We are thrilled to shine a light on our friend Anne McCue today: world-class guitarist, producer, songwriter, singer, bandleader, and educator!
Welcome, Anne! Tell us a little bout how you first got connected with Fanny’s!
I already knew Pamela Cole before Fanny’s through dealings in the ol’ music biz. As soon as they opened the doors, Fanny’s became one of my favourite places in Nashville. I started teaching there about 3 or 4 years ago.
What is your first memory of Fanny’s?
I think it’s more of a feeling than anything else. A feeling of being welcomed – which was unlike most other music stores I’d been in where they were rude or condescending to female musicians. I once went into a music store in L.A. and said I was looking for a new distortion pedal. The guy just said, ‘you don’t look like you have a clue what you’re talking about.’ That’s why Fanny’s is so special! Everyone is welcome and given soul nourishment for their musical journey.
What would it have meant for you to have had access to a place like Fanny’s as a kid or teen?
It would have meant everything to me. I was too scared to play a guitar in the music stores in those days. I always had to build up a lot of courage just to go in and buy strings. I try to be the teacher I would have wanted when I was a kid. Someone who encourages and focusses on the joy. I’m not kidding when I tell you that my guitar teacher said to me, ‘There’s no such thing as a good female guitar player…’ That was just the kind of thing you heard all the time in those days.
Tell us a little bit about how and where you learned to play your instrument.
I started on piano when I was 8 and studied classical for about 6 years but joy was not attached to those lessons. When I was a teenager I switched over to guitar because I could practise without making too much noise. I could play for hours in my room without bothering anyone. I pretty much taught myself out of the Reader’s Digest Golden Treasury of Song. So I was learning songs by George Gershwin and Burt Bacharach etcetera. A pretty good education for a budding songwriter! Later on, when I joined a band, I decided to get some lessons and studied music theory on the guitar.
How has Nashville changed in your time here? What has stayed the same?
When we got here about 16 years ago it still felt like a big country town in many ways. Everything since then has become more complicated and more populated. There are more good restaurants – especially for a vegetarian such as myself. I think the music community is still strong and still a great community.
What are some of your favorite community-oriented events in this city?
The Women’s March, Tomato Fest, Pride, the Art Walks…
What do you love most about being a part of the Fanny’s family?
It’s nice to feel like you belong, especially when you have come from far away. It’s easy for an artiste to feel like a stranger because your life is not necessarily structured like most other people’s. In fact, lack of structure is almost a pre-requisite for real artistic endeavours because you always have to be ready for the Muse to make contact at any time. When you are part of something like Fanny’s, you have an anchor that helps you stay just grounded enough to get on.
What are your favorite Nashville neighborhoods?
5 Points has Fanny’s and The Good Fill (where you can refill your plastic containers with detergent, shampoo etcetera instead of buying more plastic) and it has the venues like The 5 Spot etcetera. I miss High Garden Tea so much. It was destroyed by the tornado but you can still order their teas online.
Riverside Village has some great restaurants and isn’t far from Grimey’s and The Groove Record Stores.
As a fellow music teacher, I am curious: what phrases do you find yourself saying to your students the most?
‘Be Patient.’
‘When you are learning something new, play very slowly so as to play the piece in time.’ ‘Listen.’
‘Check in every now and then to make sure you are relaxed. Take a breath.’
To visit Fanny’s online store, visit: https://fannys-house-of-music.myshopify.com/
To learn more about how you can support Fanny’s in fostering a safe, multi-generational arts space, visit https://www.fannysschoolofmusic.org
Blog by Georgia English / a Nashville-based musician, writer, illustrator, and educator.