORTS BAR Karaoke 9 p.m.–1 a.m. HOTSHOTZ Karaoke MARGARITAS Karaoke 7 p.m.–12 a.m.  SATURDAYS FRONT STREET PUB Karaoke 7 p.m. GEORGIA’S SPORTS BAR Karaoke 7 p.m. MARGARITAS Karaoke 7 p.m.–12 a.m. MS. MARIAN’S CAFE Bingo 5–8 p.m. NACHO’S MEXICAN RESTAURANT Survey Time Showdown 7 p.m. SEASONS OF MURFREESBORO Latin DJ Nights 10 p.m.–3 a.m.  SUNDAYS SEASONS OF MURFREESBORO Karaoke 7–11 p.m.

HIGHER GROUND

THANE SHEARON & FRIENDS

BEN TANKARD

MAIN STREET JAZZFEST, the annual spring celebration held the fi rst weekend of May on the Murfreesboro Public Square, has announced performers for its 2022 concert.

Held Friday, May 6, and Saturday, May 7, the free outdoor event remains one of the most popular annual activities for all ages in Rutherford County.

Encompassing a broad range and defi nition of American jazz, the 2022 installment features tinges of blues, gospel, jug band, funk and big-band sounds from Higher Ground, Jake Leg Stompers, The Establishment, the Judson Jazz Orchestra, Thane Shearon and Friends and Ben Tankard.

JazzFest also traditionally includes a wealth of local student ensembles, giving area youth musicians an opportunity to share a concert bill with professional players.

Music kicks off at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, and again at 10 a.m. on Saturday, for a jam-packed second day on the Murfreesboro Square.

In addition to all of the talented musicians, JazzFest offers lots of food vendors and a Kids’ Alley with free hands-on activities for children. A smaller children’s stage will also host performances, while local percussion collective Everybody Drum Some will give attendees a chance to participate in some group rhythm sessions.

In a JazzFest fi rst, the Mid-State Brew Crew will bring beer vendors to an onsite craft beer garden. Attendees can purchase an armband for $20 on Saturday for access to the craft beer garden.

Recently inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame, the talented BEN TANKARD— the Godfather of Gospel-jazz—is also a former professional basketball player, a pastor, motivational speaker, record company CEO and TV star with the hit family reality TV show Thicker Than Water: The Tankards.

Tankard’s newest instrumental CD release, Shine!, provides a follow-up to his chart-topping Rise! He wants it to provide a musical backdrop for the listener to dream, meditate and spiritually shine, he says. Key moments from the release include Tankard’s take on Kirk Franklin’s “Melodies from Heaven” and “How Deep Is Your Love,” a remake of the Bee Gees’ pop hit from the late 1970s. The Tennessee-based HIGHER GROUND BAND has been infl uenced by funk, hip-hop, R&B, soul, neo-soul and jazz music. The hard-hitting group plays music from the ’60s to today at weddings and other events around the region. Van Bradshaw, formerly with touring group Sisqo, put Higher Ground together in 2000.

Over a span of 18 years, Murfreesboro’s JAKE LEG STOMPERS recorded and released four albums, performed on street corners, small clubs and venues, and played festivals across the mid-South, including the National Jug Band Jubilee in Louisville, Kentucky, the Juke Joint Festival in Clarksdale, Mississippi, and the Pilgrimage Music and Cultural Festival in Franklin, Tennessee.

The band—consisting of Bill Steber (vocals, harmonica, guitar, banjo, ukulele, saw), Ron Bombardi (guitar, vocals, fi ddle, mandolin), Lisa Law Fatzinger (vocals), Sammy Baker (bass, vocals, jug) and Sam Rorex (percussion, guitar, vocals, washboard)—recreate the jug band and early blues sounds from the early decades of the 1900s. Growing up in Murfreesboro, Thane Shearon went on to perform and record with Southern-rock music legends such as Ed King, Artimus Pyle (Lynyrd Skynyrd), Greg Martin (Kentucky Headhunters) and Jimmy Hall (Wet Willie), as well as with his own band, Cold Truth. He now joins forces with legendary jazz guitarist Stan Lassiter and his power trio, consisting of veteran musicians Larry Goad on drums and Bill Francis on bass guitar.

While classically trained, Lassiter is considered by many to be one of Nashville’s premier jazz guitarists. In addition to being a veteran drummer, Goad has also produced numerous albums, while Francis, an accomplished bass scholar, has studied at the Bass Collective with John Pattituci in New York.

This soulful power-blues-meets-jazz ensemble THANE SHEARON & FRIENDS should catch the attention of listeners from many musical genres.

Under the direction of Camp Kirkland, JUDSON JAZZ channels the classic depth and style of the big bands of the 1940s. The band plays many American big band standards like “Jump Jive and Wail,” “It’s Time to Move,” “Blue Skies” and “Jumpin’ East of Java,” plus some new unexpected versions of hymns and classic gospel songs. Kirkland’s more than 40 years in the music business include the creation of thousands of arrangements and recordings, heard often in venues from Carnegie Hall to widely varied houses of worship.

