Happening Now

Kind Words of Appreciation from our past Attendees

 

I have to say that no honor I’ve ever received comes close. So thank you.

            -Jerry Douglas, Recipient of Lifetime Achievement Award for Instrumentalist

 

From the showcase to the seats for the Awards celebration… I never thought it would be possible to have a better week than my initial visit last year, but this year’s was enough to make my heart explode.
On behalf of my friends, and myself of course, I wanted to thank you for all you do tirelessly on behalf of the absolutely essential music that is being made. I am so grateful for the voice the AMA has given some of my favorite songwriters, some of which I fear I would have not heard had you not all been doing such a wonderful job. So thank you.
I just love you all and love Nashville so much.

            -Ryan Tanner, Artist

 

THANK YOU for putting together one of the most ambitious and productive Americana Music Association gatherings ever. Your great work an attention to detail is much appreciated by ALL!

            -Mary Sack, Artist Management

 

Thank you all for hosting such an enjoyable conference. It might have changed my life. It certainly changed many of the ways I thought about things.

            -Thornton Bowman, Artist

 

Thank you so much for (a) all your hard work and smart thinking that led to a great conference this year – and (b) including us in showcases on Fri. and Sat. – the Fox Hollow show in the park was terrific, I/we really appreciated you – and your friendship.

            -Mary Ann Werner & Eric Brace, Label Owner & Songwriter

 

Thank you and CONGRATULATIONS. Last night was truly eye opening. WAY past my expectations or imagination. Was a REALLY great night. Truly enjoyed myself. Performances were wonderful. The awards themselves are the coolest looking. Total class.

            -Ken Weinstein, Publicist, Big Hassle Media

 

What a fantastic festival. Congratulations on a job well done and thank you, thank you, thank you for all you do for Americana!

            -Jenni Finlay, Radio Promoter

 

Great conference!

            -Kim Grant, Publicist

 

Thank you so much for all you’ve done. It meant so much to feel so welcome here. Meg’s showcase went great last night, couldn’t have been better. Mark E. and Rose C. are having great experiences here as well. It’s just been the very experience I enjoyed last year and hoped to share with them this year.

            -Michelle Conceison, Marketing

 

Congrats on a great night.

            -Ken Levitan, Artist Management

 

THANK YOU for another outstanding AMA Conference, Fest, and Awards Show! I had a great and productive time with You and Yours in Nashville last week. One of the highlights of my year, truly.
And also enjoyed moderating and participating in panels this year – got some great feedback and interaction.

            -Doug Wiley, Independent Sales and Marketing

 

I am writing to thank you for the great seats at the Awards show. We had a fabulous time and are counting down the days for next years show.

            -Polly Presnell, Fan

 

Aw shucks! Thanks Jed. Y’all keep rockin. I’ll be right behind ya in the trenches. xo

            -Elizabeth Cook, Artist

 

I wanted to thank you so much for inviting Carrie to be part of the AMA’s music showcases! She had an absolute blast with her band at the Cannery.
I also wanted to thank you for the tix to the AMA Awards show which I thoroughly enjoyed. Truly it’s the best awards ceremony I’ve been to. The music first of all was phenomenal & the awards ceremony was very moving.
You guys do a FANTASTIC job organizing this awards ceremony & hats off to you all! Love the panels you organize for the conference too.

            -Phyllis Oyama, Artist Management (Carrie Rodriguez)

 

Thank you so much for allowing the Nashville Blues Society to have a presence at this year’s conference and festival with the “Is Blues Americana?” panel on Wednesday, and for allowing those who attended and the panelists to discuss how the blues and Americana marketplace seems to be intersecting, and the advantages and synergy that exists.
And also for organizing such a great conference, curating terrific nights of music and staging a superb Honors and Awards show. I am grateful to have been able to take part as a moderator, journalist and fan.

-Ted Drozdowski, Nashville Blues Society/Musician/Writer

 

Thanks for everything you did to make last night’s AMA Showcase so wonderful. Chris and I had a great time, right down to the last night ringing from Peter Rowan’s guitar.

            -Marshall Chapman, Artist/Author

 

Congratulations on another very successful Americana Conference. I got a lot of thumbs up from the local and international crowd and I was very impressed with the growth overall of the event. Glad to be a part of it and count us in for next year.

            -Jeff Walker, Promoter

 

I just wanted to drop you a line to thank all of you for the wonderful job you did in putting together this year’s AMA Conference. It was my first time in attendance, but it certainly won’t be my last!
I learned so much, made so many great contacts and established many new friendships. I expect that my attendance will ultimately pay some nice career dividends and I had a terrific time to boot!

            -Roger Johnson, Artist

 

So glad to be involved with this amazing event – thank you AMA!

            -Krissie Gregory, Radio DJ

 

Great show on Sat and all the gigs were excellent. Great time had.

            -George Douglas, Fan

 

I’ve never had a week like that one. Thank you again. We’ll be back.

            -Jacqui Killen, Fan

 

SPECTACULAR show. Amazing talent and first-rate production in an intimate setting. Thanks for the musical surprises too!

