This Is Nashville

Margo Price is a Grammy nominated artist who has studio three albums and an appearance on Saturday Night Live. However, the journey to country success in Nashville wasn't easy, which she chronicles in her new memoir "Maybe We'll Make It." On this episode, we're talking to Margo about her path from small town Illinois to the center of country music, her music and more. But first, WPLN criminal just...

Nashville has been drawing in musicians of all stripes for the better part of a century. Today, we’re talking about a growing part of the Nashville music family: classical composers.  The city offers many outlets for these composers to apply their talents — from scoring the ballet, to writing arrangements on a hit record or even making music for video game soundtracks. But first we check in with W...

This January, Representative Jim Cooper, D-Nashville, announced that he would be retiring from Congress after 32 years in office. Redistricting, which has diluted the representation of Democratic voters in Nashville, played a key part in his decision. In this episode, we’re joined by Congressman Cooper to discuss his career, answer your questions and get his thoughts on the future of the Democrati...

Jewish communities have thrived in Nashville for more than a hundred years. While they may still be small in number compared to their Christian counterparts, Nashville’s Jews continue to enrich local the culture in a variety of ways – not all of them religious. Today, we examine the state of Judaism in Nashville. What options are available for faith-based community and worship? How do Jewish famil...

Last month, the Biden administration released a  new report  announcing that they will use federal courts and health programs to expand the use of medication to treat substance use disorders in pregnant women — and one of those health programs, Firefly, is in Nashville.  Today, we’re joined by a mother and a current recovery coach to learn more about the unique challenges pregnant people face when...

A 2021 National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health found that 28% of LGBTQ youth experienced homelessness or housing instability at some point in their lives — even though they represent less than 10% of the population. The impact of homelessness is far reaching. LGBTQ youth who experienced housing instability are more two-to-four times more likely to experience depression, anxiety and other ment...

Out front, a neon sign flickers. Inside, the lights are dim. Folks are playing pool or swapping stories. And the drinks are cold and cheap. Yes, we’re talking about dive bars! Nashville has some great watering holes, and we’ll learn what makes these “low places” so special. But first, it’s a special Friday edition of @Us, where we respond to listener feedback and preview future episodes. Guests: K...

Last month,  This Is Nashville  asked listeners to submit their questions for incumbent Gov. Bill Lee and Democratic candidate Dr. Jason Martin ahead of the Tennessee gubernatorial election on November 8. We invited both candidates from the two major parties to the studio to answer listener questions, but Gov. Lee declined. In this special election episode of  Citizen Nashville , Martin answers yo...

What is does it mean to be white? How has whiteness developed in our region differently than in other parts of the United States? In this episode, we're talking with educators, authors, and community members about who has historically been considered white in Middle Tennessee, what being white has meant, and how that’s changed over time. But first, we're discussing the rise of Christian nationalis...

Día de los Muertos, or the Day of the Dead, is an important holiday honoring those who have come before us. While its origins are Aztec and Mesoamerican, it is primarily observed in Mexico and other Latin American countries, but there are celebrations held around the globe. In this episode, we explore the traditions of Día de los Muertos and how it’s celebrated here in Nashville. But first, a look...

Happy Halloween! This spookiest of holidays has changed  a lot  over the years, transforming from an ancient Celtic festival to a parade of adorable trick-or-treaters. But through it all, tales of ghosts and ghouls and things that go bump in the night have remained a central part of the tradition. So today, we’re bringing you a special episode featuring some of Nashville’s legendary ghost stories....

World-renowned artist William Edmondson was self-taught. The son of formerly enslaved people, Edmondson was born and raised in Nashville, and after what he described as divine inspiration, he began sculpting. Much of his work was practical, like tombstones, made from cast-off pieces of stone. He went on to become the first African American artist to have a solo show at the Museum of Modern Art in...

