Thank YOU, thank YOU, thank YOU. Hello Again! Welcome to another wonderful collaboration between East Side Story and The Post. Let me be the first to officially, whole-heartedly welcome you to the recap and recording of the 156th epic edition of East Side Storytellin’! Like the 155, I repeat … 155, previous shows East Side Story has put together, we all decided to take a break from our busy schedules all over town in order to sit back and relax and get everyone cultured up just right in the form of a Nashville writer reading from original prose, followed by an amazing local musician performing and talking about their original music, and then a round-up creative conversation with all featured guests of this event to talk about their individual journeys and personal ties to Nashville. Without further ado, fulfilling the entertainment portion of your day, this is the recap and recording of East Side Storytellin’ 156. Let us begin, again.
The first featured artistof the night is a teacher, a writer, a teacher of writing, and lover of literature in general for several decades. A native Hoosier, she has spent 30 of those years associated with Belmont University. She is the secretary of the Board of the Nashville Children’s Theater and lives in the hills … Forest Hills to be exact. In recent years, she has participated in the Indiana University Writer’s Conference, Sanibel Island Writer’s Conference, Poetry on the Coast in Seattle, and has read her poems around Nashville. On this given night, Captain Obvious said that she would be reading her latest poetry in Nashville. Fresh off of finishing her latest poetry chapbook called A Casting Off, it was a true delight to introduce and give a warm welcome from the crowd for the wonderful Annette Sisson.
Before the show started, I had a nice talk with Anette that delved into her personal writing history in between family and work and time. It was refreshing to here about the adversity and hard time finding time to write her own work from someone who does everything she puts her mind and heart towards all so well. Annette was rightfully proud to show off her new baby in that of her new book, something she’ll have a bigger book release later this month across town. It didn’t take long for Annette to collect her thoughts and plans and then begin to share some of her personal treasures via prolific and heartfelt words.
Annette did a stellar job of prefacing each of her poems that she shared. The majority of them were about the relationship she had with her mother before, during, and after her mother’s passing not to long ago. It was particularly poignant for me because I had invited my own mother down to this show and she has been dealing with the chapter of her ailing and aging mother and matriarch fading into the bright lights over the recent past as well. Needless to say, it was very touching to have Annett open up her family stories with my own and others in the crowd. If one of the major points and purposes of art is to connect and inspire people, this reading session was going well above and beyond the call of duty. The imagery, the love, the loss, the thoughtfulness and ideas about nature and the process of dying and what life and death mean in general to everyone going through it, and everything else in between, often left me sitting in my chair, deep in thought, but at a complete loss of words. Point being, Anette was able to take something very personal and make everyone feel as close to exactly as she had but in their own lives and own ways at the same moment and at just the right moment we all needed to hear what she was compelled to write and share. You can listen to the reading below and get a copy of her book for yourself, but I know I’ll be listening to and sharing this recording more than once.
Our featured music of the night is someone who began singing professionally at the age of 4, when most people are still just trying to talk in complete sentences. She was in the Washington Performing Arts Society’s Children of the Gospel, where she performed at places like the Kennedy Center Honors, the presidential inauguration ceremonies of Bill Clinton, and has even sang The Impossible Dream for King Juan Carlos at the opening of the Guggenheim Museum in Spain. Tonight, she is extremely excited to being singing her own music at a small café in Nashville for all of us present. Now a full time singer/songwriter of Pop & R&B music, a vocal coach and adjunct professor of jazz voice and assistant director of MTSU Singers, joined by her amazing husband and equally talented musician in Aston Kimbrough, it was perfect timing to have and to host and ask and receive a big round of applause for the one and only Ashley K.
With Ashton tickling the ivories to continue the connectiveness mood that Annette dropped on the scene, Ashley entered the groove on stage with the voice of an angel. I’m not just talking about natural born talent that has been worked on for years as an amazing skill that few others have, I’m talking about a voice that you know, love, feel like you’ve heard before somewhere deep in the core of existence, that calms you, has your attention, and gives you confidence in your own tone from the second she begins singing. And, on top of all that, Ashley is a brilliant medium of a teacher with the stories she sings. Both Ashley and Ashton wasted no time by jumping into their first song that jammed as much passion, words, and emotion that one can fit into one song … and it was perfect.