In 1970, a diverse group of Nashville musicians who loved big-band music came together to form THE ESTABLISHMENT, an ensemble devoted to performing a wide array of jazz orchestra music. Today, this skilled 20-piece band with an extensive repertoire plays throughout the mid-South, including at the Opryland Hotel’s New Year’s Eve Gala and aboard the showboat General Jackson.

Del Sawyer, dean emeritus of Vanderbilt’s Blair School of Music, founded the group. In 1998, Sawyer handed over the baton to Blair educator and seasoned session player Billy Adair, and Cole Burgess became the director in 2014.

A nonprofi t organization, The Establishment generates scholarships for musically talented children to receive individualized instruction at Blair School of Music and at the W.O. Smith Nashville Community Music School.

AIRSHOW

JASON LEE McKINNEY BAND

JASON LEE MCKINNEY BAND will hold an album release show at Carpe Artista Arts Academy on Saturday, April 9.

The event will also serve as a fundraiser for Carpe Artista’s Carpe Studio, an entertainment career training program. The band will debut material from its new album, One Last Thing, kicking off its set at 7 p.m.

The Jason Lee McKinney Band aims to provide “mini-sermons of healing delivered by prophets with microphones, guitars, basses, drums and keyboards . . . sonic balms that energize just as they soothe,” according to a band statement.

Carpe Artista Arts Academy is located at 1334 Hazelwood Dr., Smyrna. Admission to the show is $10 at the door.

Carpe Studio offers collegiate-level program tracks for high school juniors and seniors aimed to prepare students for a long-term career in music, dance, drama, visual arts, fi lm or any creative occupation.

For more information on Carpe Artista’s Carpe Studio, relaunching in the Fall of 2022, call 615984-4038 or visit carpeartista.com/carpe-studio.

To RSVP to the April 9 event, fi nd a Facebook event page for the One Last Thing Album Release and Carpe Studio Fundraiser Show.

WHAT ARE YOU DOING FOR EARTH DAY? Wouldn’t it be nice to spend it surrounded by live trees and plants, listening to live music? Join with other terra-fi rma siblings at the Earth Day Celebration at Bert Driver’s Burlap Room on Saturday, April 23. Local folk legends Airshow will be playing the outdoor stage in the beer garden, adjacent to a plant nursery and hemp farm. Call it an “Earthshow” if you will.

Airshow’s dramatic bluegrass-and-jam-inspired collage runs from the roots to the leaves—and includes the band’s interpretation of Grateful Dead and Widespread Panic classics in addition to its original material—and Airshow’s Earth Day performance will be an immersion in some of Mother Nature’s most precious blessings: plants, music, friendship and beer.

Gates open at 4 p.m., with an opening band playing at 6 p.m. and Airshow taking fl ight at 8 p.m. Advance tickets are $25, and day-of tickets are $30. Bert Driver’s Burlap Room is located in Smithville, Tennessee, on the grounds of Bert Driver Nursery. For more information, visit bertdriver.com. — TYLER LARRABEE

BIG DADDY WEAVE BIG DADDY WEAVE has been a beloved fi xture of the contemporary Christian music scene for nearly two decades. The band’s personnel has been consistent, and while the culture and their personal lives have changed drastically, they have ridden wave after wave, dedicated to spreading a message about the powerful love of Christ, and have persevered.

Whether or not you’re a believer, anyone can appreciate the way Big Daddy Weave presents the truth of their honest, lived-out experience—one that includes both huge successes and crushing heartbreak. Following the tragic loss of bassist and founding member Jay Weaver early in 2022, the group has chosen to continue sharing its music in concert, and upcoming shows promise to be an emotional and uplifting experience.

See Big Daddy Weave on the All Things New Tour with Ryan Ellis at New Vision Baptist Church (1750 N Thompson Ln., Murfreesboro) on Sunday, April 24, at 7 p.m. General admission tickets are $20. Find more at bigdaddyweave.com. — TYLER LARRABEE

TN State Rep. Mike Sparks with Carrie Friddell, who leads the Peterson Voices, a singing group for Parkinson’s patients that meets in Franklin, Tenn.

BY TYLER LARRABEE

Knowledge of medicine and the human body has changed substantially over time. Sometimes it’s funny to look back at medicinal practices of the past and read about the crazy things doctors and physicians were trying out. But as we have progressed and developed new technologies to treat sickness and disability, some techniques have proven to be worth keeping around.

One treatment people have studied for thousands of years is the relationship between humans and art. We have always had a desire to create it and enjoy it, and music has always had a deep infl uence on listeners. It’s probably been a part of every culture since the beginning of recorded history. Because of the strong connection to music, it has long been thought that music and sound could be used to treat certain physical and mental illnesses.

