If you’re a musician, at some point, the city of Nashville will be in your plans.

Music City USA has earned its namesake. For decades, aspiring young, and not so young country artists have packed up all of their belongings and moved to the birthplace of country music as we all know it. A few were overnight successes.

It took others a while to make a splash.

And still others found odd jobs and waited years, and finally got their break.

While it’s true not everybody that sets out to become a country superstar makes the grade- in fact, it’s hard to be considered in the Nashville elite as an “A” lister- that doesn’t stop many from finding out what all the fuss is about.

Nashville is still country music’s home. But it’s quickly becoming the home for artists of all genres to see, and be seen.

There is one particular area that Nashville is successful in keeping traditional, and deems it important enough every year to draw radio station programmers and music directors to the city. Sure, it’s a party to some extent, but the Country Radio Seminar- CRS- is not duplicated anywhere in the country by any other radio format.

There’s a lot to be said about your country music superstar. I take notice and pride in the fact that when an artist wins an award, more times than not, they will thank RADIO as part of being their success. Country artists take the time to talk to stations, and in turn their audience base, and make them feel like they’re part of the family. Because, really, the listener is to the true country music artist. And vice versa.

That’s why radio stations like the legendary WSM are known worldwide.

Country programmers mingle with artists and attend seminars each year that both inform and entertain. Networking is everything. And it is much easier now than ever before to network and never spend a dime on hotels, meals, and functions.

But then, you miss out on the true meaning of CRS. Shaking hands. Have a beverage. Share ideas. No matter WHAT you do in life, it’s always better to try and do it in person. CRS has never lost touch with that human element.

CRS brings all together once a year to place a face with the name. Many programmers have gone for years. Many go one year, and move on, and never go again. Same with promoters and record label personnel. But truth be told, CRS is really a must-attend function for programmers, and artists, too. Showcases for new artists are months in the planning for a one hour set to grab somebody’s attention.

It’s not by fluke that the Grammy awards named a country crossover hit, “Need You Now” by Lady Antebellum, as the song of the year. This multi-format hit had a hook that was unforgettable and all of us could relate to that one person that we really “needed” at some point in our life.

Country is real. Country is home. Country is roots.

Most, if not all that attend every year, leave with those sentiments. And a sad realization that it will be another year before we all come together again.