In a city of songwriters ...
this Nashville church serves wine, bread & a venue for original songs
By Linda Still W
hen singer-songwriter Julie Pen- nell moved to Nashville, Tenn., in 2003, she was searching for a place to play her music and a place to worship. They came together at one location, Memo- rial Lutheran, a 75-year-old congregation in East Nashville, an older neighborhood with a burgeoning arts community.
She was invited to Memorial by its pas-
tor, Dean Eatman, whose family moved next door to Pennell and her husband, John. While she knew little about the Lutheran faith, Pennell discovered she appreciated its traditions and loved Memorial’s people. When the congregation’s song leader moved away, she stepped into the role. “With Julie in the lead, we thought an act of generous hospitality would be to provide a venue for the songwriters to perform their music,” Eatman said. Memorial’s first song- writers’ night was May 2009 in a downstairs room.
“I thought I could invite some songwrit- Still is a freelance writer in Nashville, Tenn. 18 The Lutheran •
www.thelutheran.org
At Memorial Lutheran Church, Nashville, Tenn., opening its doors to singers and songwriters is a win-win. Musicians have a place to perform, and the congregation and community hear good music.
JOHN BINKLEY
ers to perform and we could do a little fundraiser for East Nashville Coop- erative Ministries (an ecumenical effort offering services, including food and clothing, to residents),” Pennell said. “Songwriters perform all the time for free. This I knew they would like because there would be food.” Eatman added, “The songwriters who performed loved it. They thought the atmosphere was great. The older members of the church pro- vided food and listened to the music.”
After the success of the first event, they decided to hold a second one in November before Thanksgiving, serving soup on a cold evening. Banking on the enthusiasm of parishioners and songwriters, Pennell decided that beginning in January 2010 the church would hold monthly songwriters’ events on Sundays between 4 and 7 p.m. The January gather- ing had to be canceled due to snow, but monthly events began in February. In October, Memorial celebrated its 75th anniversary with an outdoor cookout for the community while the songwriters provided music out on the lawn. In the meantime, Pennell’s husband bought material and built a stage so the church didn’t have to keep renting one.
“There are people who really support these events, coming every time and preparing snacks and coffee and tea,” Pennell said. “We’ve had won- derful artists and singer-songwriters. Some do it professionally, some on the side. I always encourage the songwriters to bring CDs and sell them. After all, they’re donating their time and talent.” However, some give away their CDs in exchange for a donation to the community ministry. With the birth of her second child in January, working a full-time job at a talent agency and playing occasionally, Pennell needed to put the song- writers’ gatherings on hiatus. “I’m just trying to balance everything and not lose my mind,” she said. But the gatherings will resume May 22 with 12 songwriters enlisted by Pennell, who likes the family atmosphere of the music events. “It’s about sharing the music and enjoying time together. Except for the children sometimes making a little bit of noise, it’s a very good listening crowd,” she said.
The events also create an awareness of Memorial. “People who
wouldn’t normally just go there for any other event have come out because it’s music related,” she said. “It has shown we are community- friendly people.” M
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