April is Gone, School is Out … Now What?

I’m not sad to see April 2020 leave! The weirdest April in my lifetime and, I am sure, yours. If any of our relationships, jobs, and bank accounts can make it through May it will be a miracle!

Since we are all streaming like crazy, have you heard about the new documentary film, “My Darling Vivian?” It’s the story of Johnny Cash’s first wife, Vivian. She was the mother of his four daughters, and the one he wrote “I Walk The Line” about.

Amazon Prime has it for free. It’s from the SXSW 2020 Film Festival that was cancelled. Wow, we all know the story of Johnny and June. It’s mythic in proportion. I saw it firsthand. They were welded at the heart! There was no way he would be long in this world after she died.

Johnny’s four daughters tell this story, and I’m still sad after seeing it. Sad for the daughters, and for Vivian. Rolling Stone called it an answer film for the Oscar winner, “Walk the Line.” The subject of their marriage came up in Ken Burns’ “Country Music” documentary, but this is the complete rest of the story!

A good read this past week was the story about how improved mental health is aiding Country artists. Billboard’s Tom Roland wrote a nice piece. Stardom of any kind is nothing that can be prepared for. Therapy has helped many of the stars in the Country galaxy.

The area around Nashville is reopening this weekend. Not Nashville itself, but the surrounding counties, retail, restaurants, barbers, most everything. The best Nashville could come up with this week is a proposed 30-plus percent property tax increase. Music City without music and tourists is in big trouble! Lots of unemployed gig workers around town, and it’s not pretty. No sign that the gigs are coming back anytime soon either.

A survey published by Reuters and Ipsos showed a majority of the 4,429 polled said they were concerned about going back into a large crowd event. Are you?

At the top of Music Row is Belmont University. Finals finished at the end of April, and now we wait to find out about the fall semester. It’s unknown right now. The University of Alabama system said it is planning in-classroom school this fall, so stay tuned.

Eric Church told the Associated Press about returning to touring, “For me, I think it’s the summer or fall of ’21 … When people come back, they have to feel it’s OK to be there.” Eric is going on the promise of a vaccine.

He might be able to wait that long, but what about the crews? I sure hope this fall is safe for Music City to be Music City again. You just hope smart people can figure a path out of this rabbit hole we are deep into.

It’s a tricky quicksand moment in time for entertainers. Trying to find the right tone and subject seems to change by the week. There is one thing for sure, the country is growing impatient. More and more, we’re reaching wit’s end as summer approaches. Music and art must find a way to communicate.

Radio is back in the communication business again. The jukebox should be broken. One size does not fit all right now. We need custom programming for the day of the week and moment in time. People need to know they are hearing something that is alive and current. Listening to smart people give accurate information has never felt so good

Look at the daily TV ratings. The dead network news shows are back: 11 million for ABC, and that’s #1 on all of TV. Demos are good, too.

Radio sure needs to be thinking about how to take advantage of this “neighbors needing neighbors” place in time. Advertisers need help, too.

The music mix can feel right one minute and wrong the next. Moods are changing like the weather. Better have your finger on the pulse right now. “Hope” might be the key word in your medicine cabinet. You need to be singing and selling hope and a brighter future while not overselling and getting syrupy. It’s a tricky path we creep down.

Meanwhile, wash your hands. Help your neighbor! Stop driving fast. (Have you noticed that?) Exercise and read only good stuff.