Suzahn Fiering | The Nashville Bridge

The Beatles / Ed Sullivan Show / 1964

This Saturday at Noon, 3^rd and Lindsley plays host to The Nashville Beatles Kids Concert which will feature 15 students of Suzahn Fiering who is a guest instructor at The Liverpool Institute for The Performing Arts (LIPA) a University founded by Sir Paul McCartney and Sir George Martin.

The students are between the ages of 7 and 16. Suzahn states” The Beatles catalog is a great way to tune kids onto popular music, good lyric writing, cool harmonic structure and lots of chords and harmonies. The songs speak for themselves whether they are played simply (as they are with the younger students) or with complicated arrangements. The Beatles catalog offers such a wide variety of challenges ranging from easy to difficult.”

Suzahn Fiering

The Beatles song catalog is so diverse and is a great way to raise the bar for young musicians. “There couldn’t be a better educational tool for pop songwriters, singers and instrumentalists. My students get the confidence they need playing these songs and that makes it easier for me to teach them how to read and write music and make the transition into Classical and Jazz music as well. “

The students will be joined by Fred Lawrence (former pianist for Waylon Jennings and also the father of student Eric Lawrence) and local session drummer Larry Murov. It will be a great opportunity for some of Nashville’s youngest future musicians and songwriters to showcase at one of Nashville’s finest clubs.

Suzahn Fiering will be returning to Britain in March 2010 to teach Songwriting at LIPA’s Paul McCartney Auditorium. This performance coincides with the announcement that the entire Beatles catalog will now be available on I Tunes. The Beatles music continues to inspire future generations by transitioning into new current music delivery formats.

– Brad Hardisty, Nashville, TN thenashvillebridge@hotmail.com

Kenny Harlan at Commodore/photo/Brad Hardisty

Kenny Harlan, Nashville Singer/Songwriter, celebrated his Birthday at Commodore Grill last night with friends including long time co-writing partner, Suzahn Fiering performing in his first songwriter round at Commodore Grill in almost two years.

Debi Champion longtime host of the successful songwriter nights played the gracious host delivering a slice of Chocolate Mousse Cake when he was on stage and getting the crowd to join in a round of “Happy Birthday”.

Kenny performed the song that got a lot of buzz on triple-A/Americana radio and in Europe in 2008, “Waiting for You”. It was not a trip down memory lane but a reminder of the strength of his ever the romantic lyrics that give thought to longing love and a bright hope for the lonely hearts club.

It was an all-star round prior to Kenny’s performance featuring Gary Hanan who co-wrote the top ten Country hits, “When I Knew It All” and “Tequila Makes her Clothes Fall Off” and Sam Cooper with his cinematic ode to walking poetry “East Nashville Girls”. If you live here you know what he is talking about.

We got a chance to catch up that evening and I found out he has been busy being Dad. His daughter, who turns three and his wife have been the center of his attention for the last couple of years in Franklin, Tennessee. Nashville is not only a great town to be a singer/songwriter but also to raise a family as one can tell by the number of Artists who have moved here over the last few years.

Kenny shared lyrics of a song he wrote as a tribute to his father who passed away recently. We reflected on past accomplishments and Kenny shared I Phone videos of his daughter while talking about new material that should be coming out over the next year.

Suzahn who has been busy instructing songwriter workshops in Prague and working for Sir Paul McCartney’s Organization for the past several months was hoping to get some writer’s nights going with Kenny before she goes back to England.

Kenny who knows to always travel with his trusted Martin guitar, was not planning on playing, but hoped to get in on the action and had a wonderful Birthday at one of the Nashville’s finest venues.

– Brad Hardisty, Nashville, TN thenashvillebridge@hotmail.com

Beatles Kids Showcase at 3rd & Lindsley

Kenny Harlan Celebrates Birthday at Commodore Grill