Thursday, October 30, 2008

Gigantic

Went to the CMT Giants taping tonight for Alan Jackson. As TV tapings go, this went really smoothly. Only one re-take. Lots of star power. Some of the song choices wouldn't have been my first picks for some of these artists, but most of them worked pretty good. Although while Taylor Swift was singing "when Daddy let me drive..." all I could think about was that she was the right age to be Alan's daughter. LOL.

Taped a Driver's Ed with Kristy Lee Cook today from American Idol. She's cute as a button.

My nightly amusement is reading the XM fan message boards to see what rumors are going around about the alleged merger programming changes. About 80% of what I read is completely off base. I have little to no knowledge about things outside of the country music world, but as a fan of country music - particularly classic country music - I'm ridiculously excited. I can't wait until we can shout things from the rooftops, but in the meantime, just know we're working like crazy and good things are coming!

Monday, October 27, 2008

A Siriusly Busy Day

I wrote my first script for Sirius today. I'd tell you what it was, but I don't think any of my readers have the Dog Star in their cars.

Following that amusing little excercise, I went to Belmont for their internship fair, where I tried to get rid of a ton of Sirius and XM premium items (key chains, koozies, etc.) College kids are picky about their freebies! At least, upscale private college kids, LOL. I did get a lot of great response though, about 15 really strong resumes for spring and summer, including two potential bluegrass candidates! And, I got to meet one of my blog readers in person -- definitely a highlight of my day!

Next I headed to the new studios (I wonder how long we'll be in them before I stop calling them "the new studios" ??) where the Sirius gang was well into their first work day in their new home. We've all blended quite nicely, although I do still do a a double take when I see the little doggie logo around the building.

Mark Wills was in for a ShortCuts taping early afternoon. Love him. I've known him forever, and he's just fun to hang around with. His new cd comes out election day, and will be on ShortCuts the following weekend.

Sarah Buxton was in with Storme on the Music Row Happy Hour for a chat. I love having our studios just ROCKIN' with guests! Bring 'em on!

As if all of that wasn't exciting enough, about 4:30 I learned that the 15k people in the arena today were attending a motivational seminar, that featured Rudy Guilliani, Zig Ziglar and Collin Powell! I love love LOVE Collin Powell, and still hold out hope he'll run for President someday. Not that I could have possibly found time in my day to go, nor could I have afforded the $250 tickets... but gosh... I'd have probably tried to have snuck in had I known.

All of downtown Nashville was BLUE today -- Titans vs. Colts on Monday Night Football. Traffic got mighty crazy late afternoon. The only Titans game I've ever been to was a Monday night game - when they played the Chiefs. We went dressed in red.

I am feeling better -- thanks for all the nice notes. I'm not sure I'm ever going to feel good, but I'm way improved over the sad pathetic lump I was laying in bed with a fever for 6 days straight! I did the walk Saturday morning... turned out it was a 5 Mile, not a 5k. Big difference. A 1.9 mile difference to be exact. But it was good. Need to find another one to do soon. The Opry Saturday night was also great. You guys inspired me to get off my butt and do all of that on Saturday, so thank you. I'd have felt like I was letting y'all down had I not done those two things.

Photos from both events coming.

Friday, October 24, 2008

I am SuperWoman!

Or is that... Crazy Woman?

Tommorrow's Agenda:

7am - Wake Up
- CHECK
7:45 - Leave My House
- CHECK
8:30 - Meet my Walk Team at LP Field
- CHECK
9:00 - 5k Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk
- Oops... 5 MILES not 5 KILOMETERS....CHECK
2:00 - Set Up for School Festival Booth
- CHECK
4:00 - 7:00 - Pampered Chef Booth
- CHECK
8:00 - Craig Morgan Opry Induction
9:15 - Craig Morgan Press Conference
- CHECK
9:30 - Craig Morgan PARTY
- CHECK -- It's official. I am SuperWoman!

In between... a lot of coughing and hopefully, a nap.

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Still Sick...

I'm laying in bed waiting on my latest ShortCuts to upload to the FTP server, and thought I'd check in to tell you I'm still alive. Barely. I don't think I'm ever going to get better. The only real blessing out of this whole thing is that I got a company laptop a few months ago, so I've been able to keep up on everything at work. I'm still at the office at some point every day, but not for as long as usual. By the time I come home at night, I'm completely spent, and I'm immediately in my PJ's crawling into bed.

Been through all kinds of medicines / home remedies / OTC stuff... I probably need a shot so that something might actually stay in my system. It doesn't do any good if you can't keep it down.

