Nashville Ear is all about songwriting. We strive to offer a comprehensive collection of songwriter resources while promoting the music of quality songwriters. We are here to guide songwriters in many of their endeavors, whether it be finding songwriter venues or collaborations, demo services, song critiques or presenting their songs to the public. We listen to the music of independent songwriters worldwide, and offer visitors of this site a great variety of quality original songs for their listening pleasure. You never know what you will hear at NashvilleEar. We believe you will be pleasantly surprised.

Nashville Ear service for songwriters was established in 1998 after seeing songwriters ripped off regularly in Nashville. I was running with a songwriter buddy named Ernie Simms at the time. Ernie moved to Nashville as a songwriter several years before. He got a record promoter to help him dispose of his disposable income in several schemes to help promote his music. None of them did anything positive for Ernie. This is why I started Nashville Ear.com to promote songwriters original songs for free. Independent songwriters have a hard time getting their music out to be heard. I just help them get noticed.

Ernie and I decided it was just not right to treat songwriters in Nashville in a shabby way. This is not how we want Nashville to be perceived by the outside world. Ernie started a TV show called 'Nashville Onstage". Ernie and his wife Debbie would ask songwriters from all over the world to come to Nashville and play their original songs onstage at the Preston Hotel. Ernie would video each performance and put them on Nashville Public TV for everyone to enjoy and to help promote the songwriters music.

I was helping Ernie produce the computer side of his shows and update his website up until his untimely death. Ernie had retired for about 6 months from working 20 years at the Veterans Administration. He was onstage playing his guitar at a benefit show for "Operation Stand-Down" for Veterans from the Vietnam era. Ernie was called home when his big heart just gave out right there onstage.

I had an influential uncle named Buel McNaron who was a good songwriter from Birmingham Alabama . I used to talk with my uncle about songwriting back years ago. His main focus was songwriting but his other focus was getting someone to hear what he had created. He lived in Alabama and drove to Nashville several times each year for songwriting conventions and meetings. He was always giving anyone he met his songs on cassette tape. He said he would slip them into peoples jacket pockets when at these Nashville conventions of songwriters and music producers.
He and I both thought there should be a way for an independent songwriter to get his music out to the general public without spending a bunch of money.

We talked one afternoon in 1970 about how to help songwriters. My uncle Buel gave me his "million dollar idea" to help songwriters. He told me if I started a business in Nashville with a Nashville mailing address and Nashville Phone number then take out an advertisement on Billboard Magazine and called it "The Nashville Ear" people would bring me so many songs I would not know how to handle it. This was years before the Internet.

Fast forward 44 years later.
My Uncle Buel was right! I have people giving me enough music to keep me busy .
I listen evaluate and respond quickly to most songs I receive.. I have been blessed with hundreds of people sending me music. With the Internet It is fairly easy to deal with the music and get back with folks. I started this Nashville Ear as a way to help songwriters. I always have made this a free service to all songwriters.
I have video taped over 1000 live shows by songwriters here in Nashville the past few years I have them all on my Youtube channel.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNhiLd4IaO0YPnok5nSverA
I have around 300,000 views with 742 subscribers as of this writing. The NashvilleEar has done what I wanted it to do. We show the world independent songwriters singing their original songs live on stage. I try my best to get the songwriters noticed on the internet for the quality of their lyrics .I also want to highlight the performances that they do nightly that very few ever actually see. I will never charge any songwriter one thin dime to help them get their songs noticed. I have met each and every songwriter on this site.. Most of these songwriters have played on one or more of my Nashville Ear Songwriter Shows over the years. I consider each of them songwriter friends.
My uncles "Million Dollar" idea was not a monetary goal.
I receive a million dollars worth of love and friendship from these songwriters with whom I meet in this lifelong love endeavor.

I would like to create a place for songwriters to come and learn the craft without getting ripped off in the process.

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What is Nashville Ear?
As observed by Jeremy Dean (singer, songwriter, producer, and host).

NashvilleEar is not just another venue for songwriters to expose their music via the Internet. As well, NashvilleEar is not merely about helping songwriters get their music noticed. They do not claim to produce magical effects. They do not sell keys to success. But they also do not use tricks or gimmicks to persuade would-be songwriters with ulterior motives for their own gain. As a matter of fact, they often hear the skeptical question: "What's the catch?" The catch appears to be that they seek to channel quality songwriting while giving songwriters the tools and venues that can set them on a path to fulfilling their songwriting goals, and most importantly, achieving the personal success that comes with "putting in the time."

NashvilleEar began as one man's hobby, with a passion for great songs. Founder, Steve McNaron, recalls a time in his childhood when his uncle, a musician and songwriter, told him, "If you can build something that will help songwriters, and you call it 'NashvilleEar," it will be a success." So, many years later, with a realization of the power of a growing internet, Steve McNaron set out on a quest to build on his uncle's dream and continue his passion, while developing an organization that has won the hearts of independent songwriters worldwide. Steve says, "I assure you, I have only one thing I want out of this venture - I want to help songwriters in their quest to get their music out to the world...and I get to meet some really nice people." What other songwriting promotion site or company has a business plan like that - to meet nice people? For Steve McNaron, it has worked. Since its inception in 1998, NashvilleEar.com has grown to a vast worldwide audience of independent songwriters, with hundreds of new "hits" on the site each month. Songwriters use NashvilleEar.com as a resource center for everything they need. NashvilleEar.com promotes services of valid credibility for all aspects of a songwriting lifestyle: recording services, product services, songwriting tools, songwriter venues, articles and promotions for increasing songwriter knowledge, and much more.

Creating NashvilleEar, while remembering his uncle's advice, Steve McNaron also recalls, "A dear friend of mine, Ernie Simms, ran a show called 'Nashville Onstage,' which was a television show. It helped hundreds of performers and songwriters, giving them the opportunity to perform "live" on-stage at the Preston Hotel. He would tape the shows, video and audio, and put them on public television. He never charged anyone for being on his show. They were truly guests. His selfless attitude was an inspiration for me.

Ernie used to say, 'Everyone in the music business needs a break sometime.' I promised him that I would continue this work and keep it free to the songwriters. We both thought there should be someone trying to help the new songwriters and artists get their start without getting in their pockets. There are enough professional music industry folks who will help you part with your cash.

I am building my 'Karma Bank' by helping the songwriters, and I seem to always receive more from the songwriters than I have given. So, while my buddy, Ernie, is no longer with us, his vision is still alive."

Here is the opening of Ernies show "Nashville Onstage":
http://youtu.be/NhOA9WCerlo