BMI’s 17th Annual Key West Songwriter’s Festival  May 2-6 was a terrific event with not only an opportunity to hear great music but to socialize with attendees, performers and music executives. The well chosen venues were conveniently located along, or near Duval Street; and allowed attendees to be very close to the performers. Paul Heller and his wife Diane attended this Key West event for the first time having frequented numerous Nashville songwriter’s performances including the premier annual event, Tin Pan South that occurs each year in late March. The festival exposed numerous people to Paul’s intriguing and unique Guitar Art which received rave reviews.

At most events in Nashville, the songwriters are available typically for a few minutes after their performance while they pack up to head home or wherever. At this festival songwriters hang out prior and after their performances often listening to other acts and mingling with whomever. This uniquely allows attendees to interact with songwriters to a greater extent. One of those hanging out plenty was extremely approachable Storme Warren, host of a leading Great American Country television show.

Performances That Share A Song’s True Meaning

Listening to the “inspiration” behind the songs as well as a song’s “journey” create the many highlights that motivates the Hellers to attend these songwriter festivals. Examples included:

• Phillip Coleman explaining that his moving song” Cost of Living” was based on his true story of being unemployed the result of not having had a song of his cut for over ten years. Coleman further explained that it took over twelve years since initially writing the song for Ronnie Dunn to select, slightly modify and release this chart-topping single.
• Jeffrey Steele’s explanation  that the Rascal Flatts’ mega-hit “Everyday” was a collaboration of both hearing a piano riff of Alissa Moreno at a Colorado songwriter bootcamp and hearing Sarah Buxton previously comment that her roommate “saves her life everyday”.

Another exciting event was going down to the Southernmost Beach Café venue early Sunday morning to hear Granville Automatic. To my initial dismay I thought they were singing cover songs when I first heard a Sugarland mega-hit. Then I realized that Vanessa Olivarez was the third original Sugarland singer. In checking her background not only was she an integral part of Sugarland but she also a top twelve member of season two  American Idol.

Guitar Art Enjoyed By LoCash Cowboys

At our favorite venue, the Smokin’ Tuna Saloon, Preston Brust of the LoCash Cowboys broke out Paul’s “Electrifying Blue” Guitar Art and played as if he was a champion air guitarist. See Photo. Visit www.Guitars-4-Stars.com for additional information on Exquisite Custom Guitar Art.

Atlanta-based Exquisite Custom Guitar Art has created an artistic interpretation of Miranda Lambert’s trademark pink guitar. The main face area features attractive white and pink stained glass along with black/white tile, mirror and silver-metallic pieces providing decorative elements. Photoshop technology was used to preserve the exact dimensions of her silver pick guard in conjunction with selecting a silver-colored stained glass that has an tantalizing texture. Wavy brown glass with foil inserts are used to create the identical fingerboard and inlay design that consists of two diagonal parallelograms on four frets.

Vertical strips of textured mirror separated by pink grout comprise the sides that add elegance but the simplicity results in not competing with the more complex face design. Instead of traditional stained glass leading, mosaic grouting techniques are used throughout that adds artistic qualities and contrast.

Guitar Wall Art Gains Impressive Feedback From Miranda Lambert’s Professional Circle

The guitar has been seen by people in Miranda’s professional circle and they have been impressed. These people include Natalie Hemby, songwriter responsible for co-writing such hits with Miranda’s as “White Liar” and “Only Prettier”; and Angaleena Presley, Pistol Annies’ member. Founder and creative designer, Paul Heller, has been ecstatic about the feedback this guitar piece as well as others has been getting during his recent visit to Nashville from the head curator at the Country Music Hall of Fame, interior design professionals at leading architectural firms, the director of art at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center, and authorities coordinating the public art at the upcoming Music City Convention Center project.

Miranda should see this Guitar Art shortly during her annual Fan Club Party on June 7^th during Country Music Festival week at Fontanel Mansion. Formerly owned by Barbara Mandrell, this unique venue features a huge, 27,000 sqft home on 136 acres. .

The Miranda Lambert pink guitar is part of the Exquisite Custom Guitar Art collection that has application in residential, office and commercial settings.

Sound Emporium Recording Studios is now the home of an exquisite Guitar Art piece provided by Paul Heller’s Atlanta based Guitars-4-Stars.com glass studio. The unique Guitar Art is a combination of stained glass and mosaics and occupies an entrance wall in the comfortable Sound Emporium lobby. Paul Heller, creative artist, explains that Studio General Manager, Juanita Copeland and Grammy winning Chief Engineer, Matt Andrews, “both immediately fell in love with the Red Guitar as the coloration was perfect for their attractive lobby design. Most often I custom design the guitars to enhance the existing design where color compatibility is the main criteria. However in this situation the coloration of this existing Red Guitar Art was ideal; everyone was so excited.”

Impressive History of Sound Emporium Recording Studio

Nashville’s oldest commercial recording facility, Sound Emporium Studios,  was established in 1969 and has had an incredible history of recording including Johnny Cash, Kenny Rogers, Willie Nelson, John Denver, REM, Trisha Yearwood, Don Williams, Kenny Chesney, Taylor Swift, Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, Elvis Costello, EmmyLou Harris, Alan Jackson, Will Hoge and many others. Also home to the OBrother Where Art Thou, Walk the Line and Cold Mountain soundtracks. Juanita Copeland shares her perspective, “Sound Emporium boasts Nashville’s ‘best vibe’ for a studio and the Guitar Art piece provided by Paul Heller just adds to that great vibe as you walk in the door!”

Guitar Wall Art A Big Hit In Nashville

Guitars-4-Stars.com designs and constructs custom Guitar Art that magnificently showcases exquisite stained glass that is accentuated with tiles from mosaic, metal and other sources. Paul’s recent trip to Nashville in April, 2012 has resulted in great interest from: major recording studios, interior design/architecture professionals, hotels, conference centers and major medical centers. The head curator at the Country Music Hall of Fame has submitted Paul’s work for review by the Exhibitor Committee for inclusion in the museum. Paul was ecstatic from the comments/adjectives he received from a multitude of art, interior design, hotel and convention center professionals seeing his Guitar Art: “fantastic, so unique, magnificent, you have found and untapped niche, wowwww”. What was so fulfilling for Paul was to receive such compliments from professionals that have been involved with public art for decades and currently in very prestigious positions.