Sound Possibilities

                                                                                By Scott Coner

                                             Nashville Recording Artist, Songwriter, Performer, and Author  

     I met Kenny about six months ago. Steve Dean, Carol Chase and I had just finished co-writing a song together, and we felt good enough about the piece to get it recorded. I had been working around Nashville in three different studios, but I had been looking for a place that put more emphasis on vocals. The next thing I knew I found myself in Kenny Royster’s studio and I immediately realized that this guy had a special talent that I needed to add to my music.

     Kenny is originally from Portland, Oregon. He also attended college in Oregon as well but soon afterward moved out to L.A. While he was out there, he began playing lead guitar and singing lead vocals in a pretty solid rock band that worked steady six days a week in California, Nevada, Idaho, and Oregon. It was during this season that he began to record his band with whatever equipment he could get his hands on. He eventually built a home studio and continually upgraded his gear as time and money allowed. He had a natural talent that allowed him to work with an established producer that had worked in the band, “Sugar Loaf” (Green Eyed Lady) earlier in the 70’s rock world. Kenny told me that he used himself as a guinea pig as he developed his approach to recording. It was also during this time that he won a songwriting contest in Sacramento and more people began to hear about him. His small home studio was flourishing, but the idea of moving to Nashville had started to make sense.

Kenny Royster

     Upon arriving in Nashville, Kenny met a drummer that was already hooked up with several capable studio players around town. Kenny set his studio up in a modest area and started working primarily in doing sessions for song demos. (A song demo is usually provided by the songwriter for an artist or a publisher to consider) Kenny told me that he began setting the studio up in blocks of time. He and his players would cut demos all day long and then he would begin doing a follow up on the vocals and the mixes that evening. They stayed busy because they were doing excellent work at very affordable prices.     

     Rene’ Grant Williams, the well -known vocal coach, began bringing her students to Kenny’s studio. This gave her students a great experience, and it gave Kenny a personal insight on better understanding the dynamics of helping singers working in the studio. The band “Lonestar” and Trace Adkins were just a few of the artists’ that showed up with Mrs. Williams. Upper tier songwriters began bringing their material to Kenny as well. Songwriters like, Buddy Jewell, Paul Overstreet, Dickey Lee, Craig Campbell, and Don Goodman started showing up with potential hit songs. The accumulative hours have flown by. I believe it is safe to say that Kenny Royster is a journeyman in his field of business. He has done great work for many artists including myself. I have seen first hand what he can accomplish, and it’s pretty fascinating to watch. Because of his attention to details, I have actually gone into his studio and re-recorded two of my songs. He understands the dynamics that I am pursuing. He listens to what I have to say and then he offers outstanding advice.

     At the time of this blog, Kenny is working away in his studio. He also currently has a number one song he co-wrote and recorded for a band called, “The Long and Short of It” in Australia. Three months prior he also had the #4 song in Australia with the same duo. He has been working in early development with an upcoming Sony artist named, Luke Combs. It is safe to say that Kenny will be around Nashville for a long time to come. I have worked with several different producers as well as engineers all around Nashville, and I can confidently say Kenny is light years ahead of them. Because he is a singer himself, he understands vocals and how to best record them. He has played guitar in a band. He has felt that special “live” sound we all chase while working in a studio. He has taken the art of recording music to a much higher level, and I am truly honored to call him a friend. He’s one those people behind the scenes that have developed music into something that takes your breath away. That is very cool.  

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Scott Coner is a country singer-songwriter who has worked in the studio with legendary artists such as Tanya Tucker, T. Graham Brown and Charlie Daniels. You can learn more about him and hear his music at his music page.         

Chiseled In Stone or Maybe Just Written In Crayon

  By Scott Coner

                                                                            Nashville Recording Artist, Songwriter, Performer, and Author  

    We all leave a legacy. So, I would imagine it is better to plan the one that we’d like to deliver rather than just leave a few faded memories. The choices we make right now inside of these very moments may be the ones that end up mattering the most. Where do you stand with the ones that matter most in your life? Do you still have time to talk to your parents? Have you let your friends know that they matter to you? Have you tried to do what has always lived deep inside of you? These are just a few of the things that come to mind when I consider what a legacy means to me.

     One of the things I love about my life is the people I get to meet. My wife and I have talked for hours upon hours with Carol Chase about her life. She was just a young girl when she arrived in Nashville with her own dreams. She had left a little town in North Dakota to build her legacy. Because of her inner strength, she has written music for legendary artists. She has worked with George Jones and Ronnie Millsap and many others. For the last 27 years, she has traveled the world with Lynyrd Skynyrd. Lately, she and I have been writing and recording together. All told, I’d say she has built a legacy successfully.

