MusicCityNashville.net: Nashville Open Mic Night Uncovers Musical Gems in the Valley

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Nashville Open Mic Night Uncovers Musical Gems in the Valley

by Rich and Laura Lynch

A unique night of music took place on Friday, July 29, 2016 as the Brighton Valley Apartments in Nashville celebrated the talented residents in its midst with a an open mic showcase care of the complex's in-house CARES program. The evening revealed an ongoing truth about this town, namely, that Music City remains a magnet for quality musicians of all genres.

Nashville Open Mic Night Uncovers Musical Gems in the Valley

Rockin' Rich Lynch - newly Nashvillian via New Jersey - got things started.

"So my mom died nine days ago, I've been kind of down and out a little bit," said Rockin' Rich Lynch formerly of New Jersey introducing a song he said once made her cry. "I'm not sure if it's because it sucked or if it really touched her in some way."

Lynch's set included a Bob Dylan cover and three songs he recorded in the Garden State before moving to Tennessee with his wife in 2015. "Shoot For The Stars" was the track that drew the maternal tears. "I Want to Live in a Dome" was about the singer's desire to obtain alternative housing. "All Rights Reversed" was a stern warning about America's waning liberties. Rockin' Rich then gave way to another fellow former New Jerseyian - Mr. Jay Pounders.

Pounders is the one time frontman and driving force behind the 80's outfit Crossfire Choir [#crossfirechoir] who were signed to a major label deal and worked with legendary producers Steve Lillywhite and Ed Stasium before closing up shop having made their mark on the local market. Jay has stuck with music all along the way honing his craft in L.A. before recently deciding to give the Nashville scene a try.

Pounders presented some newer impressive numbers that proved the move to Music City has been a good one as far as the further evolution of his songwriting is concerned. "Sad Songs", "Rare Thing" and "That'll Be The Day (I'm in Heaven)" revealed the performer's emerging country-influenced sensitive side. "The Finger" was a humorous fume about a memorable night that didn't quite turn out as he had planned. When finished Jay remarked that he would pass his hat to further his ongoing "wine research".

Another recent transplant to the region was Ty March who is a marked up young gun from central Pennsylvania singing and writing modern country songs. March is the real deal with an impressive social media presence, a number of widely viewed videos on YouTube and over 50,000 Twitter followers.

March opened with the sexy "For Awhile" before premiering his latest upcoming single and the first song that he has recorded in Nashville. The timely "Mr. Right Now" proved that March is a hot man of the moment as he begins to make his mark in Mid-Tennessee.

Top Left CW: Ty March, J Pounders, Amber and About The Author.

But, the open mic held in the courtyard of the suburban apartment grounds wasn't just for the experienced professionals. Two of the girls performing on this night were actually making their first appearance in public and you wouldn't have known it from how well they did. Beth Anne played three sharp originals from her white binder culled from her life experience. The alluring Amber delivered a Neil Young cover for her inaugural voyage in front of a live crowd.

Just as everyone in L.A. is an aspiring actor, and most New Yorkers have Broadway dreams, in Nashville many of the people you meet on the street have just arrived in town to pursue their musical passion. Such is the case with About The Author, a talented duo from Washington state, who literally rolled into the region four days earlier with some terrific songs in tow.

"So, this is pretty sweet. We just moved here a week ago. We're loving Brighton Valley so far," announced singer and guitarist Derek Overton. "It's awesome that our apartment complex puts on stuff like this. We're gonna play some songs."

What became apparent almost instantly was that About The Author is ready to write their own chapter of musical success in this town. They played three anthemic songs in the popular Christian rock genre that would fit in perfectly on the air with bands like Needtobreathe and Nashville's own Jars of Clay. "Today Is the Day", "Flood and Famine" and "Seek First " we're well received by the appreciative audience.

The open mic was hosted by Jenna and Jacob the apartment's CARES Team. This popular couple lives onsite and partners with management to build community. They serve residents by doing things that flow naturally out of the Christian lifestyle, including welcoming new residents, planning monthly social events, and CARE-ing for residents and property staff in times of need. Jenna and Jacob are also a talented musical duo most recently performing under the Davy & Amelia moniker. While they've taken a bit of time off to work on producing their family they did make progress towards a comeback with a satisfying cameo performance at this event.

Brighton Valley is one of the privileged communities in Nashville to be served by The CARES program. This organization redefines the resident experience through relationships with a focus on increasing resident retention, enhancing online reputation, and improving overall lifestyle satisfaction. The group puts on three activities per month to enhance community relations and with their first ever Open Mic Night they really knocked it out of the park.