Songs from the Sky: A celebration of original music  

By Thad Beaty GUEST COLUMNIST 

Three years ago, our family moved to Big Sky from Nashville. My wife and I had spent the past 20-plus years in the hustle and bustle of the music industry. We were fortunate to travel the globe and see the world from the windows of planes, tour buses and rental vans. That’s the glamorous part, but the day job, the real work, is the hours of writing, practicing, trying to catch lightning in a bottle, just attempting to say something that would stir someone’s spirit. Nashville is about the song; without a song that moves people’s souls, there is no record, radio or people buying tickets to fancy concerts.  

Over the years, I found myself focusing more on music for film and TV, where the goal is to use music to capture and amplify the story of the actors. The music must communicate the actors’ emotions on-screen, pulling the viewer deeper into the story. Anyone watching needs to be able to hear the music, with the dialogue muted, and sense where the story is taking them. The crazy thing is when it’s done well, you don’t even notice the music.  

But without the soundtrack, things feel wrong.  

If you want to really feel what music brings to a scene, Google “closing scene of Star Wars without the score” and relish in the awkwardness. With the Empire defeated, Han, Chewy and Luke are walking down an aisle of ceremonially dressed rebels in a majestic temple to receive their coronation from Princess Leia, the droids, and some other super official-looking folks. The universe is saved. Triumph. Hope is restored in the galaxy. But without the music of John Williams, it’s just a somewhat awkward scene that feels like watching a first-year high school student squirm as he meets his new girlfriend’s dad for the first time. The soundtrack makes you feel the emotions Luke and the gang are trying to portray.   

I often think about Big Sky’s “soundtrack.” Music and art are not merely a record, painting or entertainment but the capstone of a community. Artists’ and storytellers’ work is a tool that balances the tides of a community. They teach us to express our humanity, essence and foundation. If the arts aren’t stirred into the mortar that builds our foundation, our development might as well have been built on the sand.  

With this spirit in mind, several of us in the community started dreaming and decided to take a few days this month to celebrate original music in Big Sky. Lone Mountain Ranch, Lone Mountain Land Company and The Waypoint have partnered to launch what we are calling “Songs From The Sky, A Celebration of Original Music.”  

On Wednesday, May 22, LMR will host an open-to-the-public “Bluebird Nashville” style writer’s night in the Ranch Hall at Lone Mountain Ranch featuring Barry Dean, Lori McKenna, Steve Moakler, Travis Wood, and Mark Holman—writers who have penned songs for Morgan Wallan, Taylor Swift, Reba, Little Big Town, Tim McGraw, Blake Shelton, Old Dominion, and many others. Their publishing team, Creative Nation, has credits of close to sixty No. 1 songs ranging from Eric Church’s “Drink in My Hand” to Harry Styles’ “Watermelon Sugar.”  

This special evening will showcase the writers performing and sharing the stories of their big hits. The evening will be worth it to hear the amazing Lori McKenna sing her classic, “Girl Crush.”  

For the remainder of the week, we will highlight some of our wonderful local singer-songwriters at Block 3 on Thursday, May 23, Rock Out at Tips Up on Friday, May 24, and focus on music in the film at the Waypoint on Saturday, May 25.  

The goal is to celebrate original music in Big Sky and start to really hear the soundtracks of ALL of us living, working, and making the place home.  

For more information, tickets, and reservations, visit SongsFromTheSkyFestival.com. Tickets are available here.  

A special package is available for locals, including a ranch ticket, meal and accommodation. LMR has set up a few packages for locals to experience the show and the ranch. You can purchase a ticket with dinner in the Horn and Cantle and the show or book a cabin at a special local rate. A cabin Tuesday night, May 21, breakfast, ranch fun, dinner in Horn and Cantle, and tickets to the show will cost $450 for a couple—that’s a couple, not individual.