In between their prolific and powerful scores (I think scores reach closer the magnificence and essence of their music other than just saying songs), Ashley and Ashton spoke candidly about the fact that they try to be as transparent and communicative as possible about their own relationship and community as they share in their music. With the notion of nobody is perfect being thrown down at the start, there is a magic and love and freedom in the air for you to digest, learn from, and enlighten yourself with the messages they are sharing. I told them both after the set that my marriage is far from any kind of rut at the moment, but that their talks and music was such an inspiration to the kind of person I want to be in my relationships and what goals all of my friendships and relationships strive to be. If I was to write that Ashley K’s music is the truth, that would not give justice to everything that it is. Their set and recent project went through the gambit of dating, falling in love, marriage and beyond, and everything in between. Like Annette’s poems about her mom, Ashley K’s music had a similar profound yet simple effect of showing everyone that we’re all just trying to do the best we can and that we have to work together to be better. All that said, the message is hopeful because it symbolizes that the hard work is necessary and will pay off in more ways than one and for more people than just those involved. Take a listen to the below, and keep tabs on Ashley K as she and Ashton continue to grow and write their story for more and more people as time passes.
When I pulled an extra seat for Annette on stage so she could sit beside Ashley and Ashton, it was so nice to have them sit back and reflect on their personal journeys up to that moment in time. Each person had deep connections with their family trees and creative histories that shed light on where art and professionalism within the art business is today. Each had been inspired from family members who had tremendous talents, who brushed up with and associated with other historical greats in their fields, and who all eventually chose the importance of their family in the great balancing act of time and energy devoted to family versus popularity on a grand scale. The main takeaway I was left with, other than a smile, was that Annette, Ashley, and Ashton each have grabbed the family torch and are each consciously making their lights brighter for their families, their creative goals, and for their communities at large. Their light is evident to anyone within sight of their natural glow, and I’m certain their light (a light of positivity, togetherness, and love) will continue to grow bigger and better for generations to come. I am thankful for each of these three good people and for them sharing their stories on our journey.
So here it is, the edited recording of East Side Storytellin’ 156. It took place at The Post East on Tuesday, July 2, 2019. Trust me, you will never forget the goodness of everything shared on this night by Annette, Ashley, and Ashton. Feel free to listen to it and share it as many times as your heart and Wifi will allow. Others will thank you profusely.
Before I say goodbye for this round of fun, I’d like to give a big round of thanks for Annette and Ashley (and Ashton) for sharing their stories, talents, and time with us.
You can read more of Annette’s writing here- www.belmont.edu/english/faculty/sisson_annette.html
You can listen to more of Ashley’s music here- www.iamashleyk.com
You can listen to this show, edited, soon, alongside the previous shows too, on our website, www.eastsidestorytn.com, at our In Our Own Words Tab – see here – www.eastsidestorytn.com/in-our-own-words
I’ll keep the gratitude going for Tom Eizonas, my lovely wife and most talented artist in Emily Harper Beard (efharper), and everyone that came out live to support the show … and to everyone who has helped continue to spread the word and support the show online afterwards.
Last, but certainly not least, I’d like to give one last shout out to Tonya and Chris for making The Post so welcoming and positively life-changing for the East Nashville community at large.
Our next show will be
East Side Storytellin’ 157
Tuesday, July 16, 2019
at The Post (1701 Fatherland Street) at 7pm
reading- Ralph Bland
singing- Jess Nolan
That said, that’s all for East Side Storytellin’ 156 and another fabulous event at The Post with East Side Story at the helm. Thanks for coming out and sharing the good word and giving some love to all of these great Nashville artists and our creative ideas. Please remember to be nice to one another out there. I repeat, please remember to be nice to one another out there. Thank you and goodnight.
Much love,
mE