All from the Memory of a Song

By Scott Coner

Country Artist

         Hardly a waking hour goes by when music doesn’t cross my mind. It is entwined in nearly everything I do and everything I am. It has been there as I have worked through the years. It has been there during painful moments, as well as happy ones. And it has been there to simply color the days I have lived in.

         So, it has always struck me as a little bit odd when I talk with someone who doesn't pay attention to the music playing around them. Instead, their world centers on something else. They may be into NASCAR, or football, or golf, or whatever. I have been to gatherings with other parents. We might be sitting on a porch or near a pool, and I try to find something that we might have in common. As I listen to them talking, I find myself beginning to drift off as they talk about their latest conquest on a golf course somewhere. I do my best to stay engaged, but I’d be lying if I said I don’t hear white noise. 

Scott Coner (Photo by Cynnamae Media Productions)

         I don’t mean to sound judgmental. It’s just the difference in people. In truth, I probably should have bought some khakis and learned how to play golf, living vicariously through some overpriced pro football team. But that's not my thing. I would never want to waste a beautiful Sunday afternoon sitting inside somewhere watching a ball game when I could instead be outside in the sun or the shade laughing, reading, or relaxing. When I do, there will be a melody playing in the background somewhere close.

         I suppose I allowed music to attach itself to me because it was something I could enjoy alone or with others. It gives me something to appreciate. It allows me the opportunity to think, to write, to listen, and to remember. In truth, the classic music is like some kind of memory card I can bring out to think about moments that have long since past. I remember dancing with our oldest daughter when she was just a little bitty girl in our living room. She would put her little sock feet on top of mine and hold me so tight as we danced to “Rocket Man”. I also remember our youngest little girl sitting in her car seat mimicking “beat” noises to a Ben Harper song before she could even talk. Those songs, those memories are tucked away in my mind and my heart. I hope to always have them to re-live as the years go past me. 

         This seems odd to say, but I have written songs of my own that have memories attached to them. When I first met my wife, she was working at a label in Brentwood, Tennessee. She and I took a drive on our first evening together just outside of Nashville and listened to an album I had just completed. In doing this, the entire album took on a new and magical meaning to me. I remember being excited and a little bit nervous for her to hear the project. It was my second album, but this time it was my sound instead of some producer calling the shots. In a way, it was a deeply personal moment she and I were able to share very early on in our relationship. I remember driving away from her that night and feeling like I could fly. Those feelings are still in between all of the grooves of those old songs for me. Even today, when I hear “Taylorsville Angel”, I still think of that night. I think of her beauty and her sweetness.

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO SCOTT CONER'S SONG, 

TAYLORSVILLE ANGEL

 

         So, I suppose even though music is what I do, it’s also what holds my world together. It has been the backdrop of so much in my life there is no way I can cover it all. Some people remember what they were wearing on a certain important day. I will surely remember what song was being played. I’ll remember the joy or the sadness. I’ll remember the feeling of falling in love with my wife or how much I love my daughters. And I can do it all from the memory of a song. 

         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 www.Facebook.com/ScottConerMusic, www.YouTube.com/user/ScottConer, and www.ScottConer.com. Follow Scott at www.Twitter.com/ScottConer.

About My New Short Story 'When An Angel Cried'

By Scott Coner

Country Singer-Songwriter & Author

(Scott Coner will release the new short story "When An Angel Cried" at 1 p.m. CST Tuesday, Feb. 2, at www.ScottConer.com. The story is based on his heartfelt song and video about domestic abuse called "When The Angels Cry". In this blog article, he shares how this life-changing project came about. You can watch the video at https://youtu.be/SXUUgLl43TA )

         The characters in my song and short story on domestic abuse have been with me for a long time. Sometimes some of the people in my songs have a way of residing within me without anyone else knowing about them. They flash through my heart and mind without my beckoning them forward. They aren’t always welcome to be honest.

         I didn’t know for sure if I even wanted to record the song "When The Angels Cry", much less write the accompanying short story, "When An Angel Cried". I had carried the song with me for the better part of 20 years before I ever recorded it. It’s a dark theme, and I didn’t want people thinking I considered myself some kind of authority on the matter, because I’m not. Although like most of you, I do have some pretty strong opinions about the subject.