Disability benefits can be absolutely vital for those who are eligible for them. These come in the form of Supplemental Security Income and Social Security Disability Insurance, federal programs overseen by the Social Security Administration. But, applying and re-certifying for these benefits an be complicated, and the benefits themselves are often not enough to live on. To learn more about what i...

Expanding access to alternative forms of schooling is central to Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee’s education plans. The  Educational Savings Account Program  gives families access to vouchers that allow students in Davidson and Shelby counties to use money designated for public schooling and apply it to tuition at alternative institutions like private schools, in addition to other approved expenses. The a...

One of the largest Laotian communities in the United States is in Middle Tennessee. In this episode, we leave Nashville to meet the people of Laos who call Murfreesboro home. We'll talk about how this community came to be and how immigrants from Laos are passing on their culture and heritage to the next generation. But first, early voting is underway and one of the races we're closely watching is...

Many of Tennessee’s traditional and folk art forms are carried on by small numbers of artisans. But since 2017, the Tennessee Arts Commission has been pairing up knowledgeable “masters” with “apprentices” to work to preserve traditions. Broom makers, shoe cobblers, luthiers and milliners, along with gospel singers, buck dancers, Kurdish musicians and square dance callers have taken part in the Ten...

Nashville is infamous for being a bachelorette paradise, but what about the "I dos"? In this episode, we talk to newlyweds about their experiences planning and having the biggest day of their lives in Middle Tennessee. We also hear from a wedding planner about recent trends and the state of the wedding industry in Nashville. But first, hundreds of Tennessee children have spent the night in offices...

It’s fall, and that means it’s a great time to forage and preserve foods. As trees and plants prepare for winter themselves, there are nuts, berries and roots abound for foraging as long as you do it  responsibly . Because it’s harvest time, it’s also the perfect time to preserve foods to help get through the winter as long as you do it  safely . So what’s out there to forage? How can we keep our...

Since 1996, a small corner of Centennial Park has memorialized children who died from violence. Last year, the Children’s Memorial Garden was redesigned and expanded. The garden reopened on Tuesday with the  engraved names of more than 200 children. In this episode, we explore garden’s history, talk to those who have been maintaining it all these years, and the families of the children who are rem...

Iran is experiencing massive protests sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish woman, after she was taken into custody by the nation’s morality police for allegedly wearing her headscarf improperly. Thousands of people, from schoolgirls to oil and gas workers, have taken to the streets to protest police brutality, Iran’s strict morality laws, and, increasingly, the regime. Popula...

Starting in October 1838, more than 16,000 Cherokee people who had been forced from their homes in Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina and Tennessee began their journey to Indian Territory, in what is now known as Oklahoma. Undertaken through the fall and winter, the journey was fatal for a fourth of the population. The various routes became known collectively as the Trail of Tears, which passes righ...

Nashville has a higher concentration of music industry jobs than any other city in the country. So what are our public schools doing to train up the next generation of behind-the-scenes talent — sound engineers, composers, producers or managers? We talk to kids about what opportunities they’ve had in Nashville’s public schools, and why it’s important to invest in these programs. But first, Nashvil...

This weekend, the Southern Festival of Books returns for its 34th year. It’s also the first time back in person since 2019. This beloved institution has gone through some challenging times to get back to this point. What can attendees expect this year? And what does this literary festival mean to the cultural life of our city? We’ll talk with organizers and longtime attendees about literary Nashvi...

County icon Loretta Lynn died October 4 at the age of 90. Born a coal miner's daughter in Butcher's Hollow, Kentucky, she was a fixture of Nashville's music scene since the 1960s. She performed several times at the Grand Ole Opry and was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1983. It was in Nashville that her autobiographical, Oscar-winning film Coal Miner’s Daughter first debute...

In honor of Indigenous Peoples Day, This Is Nashville is rebroadcasting an episode about local indigenous communities.   Nashville has a rich indigenous history that dates back to the last ice age, as well as a small but vibrant Native American community that is working to gain recognition and resources in Middle Tennessee. The first people to inhabit the area that is now modern Nashville were Nat...