     Very recently, I have had a few phone conversations with Beverly Gosdin Knight. She is the widow of Vern Gosdin. She has told me about some of the hard times she and Vern endured during the early stages of their life together. She was right there with him as he gave the world some of the most powerful country music ever recorded. Through her eyes, we will soon be able to see the world she and Vern shared together. She has just finished her life story, and I believe it is going to be something truly worth reading when it hits the stores very soon. She is a strong woman that has built her legacy.

     I have a friend named Kenny in Nashville that owns and operates a successful studio. Lately, he and I have been working together on some of my music, and I have found him to be the kind of guy I need to listen to. He has worked on the west coast but was drawn to Nashville years back. The thing about Kenny is he digs into a song like no other. Several times over he has forced me to re-consider my delivery of a song with pretty special end results. My wife has had the good fortune of seeing me freak out as I have tried to re-learn a song that I wrote in order to put proper emphasis on certain words. Kenny has given me some of the best players on the planet to work with. (I’m talking over 100 million in sales type of players) He is strong enough to challenge me without blinking when I need to do better, and I respect that. But what I respect most is the fact that he has built his legacy squarely on what he has a special gift for. He has made a difference in a huge industry.

     In the coming weeks, I am going to begin writing more about these people as well as others. I want you to be given an insight on some of the things I see with my eyes. I have written weekly blogs for well over a year now, but most of them have been about me, or my opinions. I’d like to share some of my friends with you. I want us all to better understand just how important each of our lives truly can be. God gave us these heartbeats. He sent His Son down here to die for our salvation. I’d say the least we can do is live this time that we have to the best of our ability. We don’t know what’s around the corner.

     Again, each of us has something to share, something to leave behind. Soon, we are going to put a link up on my web site. It will be a place for you to share bits and pieces of your legacy and your life with others. I will do my best to bring good examples from my world. I would love it if you did the same. If we connect the dots, it’s pretty easy to see that we are all connected in this life.  

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Scott Coner is a country singer-songwriter who has worked in the studio with legendary artists such as Tanya Tucker, T. Graham Brown and Charlie Daniels. You can learn more about him and hear his music at his music page.         

Faded Jeans and Flannel Shirts and Pretty Brown Eyes

      By Scott Coner

Nashville Recording Artist, Songwriter, Performer, and Author

 

     Fall is coming! I can tell because red, yellow, and brown M&M’s are showing up at our house. Fall placemats, a cinnamon broom on the wall in the garage, and pretty fall colored lights are on the fireplace mantel.  My wife, Cynthia, makes our home incredibly comfortable year round, but I guess I enjoy fall the most because the season promises cooler temperatures, family gatherings, and of course Christmas is right around the corner.

  

     I love to go down to the creek at the back our farm and watch the leaves fall on the water. I like to watch the changes across the fields where I live. And most of all, I love to spend time with our little family. My wife, my daughters, and our dogs make for some pretty special times that I hope I will remember even when I get to heaven.  My wife keeps all kinds of cool things to decorate our house with and every day for the coming weeks the house changes just a little bit more every day. It goes from summery bunnies sitting around to scarecrows and pumpkins. She keeps fresh apple cider in the refrigerator for us, and an occasional spiced doughnut may even appear every now and then, but not for long.

     Campfires are always nice, but I think they are best in the fall. The night skies are clear, and the air is crisp. Where we live, it is always quiet, and I can think clearly as I stare into the flames. That is until I look across the glow of the fire and see how pretty my wife Cynthia looks in her faded jeans and flannel shirt. Then, I usually forget all about whatever I was contemplating. It doesn’t matter, though. I have all I have ever wanted these days. My family is happy and healthy. My mom and dad are healthy and doing well. And I feel pretty good too, knowing that all is good with those that matter most to me. I remember not having the same feelings about fall. I saw it as the season that brought an end to things. As far as I was concerned, it represented nothing more than a killing frost and the beginning of bitter cold. Our opinions change as we grow in age and wisdom, though, and that’s probably a good thing in my case. These days I see fall representing a chance to slow down a bit and reflect on things. There just isn’t any good reason to dread the changing seasons any more than there is reason to ever give up hope. To me, reminding myself what a lucky man I am is easy. I walk through our home and see the pictures of my beautiful daughters and wife, my parents, grandparents, and even our dogs. I know that I am blessed with far more than I deserve and believe me, I don’t take it for granted.

