Today we’d like to introduce you to Tom Worth -The Nashville Pro Experience.
Hi Tom Worth -The Nashville Pro Experience, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I’ll never forget my first recording experience in Nashville. I was a newly signed songwriter, and my publisher had scheduled my first demo session. A demo session is where you book a studio and musicians to record your songs. I had just written a song that I thought would be perfect for Carrie Underwood. At the time, she was just starting to look for songs for her 2nd album. My publisher had a pitch meeting with Mark Bright, Carrie’s producer, the following Monday, so I was SO excited for this session…but also SO nervous.
What did I know about producing a song? So there I was in the studio with the musicians and recording engineer. I said, “here’s a song we’re going to pitch to Carrie Underwood” and then I played guitar and my co-writer, Angie Broberg, sang the song live for everyone. When I was done the 5 musicians (drums, acoustic guitar, bass, electric guitar, and piano) went into the studio where they were all isolated and mic’ed up. They talked for 30 seconds or so on who should take what part. Then the drummer counted 1-2-3-4 and what happened next blew my mind.
These musicians all playing live nailed the recording in the first take. My jaw dropped. I couldn’t believe they had just played what sounded like a Carrie Underwood hit with no rehearsal. All I said was “I love it!” But the musicians talked for another 30 seconds or so about how to make it better. The 2nd take was what we used. That’s how good Nashville musicians are.
Fast forward 15 years… My friend and producer Matt Wilder asked me if I wanted to be part of a songwriting retreat for some up and coming artists. I said yes and that’s when I met Jane Bolen, and her then 15-year-old daughter Sophie. Sophie had never written a song before, but I worked with her ideas, and we wrote 2 songs that day. The next day we went into a recording studio to record these songs where Sophie and Jane got to experience the magic of the Nashville musicians.
They were, of course, blown away seeing Sophie’s songs come to life. Jane said, “I can’t believe my daughter wrote 2 songs with a pro yesterday, and now we’re in a legendary studio with these amazing musicians. Everyone should be able to have this amazing experience.”
And that is basically where The Nashville Pro Experience came from. Matt, Jane, and I started this company where we provide the opportunity that until now was reserved for artists with major label record deals. Day 1 they get to write with our pro songwriters. Day 2 they record the music to these songs in legendary studios with some of the top musicians in the world. Day 3 they record their vocals…or if they are not singers, we find pro singers to sing them.
We call it the Nashville Pro Experience because that’s what we’re providing…an experience. Sure, our clients get radio ready mixes of their songs, but they also get an experience of a lifetime and make connections with the pros. Most of our clients are singers and songwriters, but some are simply people with no musical background that want to have this experience.
Oh and if you were wondering what happened with the Carrie Underwood pitch, her producer Mark loved the song and put it on hold…but for another artist he was producing. That artist later lost her deal. Ah well.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
As a new business, one of our biggest challenges has been simply getting the word out about what we do. This is such a unique experience that, to our knowledge, it hasn’t really been offered before. So people aren’t necessarily searching for it because they don’t yet know it exists.
That said, the response from everyone who has worked with us has been incredible, which has been really encouraging. Word-of-mouth and personal experiences have become some of our strongest tools for growth. One of our clients from our very 1st session, Skylar Mayton, even went on to find success on The Voice, which was exciting to see and a great example of the impact this experience can have.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Here are all 3 or our bios:
Tom Worth (me)
Songwriter, Songwriting Coach
For nearly 25 years, Tom Worth has built an accomplished career as a songwriter, producer, and musician based in both New York and Nashville. With more than 70 cuts to his name, Tom’s work includes the first single from The Josh Abbott Band’s She’s Like Texas album, which climbed to #3 on the Billboard chart, and “That Mountain” by Charley Jenkins, featured on a Billboard Top 20 Christian album. His songs have been heard on TV shows like Jane By Design, Forming the Band, and Road Rules, as well as in international commercials and as a theme song on ESPN. Passionate about helping artists reach their full potential, Tom brings both creative insight and heart to The Nashville Pro Experience.
Matt Wilder
Producer • Songwriter • Educator
From composing his first songs at age seven to producing music for top Nashville labels, Matt Wilder’s career spans decades of creativity and innovation. After early success as a performer and recording artist, Matt’s passion for sound led him behind the scenes—working with companies like Sony, DreamWorks, Atlantic, Word, Lyric Street, and Warner Brothers. A natural teacher and mentor, he founded Group-Music, an after-school program that taught kids to perform contemporary music in bands, and later taught recording technology at Vanderbilt University for over a decade. Matt was in house producer at Castle recording studios from 2010 to 2015, and founded a first of its kind remixing platform “Remixhits”in 2015. As a producer, songwriter, and co-founder of The Nashville Pro Experience, Matt loves helping artists capture their vision and connect with the professionals who bring songs to life.
Jane Bolen
Jane Bolen is a lifelong entrepreneur, encourager, and connector at heart. A wife, mom of two children, and proud new grandmother, Jane’s path has taken her from the world of professional Quarter Horses to the heart of the entertainment industry. What began as helping her daughter pursue her singing and acting dreams turned into a passion for guiding others. Now, as a Talent Scout and co-founder of The Nashville Pro Experience, Jane loves helping artists navigate the music industry and connect with some of the best professionals in the business.
So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
We’d be thrilled if people spread the word about what we do to those that may be interested in our unique experience. You can reach out to us at hello@nash-pro.com. We’d love to hear from you!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://TheNashvilleProExperience.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nash_pro_exp
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thenashvilleproexperience
- Other: https://linktr.ee/NashvilleProExperience
