Country Time
CMA Music Fest
By: Matt Bjorke
Last updated June 11th , 2010

Started initially as a fair where fans could meet their favorite artists in booths, Fan Fair has morphed into CMA Fan Festival.  It has moved from those humble fair beginnings to the downtown corridor of Nashville and it really is the only event of its kind.   

This festival was originally designed for fans and it continues to be about the fans as it runs this week.  Garth Brooks once signed autographs for a legendary 20 hour period.  Taylor Swift has taken his lead by signing autographs for over 8 hours last year and she's scheduled to sign for 13 hours this year, a remarkable test of endurance.

These are two artists that get why their stars, the fans.  There are some people in Nashville who already act like their stars, despite not having a hit.  These folks are really hurting themselves and their chances by pulling 'diva' moves and expecting things be given to them when they haven't done anything to be given anything.   The fans give artists everything and artists like these 'big in their minds' toolboxes I just mentioned don't seem to get that.  They need to not only treat the fans like their friends -Jaron of Jaron and the Long Road To Love calls his fans "Frans" for Friends+fans- but they need to treat the people they work with and around friendly too.

Country music isn't quite like the pop and rock industries where you can 'disassociate' yourself from your fans.  The fans expect and want to know everything about artists, including – sometimes - stuff about their life.  If artists aren't fully prepared to be open for the fans then they really should check themselves and decide if they want to really be an artist.  It's a choice and being a country artist is oftentimes more demanding than simply dealing with paparazzi in NY or La La land but these fans are the lifeblood of the artists career as they're the ones that buy the singles, albums, concert tickets and t-shirts.

Many of the fans coming to CMA Music Fest (and that's about 200,000 over 4 days) come here from states as far away as Washington and California or even countries like Japan and France.  Quite simply, the CMA Music Festival is where artists and fans meet and give thanks for their favorite genre.  These fans are very attached to the artists and feel ownership of the music the artists make.  They will smell a 'rat' or a 'bigger than they really are' star and kill their chances.   The takeaway here, aspiring artists, is to be good to your fans and enjoy the fact that you have 'em because if you want to be that star, you need to work for it, as like anything in life, nothing comes easy.

[Tags] Country

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