“It All Begins With A Song parts the curtains of the music industry to reveal the tour de force that is the Nashville songwriter.”

Heralded as one of the foremost centers of the music industry in the country, Nashville is home to an expansive music scene and has been aptly nicknamed ‘Music City’. The city hosts the Grand Ole Opry and the Country Music Hall of Fame as well as one of the largest populations of professional songwriters. The country music documentary It All Begins With A Song parts the curtains of the music industry to reveal the tour de force that is the Nashville songwriter. 

This documentary takes a fascinating and underappreciated career within the music industry and turns it into an hour and a half exposé. It explores the life, processes, inspirations, failures, and successes of professional songwriters. It All Begins With A Song is wonderfully creative not only in its exploration of the songwriting medium but also in its translation of that onto the big screen. It pushes the audience to re-examine who can be a songwriter, what they believe to be the process behind creating a song, and what is considered to be a song in the first place. It All Begins With A Song raises many questions. Who writes the songs we listen to? Can a children’s author be a songwriter? Can a poet? Can the truth spur a song into existence, or a conversation with a friend? Can fragmented pieces of sentences pulled out of a jar become a song? 

“There’s 5,000 ways to write a song, pick one.”

-Tom Shapiro

While the documentary starts to feel a little long in the final 20 minutes, the rawness of emotions around the inspiration and impact of songs creates a resounding conclusion that will stay with audiences long after the credits have rolled. People write songs not with the expectation of becoming the next big thing or to necessarily make money. People write songs because, like any other artist, the process is a fundamental part of them, a way to create meaning and connection in this world. It All Begins With A Song takes viewers on a wandering exploration of the music industry, songwriting, creativity, the iconic musical landscape of Nashville and ultimately what one song can mean.

Directed By: Chusy

Produced By: Deana Ivey, Kelli Shannon, Andy O’Neil, Josh Indenbaum, Phil Graham, Bart Herbison

Release Date: March 3, 2020

Available On: Amazon, iTunes, Google Play, FlixFling, Vimeo on Demand, Vudu

Featured Image Courtesy of TriCoast Entertainment