         My wife, Cyndi, has always been pretty descriptive when she tells a story. She doesn’t get in too big of a hurry and pays attention to details. In truth, she can tell me the story line about a movie she saw, and I usually don’t even feel like I need to see it any longer. So, when she told me about her own mother being abused after divorcing her biological father, it was like standing in the kitchen with all of the broken glass.  We hadn’t been married long at all when she brought all of those terrible details to life. I remember it was a weekday probably around 5:30 p.m. She was making dinner while I sat in the living room fiddling around with an Am chord. As I played, I thought about what it must have been like to be in her shoes. It didn’t seem fair to me that her young life had been altered in such a way -- that her loving, Christian home was turned upside down simply because of some terrible decisions by one person. But, it happens in millions of homes around the globe, and I suppose all we can do is try to break free from the chain of events and make a pact with ourselves to never be part of the problem.

         As I began writing the song, I wrote pretty much what Cyndi had told me. But, by the time I got to the bridge, a different character took over the story line. I didn't want my wife to re-live those experiences over and over again. So I decided to give the abused woman in the song more strength and common sense than Cyndi had been forced to witness first hand.   

         Cyndi put the video together herself last year. She told me where to stand, what to do, and where to look. She brought the actors into our home and shot their parts. She had scouted other locations, but it felt odd asking people if we could shoot a spousal abuse video in their home because it “just felt right”.

         By the time Cyndi edited the video, I had written most of the short story in my mind, and all I needed to do was write it down. I wanted to keep the story kind of barren the same way we had approached the recording of the song. Cyndi has ways of “classing” things up when she touches them. I have watched the video several times, and I always seem to see something else that she allowed to stay in a shot that’s significant in some way.

         I’m not in any way qualified to tell any woman what she should do if she finds herself in an abusive situation. But I believe I do have the right to say that everyone matters and no woman deserves to be treated badly. I have told this to my own daughters over and over again. I will never understand why anyone would stay in such a dark situation.

         I guess I just now realized all I can do is write about how I composed the song and wrote the short story. This is just one of those really heavy topics I don’t know how to approach... one of the many things that shouldn’t be in our society.

         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 www.Facebook.com/ScottConerMusic, www.YouTube.com/user/ScottConer, and www.ScottConer.com. Follow Scott at www.Twitter.com/ScottConer.

Country Artist Scott Coner Releases 'Nashville Song'

           

            NASHVILLE, Tenn. (July 2015) – Hit country artist Scott Coner has released "Nashville Song", a new single and accompanying video that express the highs and lows of working in Nashville's country music industry.

            When it comes to music success, Scott has accomplished much more than the average singer-songwriter. He has recorded songs with country legends such as Charlie Daniels and T. Graham Brown -- even landing a number one hit in Britain with the Tanya Tucker duet, "Maybe She Lied". But the Indiana artist has also faced a number of disappointments, especially on the business side of the industry. His experiences (good and bad) are reflected in the heartfelt, soulful country ballad "Nashville Song".

            "I wrote 'Nashville Song' about my feelings and opinions of the music business," said Scott, who recently taped a concert in Nashville for future airing on You Tube. "In truth, the business side has been hurtful at nearly all levels. But as I have continued on, I have reminded myself that I write and play because I love doing it. I have been truly blessed to work with some great musicians. To me, the song is not about being defeated. Instead, the song is about standing strong and doing things my own way."

            To download the "Nashville Song" song and video, visit the artist's website at www.ScottConer.com, his Facebook page at www.Facebook.com/ScottConerMusic, or YouTube at https://youtu.be/X1CIy5T7Trc.

            "Nashville Song", which was recorded at Nashville's Java Jive, was arranged and produced by Scott and engineer Logan Schlegal. The recording features Scott on vocals and acoustic guitar. Members of the Matthew West Band accompany him on background vocals, electric guitar, bass, keyboards and percussion.

            Scott added that the "Nashville Song" lyric is reminiscent of Alabama's "My Home's in Alabama" in the specific way the story unfolds. His wife, Cyndi, helped bring the video to life with scenes from the artist's recording session, as well as popular downtown and Music Row hangouts such as the Ryman Auditorium, Tootsie's, Hard Rock Cafe, Sony Music, Curb, and RCA Studio B. Cyndi, who oversees the Coner family's Cynnamae Media Productions, said she wanted to take viewers on a "field trip" that showed the places where Scott has experienced musical highs and lows.

 
            "The lyrics are pretty specific as far as my working with T. Graham Brown and Tanya Tucker is concerned," Scott noted. "But the chorus delivers the other side of the story. I have been in many offices around town and foolishly, I have put my trust in people who were undeserving."

            Scott's lyric gives listeners a realistic look inside the Nashville music industry. Like many singer-songwriters before him, he drove into town with a batch of original songs and a wishful heart. He later heard a lot of false promises, even outright lies from some of the professionals on Music Row. That reality is expressed loud and clear in the chorus with the line,  "If you're gonna sleep with snakes man, you better be tough."