            - Fan

 

Thanks for a great time!

            -Baron Lane, Journalist, Twang Nation

 

An incredible night of the best of the best in music… Wow… Opening with Emmy and Alison Krauss together… The all star band led by Buddy Miller… Don Was on funky groovin electric bass… Gregg Allman honored and performing Melissa, Robert Plant and Gregg on finale song… I’m just speechless after such a magic night of music…

            -Bill Deutsch, Executive Producer at Hachland Hill

 

So glad it was such a success… People were talking about it for days.

            -Kevin Spellman, Artist Management (Emmylou Harris)

 

Just a thank-you to one and all… On behalf of the 11 of us that came together, we were totally blown away by the talent, the music, the spirit and the ease with which we were able to negotiate our way thru all of the offerings. We are all just brimming with joy from the entire experience.

            -Betsey-Rose, American Folk Art Gallery

 

We got back to Chicago yesterday from the most SPECTACULAR time at the Americana Music Festival. What a creative, intimate and professional production from beginning to end. My only regret is that I couldn’t clone myself and be in multiple places at once.
I know firsthand what goes into creating and producing these kinds of events. Please accept and pass along our deep appreciation to everyone who made this happen, especially those of you at the core of the organization who set the vision and keep things rolling. Music is entertainment and so much more. It has the ability to open hearts (so needed today) and connect us to the oneness of it all.
We will return next year!

            -Mary Lothrop, President of Global Hope

 

Thank you for the ridiculously amazing seats we had at the awards show. There are people who will die without ever setting foot in the blessed Ryman, much less sit where we sat. It was a night I will never forget, from Emmylou, Alison, Buddy and Jerry, to the big jam where I got to see the unimaginable – if you had told me, in 9^th grade, that I would get to see Robert Plant and Gregg Allman jam from the 5^th row, my head might have exploded. So thank and more thanks.
And even more thank for the beautiful showcase Ryan Tanner had. It was a special night and I know there are many, many people to thank. My week in Nashville was made amazing. I can’t imagine how I’d ever pay you back, but if you think of something…

            -Paul Jacobsen, Artist

 

It was a total honor for the girls to be part of it for all of us. We hope to do it for many more years to come.

            -Andrew Brightman, Artist Management (Secret Sisters)

 

We had a great time. I look forward to returning next year.

            -Michael Lehman, Artist Management (Gregg Allman)

 

Thank you again for having her on the program. I know it was special for Jessica to have her good friends singing the backing vocals. And the band absolutely NAILED “For Today.” They sounded amazing.
Congrats on the growth of the Fest and Awards. We appreciate all of your hard work.

            -Josh Hailey, Artist Management (Jessica Lea Mayfield)

 

I heard the show was really amazing. I hate that I wasn’t there to see it. Congrats on all the success!

            -Andrew Colvin, Tour Management (Justin Townes Earle)

 

Congrats on a great festival! I think this one was the best yet.

            -Shauna de Cartier, Label Owner

 

Hope you’ve had a chance to recuperate a bit from last week’s stellar effort. Thanks on behalf of the folks I work with for the opportunity to showcase their talents. Keep up the great work you and the AMA team are doing. It’s much appreciated.

            -Rodney Metoyer, Artist Booking

 

Congratulations on another killer festival. I’m already looking forward to next year.

            -Jason Howard, Music Journalist

 

Really impressed with the conference. We found the panels very helpful. This was the first conference we attended where we were not running around, so it gave us a chance to really focus on the educational component, which was very useful.
I really liked how the conference balanced the official showcases with everything else going on, and there was not too much happening at the same time! I can’t believe we got to hear the Jayhawks!
The Award show… Well, I can’t say enough. Holy shit! It was such a thrill for Dale and I both to hear many of our inspirations – Emmylou, Patty, Buddy Miller, LUCINDA… It just blew us away. And Jim was the PERFECT host. The whole thing was soooo pro! We are both so glad we invested in attending the festival.
You RAWK! Congrats on all the successes with the festival. Amazing.

            -Christina Martin, Artist

 

Last week’s Americana Music Festival event at Musicians Corner was a record-breaking success with our biggest audience to date!
Thanks to Jed Hilly and Danna Strong for a great partnership with the Americana Music Association. We cannot wait to work with them on another event next year!

            -John Tumminello, Executive Director, Musicians Corner

 

Thank you for a wonderful time!!

            -Rich Bengloff, President of A2IM

 

It has been a few weeks since Americana, and I am still looking back and basking in the beauty of it all. The panels were awesome, the award show made me emotional, and just seeing so many of my longtime music heroes was inspiring. We were all really moved by the welcoming community. I will look forward to placing Americana on my calendar for next year.

            -Sarah Sample, Artist

 

Thank you for everything! What an amazing conference! It really was spectacular!

            -Debbie Carroll, Executive Director, MUSICARES/Grammy Foundation

 

Congratulations again. Everyone is buzzing about the event.