In Greek mythology, Apollo, god of music, had a son named Aesculapius who could cure diseases of the mind through song. Egyptian priests are said to have healed people with music. The great philosopher Aristotle had reason to believe music purifi ed emotions. And in the Bible, David plays a harp to free King Saul of an evil spirit.

The fi rst uses of music in modern medicine were recorded in several books in the 18th century. It was in this period that we transitioned from a medieval understanding of music having an effect on the soul to a more sophisticated understanding of its direct effects on the nervous system.

Since then, music therapy has continued to be developed throughout the world to treat physical and mental illness. Musicians would visit soldiers in hospitals and homes in the U.S. and U.K. after World War I to play songs for them, noticeably alleviating the effects of their trauma.

Music-based therapies are still used to treat PTSD and aid in the healing process for returning veterans. We now know that music therapy can treat a wide range of medical issues, including Alzheimer’s, anxiety, insomnia, depression, headaches, substance abuse and addiction, brain trauma, and OCD by helping patients develop motor skills, cope with emotional trauma, increase concentration, improve social skills and more.

Scientists have observed a decrease in heart rate, blood pressure and muscle tension in patients during exposure to music. Engaging with music also activates regions of the brain that affect memory, emotion, movement and decision-making. Music causes the brain to release rushes of endorphins, a happiness chemical that relieves stress. An advantage to music therapy is that it is highly personalized, customizable and suitable for all ages and abilities. It crosses language and communication barriers and helps people with developmental and learning disabilities.

Sound and vibration therapy, derived from ancient Southeast Asian practices, also relieve stress and pain, but they are based on a separate theoretical framework.

Some music therapy techniques are as simple as listening to different genres of music, while others may require a patient to write or play a song based on the desired emotional effect. Some sessions may be community-based, and others may be intentionally isolating. The point is that there is massive variety among the models and implementations for music therapy.

Now, 130 board-certifi ed therapists work in the state of Tennessee, and advocates for music therapy have asked legislators to promote and encourage its use.

Tennessee State Representative Mike Sparks from Smyrna was fi rst introduced to the concept of music therapy when his sister fell and hit her head, causing permanent brain damage.

Later, Sparks reported, “I heard her singing a song . . . It was John Denver, ‘Take Me Home Country Roads’,” Sparks told the Tennessee General Assembly on March 28. “I walked up to see her about two years ago and I said ‘Hey, how ya doing?’ She didn’t know my name but she knew the words to that song, and I started thinking, ‘Man there has gotta be something here with the power of music.’”

Sparks, who also supports the use of music therapy for its ability to heal and reduce suicides among military veterans, sponsored a bill to make the week of Feb. 28 Music Therapy Awareness Week. The House Joint Resolution 740 aims to help promote music therapy in the state, encourage more graduates in the fi eld—Belmont, Austin Peay and UTC offer degrees in music therapy—with the ultimate effect of improving mental and physical health in the state.

“Music therapy can help individuals express emotions, improve social skills, increase self confi dence, cope with loss, develop motor skills, improve relaxation skills and increase concentration,” the bill reads.

The Tennessee House voted unanimously on March 28 to adopt Sparks’ proposed Music Therapy Awareness Week, which is bi-partisanly co-sponsored by 18 other members of the house. It will now transition to the Tennessee Senate.

For more information on music therapy in Tennessee, visit tnmusictherapy.org.

AFTER RE-OPENING the longtime Smyrna hangout spot Ron’s Tavern as the spruced-up (but, wisely, not too sprucedup) Front Street Pub, proprietor Thomas Williams continues to make good on his promise to add music to the genial atmosphere and vintage-tavern vibe that has found much local favor in the Depot District. With Monday-night blues, jam sessions and open-mic nights, karaoke, country and singer-songwriters on tap alongside cold suds and killer burgers, Front Street Pub is a prime location for fun-seekers in Smyrna.

Williams recently announced that country singer and recording artist Buddy Jewell is due to make an appearance at the Pub. Jewell, who in the early 2000s was the fi rst winner of the hit TV reality show Nashville Star, beat out numerous contenders including thenfl edgling artist Miranda Lambert. With his commanding and emotive baritone voice, Jewell stormed out of the newcomer gate, scoring the consecutive Top 5 country hits “Help Pour Out the Rain” and “Sweet Southern Comfort.” Jewell has maintained a somewhat quieter career in the years since, releasing new music while most recently veering hard toward inspirational country—just when we might need it the most.

That said, the Saturday, April 16 show is plum-sold-out. But Williams tells the Pulse he hopes “this is the start of many other shows like this. I personally am excited about him playing here,” Williams adds, “because it was always my vision to make the Pub a music venue. This feels like we are accomplishing that, along with the many other talented local artists who play here.”

The Front Street Pub is open Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. until 10 p.m., and on Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. until midnight. — STEVE MORLEY