            But any resulting hard feelings were temporary. Eventually, Scott realized that happiness and success could be found in the music itself. He sings with assurance, "Well I just kept plowing ground... I had my song and I had my sound... Nobody's gonna tell me what to do... It seems to me that if you have a plan... You stay on course and you take your stand... Every man finally gets his chance...."

            The artist hopes his fans will understand that sometimes artists need to channel their hurt, as well as their happiness, through their songs and other works of art. He has no intention of ever quitting the music business or allowing himself to become bitter. Songwriting is just as fulfilling to him now as it was when he was 15 years old.

            "As an artist, you find yourself simply wanting to concentrate on the music itself," Scott continued. "I have faith that if you believe in what you are doing, and continue down your own path, the right people will show up. I believe this because it has finally started to take place."

            A self-proclaimed family man, Scott Coner lives with his wife and two daughters on rural farmland near Franklin, Ind. He has recorded songs with a who's who of country legends including Tanya Tucker, T. Graham Brown, and Charlie Daniels. Scott's single "Maybe She Lied", a duet with Tucker on Reedy's Dream Records, hit number one on the United Kingdom's Hot Disk Top 40. Other songs, including "Sanibel" (a duet with Brown) and "Reedy's Dream" (with vocal and instrumental contributions from Daniels) have been heard on terrestrial and online radio stations around the world. Also an emerging author, Scott recently penned the book "Lynyrd Skynyrd: Ronnie Van Zant and Me" with Gene Odom, a survivor of the Lynyrd Skynyrd plane crash.

            To learn more about Scott Coner or to download his songs and videos, visit www.ScottConer.com.

Scott Coner: Pursuing Music in Nashville Has Not Always Been Easy

By Scott Coner

           I suppose we all have a passion for something, and I would be lying to you if I said I haven't wished for a different one than music. It hasn't been the music itself that has caused the pain and disappointment. It has been the business side. In my world, Nashville has been the primary area I have worked out of. I have been in countless offices, far too many dinners and luncheons, and heard way too many false promises and lies to believe anything at this point.

          It's a shame to me that music is shadowed by such activity, but what doesn't have its dark side when there is money involved? I have made up my mind though, that I am happy in whatever music allows me to have. Writing and playing music for me, like so many others, gives me joy and feeds my soul in a pretty special way. Those days when a new song is written by my hand is still as fulfilling today as it was at 15 years old, and I have no no plans in quitting or allowing myself to become bitter.

          I have a new song and video being released this week called "Nashville Song". I was a little hesitant to allow anyone to hear it at first because it comes off a little self-centered, and I didn't mean for that to happen at all. I hope people will understand that sometimes we all need to channel our hurt as well as happiness in one way or another. I am a little older and hopefully wiser these days. I don't spend a lot of my time trying to write for whatever sound Nashville is looking for. I just write for me. Earlier today, I drove home from our family farm in Nancy, Ky. I walked around there and drank some coffee, thought about things a little bit. The fact is, I am what I am, and I will never change in order to fit anyone else's mold.

          I have been asked, and I am sure you have, too, "What 'brand' of music are you?" I don't know much about brands. What i know is that I grew up in a household committed to some very cool music, and we never called it anything but country. 

          (To learn more about country artist Scott Coner or to hear his music, visit www.ScottConer.com.)

T. Graham Brown and the Nudes Sunbathing in Sanibel Pines

By Scott Coner

            I wrote my song "Sanibel" sitting at my kitchen table one night alone with a cup of coffee. My family has been there many times together, and I suppose I was just thinking about the beach that evening. Oddly enough, I wrote the bridge to the song at an old movie house while watching "The Ghost and Mr. Chicken". (I know that's weird...)

            I arrived in Nashville with a really cool rhythm groove. We sort of built on it at the studio and hoped we could get a solid sounding, dimensional mix. Having T. Graham Brown work on the song was unbelievable for me. He and his wife are such kind and gentle people. When he belted out his parts, it gave me chills. I'm telling you, that as a writer, there is nothing like having a country music legend sing your words. It just doesn't get any better.

            T. Graham Brown is just a fun-loving, gentle man. We worked hard while in the studio. I remember feeling a little sorry for him though when he asked me where Sanibel was. He didn't get the reference to the Australian pines at first. I told him the backstory about the pines.

            My oldest daughter Emily was still in diapers when I took her for a walk down the beach at Sanibel. I saw some pines down the beach about half a mile away. I thought they would be great taking pictures of my beautiful baby daughter. So, I walked the beach holding her little hand, constantly looking down to be certain she wouldn't hurt her little feet on a sharp shell or jellyfish, etc. We arrived at the fallen pines, and I climbed over them with her. I looked around stunned trying to figure out exactly what was out of place. I realized I had accidentally walked into a nude bathing area. At that precise moment, an older man and woman came up to me asking a question about something. I only remember staring at the man's hat... good times.

