Welcome to Nashville, Y'all!

As we approach our 2017 MTM-CNM Family Conference in Nashville, we are please to share this special guest post written by MTM Dad and Nashville resident Patrick Bowers.  Thank you Patrick for sharing this great information!

Five and a half years ago Molly (then 16) made her first trip to Nashville. She came to be part of a Nashville Song Writers International (NSAI) event. NSAI is a songwriters networking, education and lobbying group. Between education and first hand experience writing and performing in town, Molly had written a few songs and was encouraged by some accomplished musicians to explore songwriting further. Molly will tell you that from her first song, she knew it was what she wanted to do and she'll also say much of her inspiration comes from her brother Patrick and the ability he had to touch the lives of so many people. On that first trip and on every trip after that, Molly received more and more attention and was encouraged to relocate here if she wanted to pursue this as a career. Molly asked if we all would consider a move to Nashville and although there was some thought that went into it, the decision seemed to be an easy one for our family. I had retired from Law Enforcement. Carol, a Critical Care Nurse knew her skills could be utilized anywhere. Sophie, our 9 year old, (then 5) was getting ready to start Kindergarten and wanted to be near her sister.  However, Sophie holds onto her Connecticut roots refusing to use southern words like "Y’all." :) With that and Molly’s promise that she would get a college education, we moved to Nashville four years ago this month. Molly just graduated in May from Belmont University. 

          Although it might surprise many newcomers, Nashville also has a lot to offer besides cowboy boots and country music. It truly lives up to its two nicknames. "Music City, USA" might be self explanatory, but many don't know it's other nickname, "The Athens of the South." It even has a full-scale replica of the Parthenon located off of West End in Centennial Park! For families, the Adventure Science Center, the Nashville Zoo, the downtown walking bridge, and the cities parks are great places to visit. For the sports fan, our Preds happened to go to the Stanley Cup this year. How did your team do? We were surprised just how culturally diverse Nashville is with residents from all around the country and the world, in part due to its thriving economy. In fact there are estimates of 100 people a day moving to Nashville. Downtown Nashville has gained national attention with its nightlife and live music that begins at 10am and doesn't end until 4am. While Honky Tonk's, Boot Stores, Buskers, and yes, many Bachelorette Parties line both sides of lower Broadway, yet many Nashville neighborhoods offer so much more.

          With neighborhoods like Germantown, The Gulch, 12th Avenue South, Sylvain Park, and Edge Hill there’s a great walk-ability factor and the restaurant scene here rivals any major city in the country. East Nashville is perhaps our favorite with its artistic, musician, and hipster population. Farm to table restaurants like, “Husk” and “City House” live up to their name with local flavor and ingredients. BBQ joints, “Peg Leg Porker”, “Martin’s”, and “Edley’s” are finger licking good! For true Southern cooking, head to “Loveless Café” or “Monell’s”, and of course you can’t leave town without trying Nashville’s famous Hot Chicken. If you’re looking to spice things up, head to “Hattie B’s” or “Princes”.

          Nashville has become very progressive, but it has maintained its southern charm and historical significance. The Belle Mead Mansion offers a realistic view of plantation life in the 1800's, and in addition happens to be a winery. With over 700 churches, the largest number of any major city in the U.S., many Nashvillian’s claim it as the buckle of the Bible Belt. The Ryman Auditorium, known as the "Mother Church" of country music, is located just off of Broadway. Its acoustics are unmatched and it is one of the best venues in town. Nashville is also home of Music Row, which is now listed as a historical national landmark. Many songwriters and top musicians make their home here and in fact the recording facilities here, in every genre, are some of the best in the world. You might even see a star you know around town!
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          Although our son Patrick had been gone a few years when we attended the first family conference in Houston, we traveled a great deal with Patrick and understand the effort that goes into making a trip like this happen. We’re extremely excited that MTM-CNM Family Connection chose Nashville as this year’s site for the conference and consider ourselves blessed to be a part of such an amazing community. We truly believe that the efforts within the MTM-CNM family can make a difference and we are grateful for all those who have done so much to fight this disease. Welcome to Nashville, Y’all!
 
The Bowers Family
 
(If we can assist with any questions, feel free to contact Patrick at pmbowers@sbcglobal.net)

You know about "Music City", but what else do you know about Nashville?

The Parthenon at Centennial Park

Nashville skyline from across the Cumberland River

Live music can be found just about any time