Belle Meade Country Club’s singers-in-the-making were recognized for their vocal talents during the club’s inaugural Employee Songwriter’s Night.
Club employees who whistle a happy tune as they work may be destined for stardom—that is, if they happen to work at Belle Meade Country Club.
Last August, the Nashville, Tenn., club’s singers-in-the-making were recognized for their vocal talents during the club’s inaugural Employee Songwriter’s Night. Modeled after the country-music capital’s Songwriters in the Round venue, the live-show format was adapted at the club level to promote Belle Meade’s in-house talent.
THE GOAL: Showcase the vocal talents of Belle Meade Country Club employees, several of whom are aspiring songwriters.
THE PLAN: Create a lively venue that attracts members and entertains guests, while providing an opportunity for staffers to wow and connect with the membership in new ways. THE PAYOFF: A standing-room-only showcase that fostered camaraderie among club members and staff, and got other employees interested in participating in future events. |
“The format is meant to mimic the ‘front porch’ and is totally unique to Nashville,” says Director of Clubhouse Operations Wes Hardin. “Many of the staff at Belle Meade are involved in the music business and/or are entertainers themselves, so we decided to give them the mic and see what they could do.”
Both employees and members were notified of the songwriters’ event through the club’s monthly newsletter, daily e-mails and app-based push notifications. Employees from all departments were eligible to participate and underwent an audition process, followed by a prep meeting a few days prior to the event.
On the night of the showcase, the club’s casual dining restaurant, the Deer Park Grill, was the place to be. While the entertainment was offered at no cost, the bar was open and the venue was standing-room only. Five employees took to the stage, with one individual serving strictly as guitar accompaniment.
“We did encourage them to sing their own original songs,” says Hardin of the performers. “They did finish with a few fun covers, to get the crowd riled up.”
Featured singers included Yanna, a server who Hardin says “proved to be the songbird with an amazing voice”; Hailey, a server and bartender who “brought the house down with her rock-and-roll”; Casey from maintenance, who “played some wonderful country soul songs”; and Chris, a bartender who Hardin dubs as a “troubadour country crooner.” Each performer was presented with a gift card and was featured in the club’s employee newsletter.
The event proved to be so popular that additional employees have already expressed an interest in performing next year. “We may have to reconsider the venue if we want the event to grow,” adds Hardin.
He credits the program with helping to bring members and staff closer together. “This turned out to be a great way to engage the members into the lives of the staff and to understand how many layers of talent are possessed by some of the people who take care of them every day,” he says.
And Hardin encourages other club managers to add this type of event at their own facilities, even if they may not be located in a music-centric locale like Nashville. “While clubs in other cities might not have the volume of songwriter talent to pull off the same event,” he notes, “[the concept] may still translate to other talents your employees have, such as comedy, theater or children’s entertainment.”
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