     I won’t waste my time being cynical about things I can’t change. I refuse to be a part of that thought process. As far as I’m concerned, the world is still a pretty great place. I see all the crazies burning down their towns across the country on the evening news and wonder what in the world they are thinking. I hope I never become so bitter as to have that much hate in my heart. I want to enjoy every moment that I’m given. I want to hold my wife’s hand and speak without speaking. I want to know that my daughters know in their hearts how much I love them. I want to play music and write songs. I want to drink hot cider beside the campfire at night. I want to live my life with the volume turned all the way up and never stop looking into the future or missing the minute that I’m in. And when winter gives us her coldest wind and darkest clouds, I want to know that spring is right around the corner. Go ahead and let the leaves begin to fall.  

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Scott Coner is a country singer-songwriter who has worked in the studio with legendary artists such as Tanya Tucker, T. Graham Brown and Charlie Daniels. You can learn more about him and hear his music at his music page. 

 By Scott Coner

Nashville Recording Artist, Songwriter, Performer, and Author 

     In many ways, I see my opportunity to sing and play music as an opportunity to help or challenge people to live their lives in a more challenging and fulfilling way. As I have said many times, we all have something that lives inside of us that should be shared with others. I don’t think it is by accident when I am given an opportunity to meet someone that has “went deep” and became who he was supposed to be rather than who he had allowed himself to become. I took a short vacation a few weeks back and met such a man in New Buffalo, Michigan.

   

     My wife usually puts our little excursions together, and she often hides a nice little surprise in there somewhere for us. If we are in Chicago, she will have us set up in some historical hotel near the water. If we are in Florida, I may find myself swimming with dolphins. And apparently, when I find myself in New Buffalo, I will find myself on a sunset sailboat cruise. I love this about her. She always finds a way to make even sweeter memories for our family.

     It was probably around 7 p.m. when we stepped on his boat. I had never been on a sailboat before so I tried to stay out of the way. I figured he would be busy pulling ropes on pulleys and trying to work with the wind. I was wrong about that. He knew perfectly well how to adjust for the conditions and allow for an incredibly smooth and peaceful ride. We probably sailed towards the sun for an hour or so before he and I began to talk. He put on an abstract collection of all types of music that was somehow connected to water and it was a nice change not to hear “Margaritaville” over and over. His name was Steve, and he was originally from that part of the world. He looked to be in his late thirties or possibly in his early forties. He was in good shape, had a nice tan, and took very good care of his boat. He told me that he had been in sales with his families company for years, but the company got sold, and he just didn’t have any passion for things in that field at all anymore. He knew he had to make some significant changes in order to be happy, so he took a giant step in faith. He said he had always been drawn to the water, and he decided to buy a sailboat. His plan was solid, although there were a few seasonal issues that slowed his business down in the late fall. In order to stay on track, he put his boat in storage every winter and went to Florida until spring. He had found work on someone else’s boat during that time, and it provided a nice change of pace for him.

     I think what I admired most about the man was his willingness to take a chance on himself. It was just him, the water, and faith. He had taken his dream and turned it into reality. His dream is allowing other families to make memories that they will never forget. In the midst of a problem he had found a way to see through it and take a completely different direction. I believe that because he was willing to take a chance, he was given an opportunity to do something more. He accomplished something far too may of us only think about. And his ability to share his joy of the water with others is opening eyes to countless other people along the way.

     Most of you know that I am basing my upcoming tour around “building a legacy.” My goal is to allow people the chance to look inward and strive for more than just the daily grind. This man, this sailor, is the type of legacy builder I am talking about.

     Don’t you want more? Do you ever have those, “what if” moments? Do you ever think about all of the desires that are deep within you but you just don’t know how to act on them? I think in order to be happy in this world we need to be who we really are. I believe that in order to maintain a long and quality relationship that you should never stop developing and changing toward what serves you better. By constantly challenging ourselves, we also inspire our children to never give up on their own dreams. I have allowed my wife and daughters to see me get knocked flat in the music business. They have seen my struggle and I have been open about my mistakes and disappointments. I wanted them to see me this way. I have always hoped that somehow they could learn some lesson in seeing their dad refuse to give up when times were hard and hurtful. Maybe, I have allowed them to see a fool. I hope not. But if I have, there was probably still a life lesson included in there somewhere.  

     As I write this article, Steve is surely on his sailboat floating quietly across the water. He is probably looking west, watching his sails, and giving someone the time of their life. I hope that he knows he is an inspiration to many of us. He cracked the mold. He found a way to become who he truly is, and who he is truly matters. He is making a contribution and building a legacy that will be talked about for many years to come.  As we sailed back to our dock that evening, “Brandy” by the band, “Looking Glass” was on his stereo.  Perfect.

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Scott Coner is a country singer-songwriter who has worked in the studio with legendary artists such as Tanya Tucker, T. Graham Brown and Charlie Daniels. You can learn more about him and hear his music at his music page.