"I grew up in a really small town (in Tennessee) and there were only two black people. I was raised to think the inner city was a dirty place and black people were the reason for welfare and all that. And I realize now that that isn't true. I've dated black girls. I wonder what would happen if I took a black girl home for Christmas."

"…I visited New York and everyone was rude. I didn't know what to think. Then I realized it was my accent and everyone perceived me as stupid. One guy told me, 'When I first met you, I thought you were retarded,' (laughs). Then we talked about politics and it was OK."

— Elliott Graves, 22, an airplane mechanic, Macintosh camera technician and business student at Belmont University in Nashville

Nashville is the other Hollywood. The musical one.

And I met quite a few interesting musicians, here.

Charlie Rauh, 24, left, and Joseph Hudson, 32, right, play a number of different instruments together and separately.

Joseph plays or sings in six steady gigs, holds down a part-time job at a library, does some film work and is training to be a wrestler.

"I think improvised music is going to have its heyday in Nashville because I can't recall a time in Nashville's history where that's been popular and I just see more and more manifestations of that," says Hudson.

Rauh thinks there is a unique Nashville approach to improvised music, too.
"A lot of it in other cities is usually loud and abrasive and for some
reason the focus of music from Nashville is more melodic and lush."

"The energy is mostly concentrated on Indie rock, now," says Rauh.

He adds: "There is a lot of apathy. A lot of people are making good music but because they don't think people give a fuck, they don't do anything. They don't try to book shows. They wait for something to come to them, when they're doing something that requires self-motivation.

He adds: "A lot of these people are already self-defeated and so their music is self-defeated."

He recalls moving to Nashville 2 12 years ago and walking out of a cafe with is guitar. "And some older guy walked past and said, 'Good luck, buddy. I've been here 10 years.'

Says Rauh: "Nashville is like a graveyard of artists. There are so many people who came here to make it big and didn't."

He continues: "I see Nashville as (providing) endless opportunities, because there are so many good studios and sound masters."

Enoch Porch, 27, above, has 'made it'  — enough to make his living for several years playing in bands and touring for a major label. He still does music, but has eased off from the commercialized stuff for a bit to focus on other things, including managing this Italian market and eatery on the west side of town.
Porch says he was tired of all the posturing that touring with a major record label required.
"I like humble music," he says.