Conversations with Jill Moody

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jill Moody

Hi Jill , we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I grew up in a small town in Michigan, I always was interested in Music. I joined school band as soon as I could. There was not really a music scene anywhere near me so as soon as I got a driver’s license I went to concerts in Detroit. I attended a media arts school in Detroit that really made me fall in love with videography and editing, which is what brought me to Nashville. Once I arrived, I started working at the Wildhorse Saloon as a lighting director. I spent a lot of time there learning as much as I could about audio, lighting, video, ect. I became the production manager after a few years> I spent that time learning how to advance shows, contracting, riders, ect. Next was booking, I took on booking at the Wildhorse and really had to learn a lot about that in a short amount of time, everything from booking and auditioning the house bands to sending out offers to agents, pro formas and everything in between. (shout out to Ron Kerere for instilling the importance of business acumen in me) I left the Wildhorse to help with re-strategizing and organization of Analog at the Hutton Hotel. It was much more of an undertaking than I had done before because we were needing to re-concept the entire programming of the venue, budget, hosting private events, ect. They had never had a music venue, and I had never not had a team of folks for sales and budgeting. Thankfully I had a lot of great mentors at the Wildhorse that had prepared me for that role. It was a great learning experience for my personal and professional growth. I had made the decision once we reopened the venue after COVID that it was time for me to look for something in the business with a schedule that was more fitting for my personal life. That is what has brought me to NSAI. My role here is the perfect balance of continuing to work with artist and writers, and planning events. I have been at NSAI for almost three years, and I can say without a doubt this is the most rewarding and fulfilling role I have had during my time in Nashville. And that is exactly what Bart Herbison told me it would be when we were talking about me joining the team. NSAI as a whole is the most incredible, and integral advocacy organization for songwriters.

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?
I would say compared to some folks journey in this business I would definitely say mine was relatively smooth. A lot of my obstacles really came from not knowing anything and needing to learn as fast as I could. However there are a lot of things you can’t be taught in the live music world, there’s a lot of learning as you go, and then learning from your mistakes. Learning to deal with challenges immediately in the live music space is really mandatory. You can’t be 10 minutes from going live on TV and have a lighting truss motor go out and stand around for an hour and think about what to do, you need to assess the situation, and figure out a solution in 9 minutes.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Thank you for this question! At NSAI I am the Director of Songwriter Relations, my daily role interacts with songwriters and artist writers from around the world. I take meetings with songwriters to talk about their writing goals, listen to songs and give feedback, prep for meetings with publishers, ect. There are a lot of songwriters and all of them have different goals, I have a member that I work with that is a teenager in Florida, her goals right now are much different than a songwriter that has moved to Nashville, or those of someone that has written all their life but chose a different professional career in another state. We really try to meet the songwriters where they are at, not just geographically but skill level too. I also oversee the educational weekly programming that we have here in Nashville. I work with my team on premium educational events that take place online and here in Nashville. What I am most proud of at NSAI would be the work the organization does as a whole. First and foremost, we are an advocacy organization, and we are very proud of the work Bart Herbison and Jennifer Turnbow do in DC. We also have a team of people that work on our Tin Pan South, Songwriters Festival, the Nashville Songwriter Awards, and much more. I am on the Education team; we are the folks that have one on one and group interaction with songwriters on a daily basis. For our unsigned writers, we are their conduit to Nashville, and to each other. We are the team that is teaching them how to “build their own business” and be independent if that’s what they want and need. We are teaching writers the fundamentals of songwriting. We are also the team that assists with meetings and showcases with industry professionals when that’s the goal and we feel they are ready. I have been really proud to be here at NSAI and a part of all of these songwriters’ journeys! More specifically, we have been a part of a few publishing deals and a management contract recently!

Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
Finding a mentor (s) in the music business is absolutely crucial. I was fortunate enough to have some really solid folks when I moved to town take me under their wing. Tracy Holder taught me so much early on in my career. Everything I know about live music production he had a hand in teaching me, he was the person I could go to and ask about a rider when I needed to know – if when he was on the bus did they really need 5 jars of peanut butter haha! I would say what has worked best for me is being a sponge. If I wanted to learn more about booking before I did it myself, I went to Kara Edwards, if I wanted to learn how a sales team interacted with the venue I went to Dena Tidwell, same with finance, it was something I needed to know, and Ron Kerere made sure that I did. It was all of these folks that made my transition to an independent venue possible. My advice would be, never stop learning and find people in your life or in your career and just ask a lot of questions. I still do that; I am always asking Bart about things in the business. Find people that know more than you and be curious. I feel like that’s how you naturally find your mentors.

Pricing:

• NSAI Membership (annual) $200.00
• NSAI Monthly Subscription $17.50

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.nashvillesongwriters.com
• Instagram: nsaiofficial
• Facebook: Nashville Songwriters Association International