Conversations with Ben Palmer

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ben Palmer. 

Hi Ben, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Bright Shade stemmed out of Live at Lindell, which is a backyard concert series I started here in Nashville that focused on college students and grow into a more dedicated and professional series. I wanted to 10x that idea and see for far I could go and Bright Shade is the byproduct of that. Now we’re having our first festival 8 months later. Bright Shade is trying to be different from most other festivals in the sense that we are giving a paid mic to the little guy, meaning we aren’t just letting college and up and coming artists play the festival, we’re paying them to do so and giving them the opportunity to share their music to a larger audience than usually available. 

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Absolutely not. It has definitely been a learn-on-the-go process and throwing myself into new situations and adapting to them on the go. Learning all the different fascets has been both interesting and helpful in a way that sets me up for success in the future. 

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m not a musically inclined person, I just love music and the people it surrounds you with. I specialize and am known for being pragmatic and driven and being someone that brings people together. One thing that I think I’m pretty good at is going after new opportunities and using sheer will to try and accomplish them. Bright Shade is a great example of this because I had no idea even how to get started planning a festival. I had to learn by trial and error and it was a slow process but it has been so much more rewarding than learning in a classroom or some other sort of coursework. I always heard that everyone wants professional experience but doesn’t know how to get it, and instead of trying to go find experience, I just created it for myself. 

The community I have built around myself and live music is tight-knit and everyone just enjoys having a good time. People who I’ve met in the industry are always supportive and want to help a new generation of people trying to be entrepreneurial and start the next thing, which has been an awesome gift and blessing. 

My favorite part of Bright Shade is some of my best friends are playing this year and I’m so excited to see how this festival will be able to help them out and hopefully get them the recognition they deserve. 

Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
Don’t be afraid to say or ask something of someone else who you admire or who is a celebrity or someone who could offer something to help your situation. People are people, and reaching out is always the first and hardest step but is the most necessary. Cold emails do more than you think when done correctly. Learn how to be professional and approachable and make your emails readable. The worst thing is a 2-page cold email detailing every piece of information possible. Keep it short and sweet and if they are interested in the idea or big picture of what you’re offering, they’ll respond. 

Contact Info:

• Email: ben@brightshadefest.com
• Website: www.brightshadefest.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/brightshadefest/