-Larry Campbell, 2008 AMA Lifetime Achievement Award Winner for Instrumentalist

 

I had a great time and was sorry to leave on Friday. I hope you are feeling good about the event because you should be! Thanks as always for your generosity.

            -Rick Dobbis, President, R-DOG LLC

 

WOW on your conference… Big congrats! Thank you for representing music in such amazing ways…

            -Kathleen King, Oxford American

 

Had a blast at the shows this past weekend. Thanks for everything.

            -Rev. Keith Coes, WRLT Lightning 100

 

I just wanted to say what an awesome lineup you guys had this year for the award showcase. Probably one of the best music experiences in my career. Don’t tell my boss at Bristol Rhythm and Roots Reunion! I definitely will not miss next years show. Kudos to you and your staff for putting on an excellent festival.

            -Brent Compton, Director of Events, Bristol Rhythm and Roots Reunion

 

Congrats on another stellar week!

            -Jody Williams, BMI

 

Great job, btw… and great show… and great fun…

            -Nina Miller, Gibson Foundation

 

Congrats on a very successful show and conference.

            -Brian Wagner, Marketing Manager, Ryman Auditorium

 

This weekend was incredible. Thank you.

            -Mike Grimes, Co-Owner of Grimey’s New and Preloved Music

 

Thanks again for all the support! JD had a great time at the Station Inn on Thursday.

            -Edward O’Day, Artist Management (JD Souther)

 

I enjoyed the conference 2011 very much. It was run very well and the music was of very high caliber. I look forward to the next one!

            -Joe Janci, Artist

 

Thank you for last night. I thought the event ran smoothly, especially for a filmed show like that. Amos and The Jayhawks were thrilled to be a part.

            -Perry Greenfield, Artist Management (Amos Lee & The Jayhawks)

 

Congratulations on an awesome week and Awards show!

            -Dennis Alpert, Consultant

 

Show was amazing!! We had a BLAST!

            -Laray Mayfield, Casting Director

 

A HUGE THANK YOU for including Amos on the show. I’m now listening to the whole show on NPR and it’s DAMN GOOD! I’m so happy that I get to be part of this amazing community.

            -JR Rich, Publicist, EMI Music

 

It was truly amazing. Best ever.

            -Les Banks, Audio Engineer, Ryman Auditorium

 

Great conference, great awards show!

            -Denise Stiff, Artist Management

 

The show was absolutely FABULOUS and I’m very pleased we were able to share it with our listeners and followers to spread good word about Americana music and artists.

            -Linda Fahey, Senior Director of Content at Folk Alley

 

I’m honored to be part of such a great night of music.

            -Michael Davis, President, Digital Audio Post

 

Congrats on another great show Thursday night. Yours has truly become one of the few “awards shows” that I don’t dread. Great music surrounded by great people who enjoy what they do. Jerry had a great time as well.

            -Andrew Stokes, Artist Management (Jerry Douglas)

 

Congrats on the best award show yet. It was awesome.

            -Burt Stein, Artist Management (Nanci Griffith)

 

The show was incredible and I appreciate so much being included!!! I won’t ever forget it.

            -Sarah Rau, Blackberry Farm

 

Thank you, thank you, thank you! We had an absolute blast at the awards ceremony last night! I was in absolute music heaven all evening as I watched almost every one of my favorite musicians walk onto the stage. I am realizing more and more that Americana is where my heart has always been even though I wasn’t sure what to call it!

            -Sara Preston, Program Director at Franklin Theatre

 

Thanks so much, once again, for all of your help in making last night an easy one for us and an amazing one for everyone else. Great job.

            -Michael Corcoran, Artist Management (Alison Krauss)

 

The show ran flawlessly, was hosted in extraordinary fashion, was moving in it’s tributes, was attended by luminaries, and was full of one fabulous song after another backed by a world class band. From the first note of the first song, it was clear angels were in the house. I applaud what you’re doing for music and America.

            -Stephen Badger, Ear Goggles Productions

 

Great job, great show! So very happy that this all got done – you are tireless and determined.

            -Beth Curley, President and CEO Nashville Public Television

 

Great evening. Thank you.

            -Randy Goodman, Music City Music Council

 

Award show tonight! Maybe my fave ever. Well, they’re all great… But, well done!

            -Andy Nelson, Universal/Lost Highway

 

Just wanted to congratulate you on another brilliant awards show.

            -Jeremy Dylan, Writer/Director/Editor/Producer

 

Congratulations on another great show!

            -Sally Williams, General Manager, Ryman Auditorium

 

AMAZING.

            -Lou Plaia, Co-Founder/EVP Music Industry Relations ReverbNation

 

I wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed the AMA Award Show. It was great. Great, great work.

            -Randy Hulse, Private Entertainment Banking

 

It’s been fun to watch the festival grow and get better and better each year. Congrats on your continued success and may the music keep playing!

            -Bonnie & Currier, Tenn Hens Design

 

Congratulations on hosting a wonderful event. You set the bar higher for next year…

            -Jay Minkin, Journalist, Cleveland.com