Today I'm on self imposed vocal rest. I had a 20 minute conversation yesterday with one of my NY co-workers yesterday that completely blew out my voice. I'm staying home this morning and not talking to anyone. Except y'all! Just writing and editing!

Off now to write a Blake Shelton show... he's cutting a ShortCuts this afternoon and Tracy Lawrence is on live with Storme at 4:30 ET. Lots going on this time of year, I just wish I could enjoy it!

Friday, October 17, 2008

Sickbed Blogging

Remember back not so long ago... when I said once I got through last week, and then made a trip to the cornfields, that I've have lots of time on my hands to get caught up?

ha. Ha ha. HA HA HA HA HAAAAAAAAAAAA! hee HEE hee hee HEE ha HA.

Yeah. So that didn't happen.

Much of the reason that didn't happen as I originally thought it would, is a good thing. If you've followed the media reports on my employer this week, I have to tell you, I ain't complaining!

The big main reason though, that I've had no time to blog, is that I've been sick Sick SICK.

OMG, I really wish someone would just shoot me and put me out of my slimy, germy, misery.

Every year in October, I get sick for a couple of weeks. Allergies of some sort. Kind of creeps up on me... then before I know it, I lose my voice and I've spent 2 weeks being miserable.

I guess it's because I was out of the Tennessee Death Bowl last weekend, because when I came back it hit me like a truckload of bricks. I will spare you the details, other than to say that I've been mostly encased in my sickbed, except for the few hours a day I go into the office and inflict my misery on everyone else. My husband has slept downstairs on the couch all week, while I bury myself in 7 or 8 blankets while running a 101.8 degree fever. On the bright side, I've had total control of the remote.

So in the interest of not spreading my sickness to the superstars, I passed on doing a Round Robin with Tim McGraw this week, which I was very disappointed about, as well as attending our ShortCuts taping with Lee Ann Womack.

So I don't really have a lot of scoop to share, other than telling you that Rascal Flatts has been following me. I saw their big ole semi's rolling down the interstate towards Nashville last weekend, and then they were parked outside the arena today. Hope they're not sick, too, they have a big show tonight!

Photos from the Cornfields


Assorted shots taken of the munchkins and the Spoon River Drive.
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Maddie loved the pony rides / Delaynie Face Painting /Baby Ryan mugs for the camera / The best fun in town: climing around Uncle Gary's pickup truck / Matching dresses (I'm so excited!) / Wolfpack Road / Indian on Mt. Pisgah (home of the ladybug swarms / View from Mt. Pisgah / Indian Laynie / The Spoon River / Red Sky at Uncle Doug's Farm / Ellisville x 3 / Maddie and Andrew climing around the bleachers at my old High School

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Tim McGraw's Apology

Tim McGraw Apologizes to Fans for Label’s Decision To Release Greatest Hits 3

NASHVILLE – (October 14, 2008)- Curb Records released a third hits package on Tim McGraw last week, a CD that was put into record stores without his involvement. McGraw has been working on a new studio album for over a year and debuted three new songs on this year’s “Live Your Voice Tour.” It was his desire to have the new record out this fall but Curb wanted to release a greatest hits CD to extend McGraw’s recording contract term.

“I am saddened and disappointed that my label chose to put out another hits album instead of new music,” said Tim McGraw. “I’ve only had one studio album since my last hits package. It has to be just as confusing to the fans as it is to me. I had no involvement in the creation or presentation of this record. Sure I love the songs and I don’t want to take anything away from all the creative people who were a part of making those records. But the whole concept is an embarrassment to me as an artist. In the spirit of an election year, I would simply say to my fans ‘I’m Tim McGraw and I don’t approve their message.’”

Wednesday, October 08, 2008

Coming Up For Air!

I can breathe again! Woo hoo! I had an incredibly productive day today, following 2 long days. I've put in about 35 hours in the first 3 days this week.

Backtracking a little... we taped a Billy Currington ShortCuts on Monday... turning it around to air on Friday. Huge kudos, by the way, to my buddy Katie over at Mercury Records. It makes a huge difference when I have music and songwriter credits and artist info before I write a show, and they really have their act together over there. Billy's show turned out great -- I put the finishing touches on it late yesterday, which allowed me to write a Driver's Ed with Eli Young Band while watching the debate last night, and then taped the DE show this morning. Schedule is always online at the Highway 16 web page - I just updated them today with new show info, so check it out!