            Anyway, back to Mr. Brown. I told him that I thought some of his work had been perfect. He had incorporated a Memphis feel into some of his music, and I have always felt his vocal delivery was awesome.

            I remember my mom and dad went to see him years ago, and my dad talked about how cool T. Graham Brown was.  

            You can download my "Sanibel" video at https://youtu.be/OK_fIxfmycY. 

           (To learn more about country artist Scott Coner or to download his music and videos, visit www.ScottConer.com.)

Country Artist Scott Coner Releases New Video 'When The Angels Cry'

            NASHVILLE, Tenn. (June 2015) – Hit country artist ScottConer has released a new song and accompanying video that reveal the often unspoken but devastating impact of domestic violence on married women.

            Scott says he was inspired to write his latest single, "When The Angels Cry", after his wife Cyndi recounted some heartbreaking incidents that happened to her mother more than 20 years ago. Scott recorded the song with top-tier session players in Nashville, and the couple teamed up to shoot a stirring video on their rural farm near Franklin, Ind. The artist hopes the song and video will be a meaningful tool for organizations that are helping abused women realize their own potential while encouraging men to overcome a lifestyle of abuse.

            To download "When The Angels Cry" song or video, visit the artist's website at www.ScottConer.com, his Facebook page at www.Facebook.com/ScottConerMusic, or You Tube at https://youtu.be/SXUUgLl43TA .

            The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence reports that one in five women have been victims of severe physical violence by an intimate partner in their lifetime. Startling statistics show that on a typical day, there are more than 20,000 phone calls to domestic violence hotlines nationwide.

            "I think I am passionate about the issue in part because of my own wife having to live in an abusive situation as a teenager," said Scott, who has recorded songs with legendary artists such as Tanya Tucker and T. Graham Brown. "But there is more to it than that. I hate to see anyone lose her self-worth and identity because of someone else. We all deserve a voice, and we all deserve respect."

            Scott wrote the song late one afternoon while he wife was preparing dinner. It tells the story of a woman who is abused by her husband night after night. In the lyric, the woman pleads with her spouse to stop. "You've taken all that I am... There's nothing left of me but this broken wedding band... Please don't hit me again... Please don't take my life... Look into these eyes for God's sake... That's your wife."

            Stylistically, "When The Angel's Cry" was a departure for Scott, who loves to rock the house with high-energy country tunes. Given its dark topic and overall feel, he decided to keep the recording simple and bare. For the recording session, he was joined at Nashville's 515 Studio by Clint Black keyboardist Dane Bryant, Martina McBride guitarist Mike Waldren, and veteran engineer Logan Schlegel. A special console was loaned to Scott by Rob Royer, a member of the legendary 1970s pop band Bread. The resulting sound is organic, tender and heartfelt.

            "So often in my writing process, I record new music pretty quickly," Scott added. "'Angels' was a song that lived with me for years. I recognize that this song isn't a 'feel-good' piece, but I felt I had to record it. I don't know how it will be received. But if the song and video help one person, it will be worth doing a thousand times over."

            Cyndi, who runs the family's Cynnamae Media Productions, brought the black and white video to life with realistic scenes of a Southern woman battered by an intoxicated, uncaring husband. In the end, the victim finally decides to run away. But when she opens a closet door to get her suitcase, a Bible falls out onto the floor. Listeners/viewers can hear Scott singing the chorus. "When the angels cry... You can almost taste the tears... Flowing like a river... It's been dammed up for years...."

            "To me, the Bible signifies hope and resolve in knowing there is a better life out there for her," continued Scott, who noted that the video features performances by a local couple and Scott and Cyndi's youngest daughter, Taylor. "One of the things I wanted to point out is that abuse happens in all parts of society."

            Scott Coner has recorded songs with a who's who of country legends including Tanya Tucker, T. Graham Brown, and Charlie Daniels. Scott's single "Maybe She Lied", a duet with Tucker on Reedy's Dream Records, hit number one on the United Kingdom's Hot Disk Top 40. Other songs, including "Sanibel" (a duet with Brown) and "Reedy's Dream" (with vocal and instrumental contributions from Daniels) have been heard on terrestrial and online radio stations around the world. Also an emerging author, Scott recently penned the book "Lynyrd Skynyrd: Ronnie Van Zant and Me" with Gene Odom, a survivor of the Lynyrd Skynyrd plane crash.

            To learn more about Scott Coner or to download his songs and videos, visit www.ScottConer.com.

###