Ed,

You make a few comments that really say it all, although you are not realizing it. You want to support your local players. That is noble and a good thing. So do we. Which is why we say if you are pitching in Ga. record in Georgia. There are a lot of studios here too. And with the players that actually play on the major hits that are on the radio. This is not just a Nashville thing. As I said, it extends to every music center their is.

The way most Nashville people would look at it is this. The people that come here are asking for a piece of the pie. The people who are in this town, writers, artists, musicians, publishers, pluggers, producers, record labels, etc. sacrifice everything to move here. They all spend years infiltrating and becoming a part of a community. They spend years earning respect, and networking. They spend fortunes promoting their own music and those of people they know.
And then there are people from outside those circles that say "I don't want to do that. I want to do things my own way and through my own people. I want to support them." That is fine. But you cannot expect people who have sacrificed to put your stuff ahead of their own. That cuts against common sense.

Every writer has to look past the song. Past the recording. Past the performing. It is much more than that. It is about community.

To go back to my very first statement on this thread. There are very competetant musicians in every town. But there are certain people who live the life many others want. When you are trying to get into those doors, you have to keep other things in mind in your overall approach. I understand about your wanting to support local people. So do we.

MAB