The big thing consuming my time this week though was copious quantities of Kenny Chesney audio. An hour and a half of interview that got chopped up into 24 hours of programming for two channels, to be precise. I don't normally work much with No Shoes Radio, but Kenny's album comes out next Tuesday, so there's TONS of awesome programming headed your way. I just updated that web page today, so hopefully that will get pushed live tomorrow. I don't care if you like Kenny or not, if you're my friend, you're obligated to listen to 30 minutes of No Shoes Radio on Tuesday! :-P

The other thing of interest is that starting next week the Sirius team will start training and working out of the Sommet Center tower. We're all still playing the waiting game to see who has a job and who doesn't, but in the meantime, I've wrapped up my last objective in the new space, which was getting our plaques and things hung on the walls. My work here is complete. I'll have to shoot some more pictures, the place is looking sharp! The flooring that was ruined in our flood last month is getting worked on this weekend, and then we'll be all polished up for the new tenents. I even cleaned my desk today.

Now that I've got all of THAT taken care of, I must go color my hair... it's my last chance before heading to the cornfields.

Tuesday, October 07, 2008

Music City Motorcade Madness

I've decided that when I grow up, I want to produce Presidential motorcades. Actually, I just want to sit in on the planning session for one sometime. Or better yet, be listening in on the police radios when the command is given for every cop car within 3 miles to flip on their lights at the exact same moment and stop traffic. It's totally cool.

From where I sit -- having witnessed several Motorcade Moments in the past 2 days - the criminals must be getting away with everything this week, because I can't imagine there's an officer in Davidson County doing anything but what the Secret Service asks them to do. Have y'all ever seen one of these motorcades go by? 20+ local police vehicles, a handful of state police, an ambulance, several passenger vans of the same model and a dozen SUV's in a rainbow of colors. Who's paying for all that?

As a way of making this slightly country music related, Kellie Pickler got stuck in a parking lot on Music Row today when 17th was shut down. I was fortunate enough to miss that one by coming in the back alley to the parking garage of the studio where we were all working.

Another thing to add to my list of things to blog about -- what's up with Jack's Tracks? Interesting developments over there lately.

Just finished a Driver's Ed script, headed to bed. Some long days this week, but it will be worth it if I get munchkin time this weekend!

Monday, October 06, 2008

Tonight's View


Workin' late tonight editing my Billy Currington ShortCuts, and Storme Warren walks in. He asks me if Obama or McCain are doing something downtown, because Broadway is all blocked off. Here's what it looks like. Takes me back to the Al Gore days of traffic getting all crazy.

There were about 2 dozen cop cars in a 2 block stretch... it was a little absurd.

I have a secondary reason for dropping Storme's name in my blog... I shall report back on whether it works out or not. ;-)
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Sunday, October 05, 2008

Add this to the list


I know I have a backlog of blogging I haven't been able to get to lately... we need to put the Sunday night Opry at the Ryman to the list. This was a special Opry performance in honor of the Presidential debate this Tuesday here in Nashville at Belmont University, and the majority of performers were Belmont alumni.

I'm hoping my favorite Brad Paisley fan is going to share pictures until I can get back to fill in the details. If y'all will just bear with me through this week while I tackle a To Do list, then I'm off to the cornfields for the weekend, then my schedule looks like it will clear up for a while and we'll have lots of stuff to talk about.

For now, I have to go figure out which streets around Music Row are going to be closed so I can know if I'm going to be able to get to work on Tuesday! Kendel -- help? Can I get down 17th around 11am Tuesday morning?

Friday, October 03, 2008

Bluegrass's Biggest Night

The view from the bradcast booth - Stage Bling - The view from the stage
Kyle w/ Grascals Pre-Show - Marty w/ double award winner Michael Cleveland - Grascals performance - Backstage hall at the Ryman
Vince Gill presenting Entertainer of the Year
XM Crew w/ Daily & Vincent and all their trophies
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Thursday, October 02, 2008

And the Winner Is...

(Video Added At The Bottom)



I'm so excited! Kyle gave a great acceptance speech (as you'd expect the Bluegrass Broadcaster of the Year to do) and I got to be there with a front row seat. (Which made for great photos)


I'm off now to go change my email signature and business cards...

Joyce Rizer
Producer to the Bluegrass Broadcaster of the Year



Blogging For The Cure

I got a lovely email from a woman named Beka, asking me to let y'all know about yet another awesome thing Garth is doing for Susan G. Komen For the Cure. Seriously, is there no end to his Garthy Greatness? In part she says:

Garth donated an item to our Women Rock For The Cure eBay auction. This item was made specifically for our auction and Garth will personally autograph it to the winning bidder. All proceeds are donated to Susan G. Komen for the Cure - Greater Nashville.

The auction closes tomorrow 10/3. eBay page: http://myworld.ebay.com/womenrockforthecure

Go check it out -- the pictures she sent were cool... but then imagine it inscribed with YOUR name and Garth's signature! (Or... if you insist... you could have him sign it to me. Your choice...)