Songs from the Sky

A songwriter’s workshop brings the soul of country music to the Big Sky community for a four-day event in its inaugural year

By Leslie Kilgore EBS CONTRIBUTOR

Big Sky has always been a music town, just talk to any local who has lived here in the last 30 years and they can tell you stories about nights seeing some of the top musicians in the world on a smaller stage, at an intimate venue, or with an unforgettable crowd and setting.

As Big Sky continues to grow, so does the music scene. Most recently, the latest event to put Big Sky on the map is Songs from the Sky, which took place May 22-25 at Lone Mountain Ranch and various venues in Town Center.

Songs from the Sky was an idea that Lone Mountain Land Company’s Music and Entertainment Manager, Thad Beaty, came up with based on his 25 years of living and playing music with his wife in Nashville, Tennessee.

“I’ve been fortunate to travel the globe to play music,” Beaty said. “When we moved to Big Sky, I was blown away by the community’s passion for it. Unlike other places I have been, music is a part of the soul of Big Sky. My wife and I feel so inspired and creative here. We knew this would be a great place for songwriters to visit for creative retreats.”

Thad said, his inspiration for planning the event comes from what he calls the “Bluebird style of sound rounds.”

Nashville’s Bluebird Cafe is an intimate and iconic listening room where many world-renowned songwriters and artists build their careers. Over the past 40 years, the room has developed into one of the most significant music venues in the world. Artists such as Foo Fighters, Garth Brooks, Faith Hill and Taylor Swift have had career moments in the room along with hit songwriters whose music is represented on a wide range of charts. Over 80,000 people visit the venue annually to see this unique format of music and songwriting, and to experience the music culture that the Bluebird is known for.

“We knew the community would love the Bluebird style of songwriter rounds. The synergy between our location and the writers makes this a special spot to celebrate original music,” Beaty said. “When asked how you came up with a song idea, it’s common to hear someone say, ‘they pulled it out of thin air,’ so it’s only fitting we call our event Songs from the Sky.”

Beaty gathered an impressive group of songwriters and musicians who have country songs at the top of the charts and won awards for their work. The four-day event kicked off at Lone Mountain Ranch where the songwriters performed for an intimate crowd. The audience was given a special surprise when renowned musician and songwriter, Jordan Davis performed with the group at the end of the night.

“Miranda McDonald, the VP of MCA Records Nashville, is a dear friend who has been working with us to get Jordan Davis out to write for his new record, Beaty said. “He was a surprise to folks attending the show, but their trip was focused on spending a few days in a stunningly inspiring spot to write his next big hit. He’s a two-time consecutive Song of the Year winner. The only other person with that honor is Lori Mckenna. We had a unique opportunity to hear them both on the same night.”

Beaty said the artists loved writing and performing at Lone Mountain Ranch and are ready to come back again. He hopes to continue and grow this event each year with numerous writing rounds at venues around Big Sky that attract songwriters and musicians from around the globe. Another goal of Beaty’s is to celebrate more of Big Sky’s local artists during this event and provide them the support they need as they grow and create great art.

“Our local artists are our foundation. They are the ones providing the soundtrack of Big Sky daily,” Beaty said. “Partnerships too. We can do so much in this community by simply using the currency as our location. I’m fired up to find creative ways for us all to connect the dots and bring more events to Big Sky.”

Beaty added that what stuck out for him most at Songs from the Sky was the number of people who thanked him for putting the event on and making it happen with Lone Mountain Ranch and Lone Mountain Land Company.

“I was humbled to participate and am excited about what is next. It’s clear there is an appetite from locals and visitors for us to host more world-class music events,” Beaty said. “Historically, we have put so much effort into summer and winter in Big Sky, but spring and fall are wonderful times here too, especially for creatives.”

Beaty is already planning for next year’s event and hopes Songs from the Sky will not only grow each year but will also inspire more world-class music experiences to be a part of Big Sky’s history.

“This place is magical. We are so grateful to wake up here every day and want to share this magical spot with all the artists who are either passing through on tour or making a dedicated trip to perform or create. It will only elevate the experience for us as locals and for our visitors.”