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Boots Randolph was best known for ‘Yakety Sax’ which he wrote and recorded in 1963. It was later used as the theme for the Benny Hill TV show.

During the recent 25th anniversary celebration of the Bluebird Café, the famous songwriter’s venue became a test case in the ever-changing digital music business. Country star Dierks Bentley performed for a packed room at the real Bluebird, while simultaneously appearing at a computer-generated Bluebird in the virtual world known as Second Life. WPLN’s Craig Havighurst reports.

The music business is enduring its most difficult period in generations, and Music City is not immune. CD sales for the first quarter of 2007 were nearly 20 percent lower than one year before, and country albums, after holding their own for several years, plunged more than 30 percent in the same period. At last month’s Digital Summit in Nashville, participants agreed that the business is being forced to change in fundamental ways. At the same time, many questioned how ready Nashville is to reinvent itself. WPLN’s Craig Havighurst reports.

Eight months after moving in to its new home at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center, the Nashville Symphony has announced a music education program that it hopes will be as impressive as its opulent hall.

Ever since the invention of electric guitars and garages, teenagers in bands have desired to make records. While it’s never been easier to record and release one’s own music, there’s still alot to learn. Now a senior in MTSU’s audio engineering program has launched an after-hours class to help kids who are too young to drive, but old enough to rock, figure out the basics.

It’s common in the recording industry for artist to graduate from independent labels to major labels before they have a shot at national hits. But country band Little Big Town did it backwards. Their debut release on Sony Nashville failed commercially and critically. But in 2006, the band found success on Equity Records, thanks in part to the belief of an executive who made a similar journey.

Last fall, the Americana Music Association named guitarist Kenny Vaughan instrumentalist of the year. For those who follow roots country and modern folk rock in Nashville, the honor came as little surprise. Through his work with recording artists such as Lucinda Williams, Rodney Crowell and others, Vaughan became a sought after sidemen. Now, he’s a full-time member of Marty Stuart’s band, adding to his resume of Fabulous Superlatives. WPLN’s Craig Havighurst reports.

As early as this week, Tower Records, including the Nashville stores at Opry Mills and the flagship outlet on West End Avenue, will close its doors for the last time. The demise of what was arguably Music City’s most important record retailer of the past 20 years says a lot about how we’re going to discover and purchase music in the years to come. As WPLN’s Craig Havighurst reports, many who thrived on browsing record bins and sharing tips with store clerks or fellow shoppers don’t like where their favorite hobby is heading.

Third generation guitar and stringed instrument maker Manuel Delgado moved recently from East Los Angeles to East Nashville. The last time the Delgado guitar company uprooted this significantly was when Manuel’s grandfather and great-uncle moved from Juarez, Mexico to the U.S. in the 1940s. He’s a one-man operation, but there’s something from those patriarchs in every instrument Manuel Delgado builds, as WPLN’s Craig Havighurst reports.

In recent years, East Nashville has enjoyed some of the city’s most vibrant growth and development. Besides new condominiums, restaurants and residents,the area has also seen an unprecedented influx of musicians, songwriters and producers. A new 2-CD compilation titled “The Other Side” documents a close-knit and exciting music scene.