For the past two years, I have heard many people profess that a wall exists between Texas and Nashville. Texas musicians claimed that Nashville tries to take Texas songs and force them into a cookie cutter to fit commercial success. And Nashville musicians claimed that Texas musicians refused to come to Nashville, as a way of keeping the Texas sound pure. I wondered which side was right.

I have a somewhat unique perspective on the situation. I can now look, as one person once put it, from both sides now. I am a Texas songwriter. I love Texas music, Texas songwriters, and all the opportunities that have opened up for me since I first started writing songs. I am a member of the Collin County Songwriters Association. I have performed with the Dallas Songwriters Association. My band has even performed at a festival outside of Austin.

I am also a member of the Nashville Songwriters Association, now entering my third year. My music contacts include Whisperin’ Bill Anderson, a country music legend, and Rivers Rutherford, who has written many great hits, including “There Ain’t Nothing About You” for Brooks and Dunn. One of my best friends once produced “Nashville Now” and “Backstage at the Grand Ole Opry.” Yes, he did get me backstage.

So who is correct in this Texas versus Nashville argument? The good news is, I don’t think either side is right. A wall may very well have existed for several years. But assuming it did, I believe it is now coming down.

During a recent trip to Nashville, I attended ten different shows of Tin Pan South, one of the largest country music festivals in the country. I consider it a tamer version of South by Southwest. Each show featured a group of three or four different songwriters. A few of them were young, but the majority were veterans who have had a lot of hits.

After each show, I introduced myself to the songwriters, and asked them specifically if they have any Texas music ties. About 75 percent of the time, the answer was “yes.” I was shocked, but pleasantly so. For me, music is music, regardless of where it comes from. And music lovers should appreciate the songs for their value, not their birthplace.

One example of the Nashville/Texas connection is Thom Sheppard. A very talented songwriter – he created the Redneck Yacht Club – Sheppard wrote “Cheaper to Keep Her,” which Texas native Kevin Fowler took to number-three on the Texas charts. Based on that success, Sheppard is now working on several songs that Fowler may put on his next CD.

I also found out that the membership director for the Nashville songwriters group is traveling soon to Austin, to help the Austin Songwriters build a stronger association for themselves. Cooperation is exciting. There are many more examples, which I will discuss in future stories. But it is refreshing to see the wall, perhaps, come tumbling down.