A typical day on the farm calls for early rising, checking the livestock and driving tractors.
For senior music business major Aniston Pate, her tractor rides were one of her first introductions to the world of country music.
She loved driving the tractor - even if the radio only had one channel.
“A lot of music was listened to while driving the tractor. You have nothing to do but sit there and listen,” said Pate. “I'd get in the tractor and I turned the Bobby Bones show on, and I remember, wanting to be in Nashville.”
And to Nashville, she went.
Pate has become a prominent figure in Belmont’s music scene, most recently winning Belmont’s Country Showcase and punching her ticket to the Best of the Best Showcase later this semester.
Pate was also rewarded with a slot to perform alongside country music stars at CMA Fest when it comes to downtown this summer.
“It's just the opportunity of a lifetime. It's one of those bucket list things that I'm so excited to mark off, and we're already making plans on, how my family is going to get here, and it's pretty surreal,” she said.
But for Pate, it wasn’t all denim, boots and cowboy hats to get to the Fisher Center stage.
“I've played dive bar after dive bar after dive bar and just kind of cut my teeth, and I think that that's how I got to where I am now,” she said.
Her work ethic, instilled in her from summers at her stepdad’s farm, translated to her approach when it came to songwriting and performing.
“I think the best thing somebody can say about me is that I'm hard-working, and I think that I learned how to work hard through working on the farm with my dad,” she said.
She also took inspiration from the rodeo culture she grew up around in Dalhart, Texas.
Whether it's going to a honkytonk with one of her girlfriends, or a personal heartbreak, Pate wants her experiences to resonate with listeners and be true to the aspirations of country.
“I remember turning a corner whenever I started to look at my past and look at how I was raised and the people around me. I started to write songs about my family and about where I'm from, and I think that was a big turning point to me,” she said. “No matter where you're from, it's so detailed, and it's all about experiences that a lot of us share.”
Strolling out on the Fisher stage in a flowing red dress, black boots and a matching black cowboy hat, Pate performed a number of the songs that brought her to this point in her career.
Pate’s friend also made the trip from Dalhart to Nashville.
Her light wood Gibson guitar has been with her every step of the way.
“I remember going to Guitar Center in Amarillo, Texas, and I sat down and I played a bunch of guitars. I don't know what it was about the guitar. It just felt right. I liked the way that it sounded, and it fit me,” said Pate. “It's just kind of been what's stuck with me through these years.”
It’s nothing fancy, but it doesn’t have to be.
For Pate, she doesn’t care about aesthetics, she cares about sounds which is true of both her guitar and her music.
“Every time I play it, somebody in the band goes, ‘gosh, that guitar sounds so good’…It might look kind of dinky and kind of funny and kind of cheap, but it is me,” she said. “It's been through so much with me, and I'm glad to still have it around.”
And with it in hand, she won Country Showcase and is now looking to transition to become a professional country music artist.
“I mean, I think through this last year, I've definitely found my ‘sound.’ I think that's what they call it in Nashville, but I really have narrowed down who I am and what makes me different,” she said. “I would love to put out more music, and I think that that's kind of the plan. I'm trying to get a publishing deal, and I would love to hit the road with my band.”
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This article was written by Braden Simmons
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