In Nashville, a vigil was held for the victims of a mass shooting at the Covenant School. Mayor John Cooper expressed gratitude for the community’s support and the fostering of music as a healing gift. The event featured Ketch Secor, a founding member of the band Old Crow Medicine Show, who is also a parent of two school-aged children.
Secor, who co-founded the Episcopal School of Nashville, emphasized the personal impact of the tragedy on parents and students. He shared his reflections in an op-ed for The New York Times, calling for country musicians to address gun culture and its implications in their music.
The shooting has profoundly affected Nashville, a city known for its music industry. Secor recounted the fear felt by parents and the emotional toll at school pickup lines after the tragedy, highlighting the shock of such violence occurring in a familiar community.
In his op-ed, Secor argued that country music artists have a unique opportunity to influence discussions around gun violence. He believes Nashville can lead a response to the ongoing epidemic and mentioned the historical significance of the city in civil rights movements as a precedent for change.
Secor noted the reluctance of some country music artists to speak on political issues, citing past examples where artists faced backlash for their activism. Despite this, he believes unity in the country music community could amplify calls for change regarding gun violence.
The music world in Nashville is beginning to see some response, with benefit concerts supporting affected schools and growing conversations around the topic. Secor’s newly written song, “Louder Than Guns,” is intended to address the urgent need for action against gun violence.
As a community grapples with the impact of the Covenant School shooting, Secor calls for greater engagement from fellow artists and for a transformative movement within the country music genre, rooted in its cultural significance and storytelling tradition.
Source: Reported based on publicly available information from www.cnn.com.
