Nashville: It's been known to be a music mecca for decades, with musicians drawn from all over the United States to come and be a part of the same energy that inspired Johnny Cash and Dolly Parton. However, even some of Christian music's biggest fans don't know just how essential the city is to the Christian music industry. Nashville is home to some of the biggest personalities in Christian music, as well as the place where many of the most influential music labels are headquartered. What exactly is it about Nashville that is such a draw for Christian musicians?

The biggest draw for young musicians trying to break into the Christian music scene in Nashville is the energy. Sources describe the musical community in Nashville as "one big FAMILY," and impromptu gigs happen all the time. If a musician is looking to meet like-minded collaborators, heading down to Nashville is a great place to start. And down in Nashville, 'genre' is a fluid term; writing and performing across-genre is the norm, and artists are encouraged to experiment with the worship/praise style of songwriting in addition to country, alternative, jazz, and more experimental music.

The creative, eclectic energy of Music City make Nashville a songwriter's dream. And with Contemporary Christian Music's roots in Southern Gospel and bluegrass music, two types of music that were born in the southern United States, Nashville is an intuitive hub for artists that are continuing to push boundaries and reinvent what Christian music is today.

The infamous "music row" along 16th and 17th Avenue in Nashville has come to be synonymous with the Christian and Country music industry because it is the location of many publishing houses, licensing firms, and record label executive offices. Though not located on "the row," Sparrow Records, the label that Amy Grant, Crowder, Kristene DiMarco, Newsboys, Hillsong UNITED, Colton Dixon, and many more of Christian music's biggest names call home, is located in Brewood, TN -- less than twenty minutes outside the heart of Nashville. Sparrow, along with other another, Capitol Christian Music Group property, ForeFront, are the Christian music labels to sign with for bands that dream of heavy radio airplay and arena tours across the country.

(Photo : Facebook: TobyMac)

TobyMac-founded label Gotee Records, which is also based out of Nashville. They are host to Capital Kings, Morgan Harper Nichols, and Finding Favour, among others. Provident Label Group (home to Third Day) and Steven Curtis Chapman) and Word Records (Blanca; Francesca Battistelli) are also based out of the Nashville area. 

Legendary venues such as The Ryman Theatre and the Grand Ole Opry House feature largely in the culture of downtown Nashville, with big names performing there on a regular basis. The Gospel Music Association Hall of Fame (current inductees include Twila Paris, Mark Lowry and BeBe and CeCe Winans) is also located in Nashville, a testament to all that the industry has accomplished in the years since Bill Gaither came up with the idea to have a Gospel Music Award show (what we now refer to as the annual Dove Awards.)

Many of Christian music's most well-known personalities choose to make the city home. Carrie Underwood lives in Nashville with her husband, Mike Fisher, who plays hockey for the Nashville Predators, and their newborn son, baby Isaiah. Amy Grant and husband Vince Gill also call the area home. Former dcTalk members Kevin Max, Michael Tait and tobyMac all live within the Nashville area. Steven Curtis Chapman, Michael W. Smith, Dan Haseltine (of Jars of Clay), and Natalie Grant also live in Nashville. 

It's clear that without "Music City," many of the collaborations and songwriting success stories of Christian music wouldn't exist. As a place where Christian artists can come together to meet and celebrate the art that they are creating, Nashville has no equal.