This week on Community Nashville, we had the privilege of speaking with Jen Starsinic, co-founder and Executive Director of Girls Write Nashville. This incredible organization is seeking to make Nashville’s music industry more accessible to young women while simultaneously providing a safe place for self expression and confidence building.
Starsinic, a musician in her own right, was struck by how disconnected the local music industry was from the local youth arts scene. How could it be that Music City wasn’t the absolute best place in the the world to grow up as a budding musician? Armed with experience as an educator, she set out to provide a more welcoming and inclusive experience for nine young girls – mostly referrals from friends and family. After the sessions of that first year of Girls Write Nashville had ended, Starsinic was caught off guard by the participants’ parting words: “we’ll see you again next year!” Just like that, an anticipated one-time program was on its way to becoming a successful year-round youth mentoring nonprofit.
Early on, Starsinic and her team found it important to see the songs their participants wrote all the way through to a finished recorded product. It was proof that these girls weren’t just going through the motions, the stories and melodies they were creating were good, no – like, really good. Girls stepped behind the console for the first time, providing direction to world class studio musicians on the other side of the glass. This past year, Girls Write Nashville was forced to record remotely, but according to Jen the obstacles led to surprisingly positive outcomes. Several girls from the program began craving more knowledge of home recording, and with fewer cooks in the kitchen during those home recording sessions, the songs emerged more creative and original than ever.
You can stream or purchase the newly released compilation album Sing Through The Quarantine now on all of your favorite platforms! If you’re interested in donating or volunteering, check out their website and e-mail info@girlswritenashville to learn more about getting involved.
Listen to our full interview with Girls Write Nashville co-founder and Executive Director, Jen Starsinic, below: