Music Citizens is a podcast series by WNXP and Nashville Public Radio about the people who make music work. Each episode will explore what it takes to do the jobs that keep the music business moving and introduce you to the characters who are often well known within their worlds but whose vital work goes largely uncelebrated.
Behind every Instagram ad, commercial, or TV trailer you see, there is a fierce battle over what song will get to play in the background. Music sync is one of the last places where independent artists can still make money, but it’s an increasingly crowded field. Meet: the Syncmaster, Katie Jelen, who’s fighting to get their songs placed.
Jason Moon Wilkins — Host
Justin Barney — Reporter
Kate Jelen — Sync Rep, Honestly Good Music
Madeline Dowling — Music Supervisor
Lynn Grossman — Owner, Secret Road
Que Parks — Musician
Annalisa Franklin — Musician
This episode was produced by Emily Siner, Justin Barney and Jason Moon Wilkins. Mixing and Mastering by Michael Pollard. Scoring by Jay Ragsdale. Special thanks to Tony Gonzalez, Jewly Hight, Celia Gregory, Megan Jones, Leigh Mayo, Carly Butler, Stephanie O’Byrne, and everyone who helped.
Institutional support from Tennessee Arts Commission, First Horizon Foundation. Follow WNXP on social platforms as @WNXPNashville
27 Apr 2026
TEASER: Music Citizens Episode 6
Behind every Instagram ad, commercial, or TV trailer you see, there is a fierce battle over what song will get to play in the background. Music sync is one of the last places where independent artists can still make money, but it’s an increasingly crowded field. Meet: the Syncmaster, Katie Jelen, who’s fighting to get their songs placed.
WNXP 91.ONE - Nashville's Music Experience
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11 Nov 2025
Music Citizens Episode 5: The Tastemaker
Music Citizens Episode 5 goes inside the highest stakes job in the industry - A&R. Through the lens and life of A&R lifer Kim Buie, we get to see that this glamorous job is mostly about losing. Missing out on artists who become superstars (her near-miss tale of N.W.A. is amazing), knowing that the majority of albums you help shepherd into the world will flop and being the person who has to say no to a musician’s lifelong dream. Buie explains what’s kept her going through all that, what shaped her tastes and how her approach differs from the way most major labels are approaching talent acquisition in the TikTok era.
· Jason Moon Wilkins — Host
· Justin Barney — Reporter, Producer
· Kim Buie — A&R legend
· Pete Ganbarg — A&R Executive
· Ben Folds— Musician
· Aaron Lee Tasjan - Musician
This episode was produced by Justin Barney, Emily Siner and Jason Moon Wilkins. Mixing and Mastering by Michael Pollard. Scoring by Jay Ragsdale. Special thanks to Tony Gonzalez, Jewly Hight, Tasha A.F. Lemley, Carly Butler, Stephanie O’Byrne, and everyone who helped.
Institutional support from Tennessee Arts Commission, Metro Arts Thrive and First Horizon Foundation. Follow WNXP on social platforms as @WNXPNashville
6 Nov 2025
TEASER: Music Citizens Episode 5
Music Citizens Episode 5 goes inside the highest stakes job in the industry - A&R. Through the lens and life of A&R lifer Kim Buie, we get to see that this glamorous job is mostly about losing. Missing out on artists who become superstars (her near-miss tale of N.W.A. is amazing), knowing that the majority of albums you help shepherd into the world will flop and being the person who has to say no to a musician’s lifelong dream.
Buie explains what’s kept her going through all that, what shaped her tastes and how her approach differs from the way most major labels are approaching talent acquisition in the TikTok era.
9 Jul 2025
Music Citizens Episode 4: The Wrangler
Host Jason Moon Wilkins interviews production manager Tori Butash, along with musicians Nick Sanborn and Amelia Meath, and crew member Michael Pollard, about the increasing complexities of live show production and touring.
3 Jul 2025
TEASER: Music Citizens Episode 4
Tori Butash, a Nashville production manager, reveals how live show expectations and the pandemic's impact complicate touring in this interview episode.
7 Apr 2025
Music Citizens Episode 3: The Tuner
Episode 3 of Music Citizens tells the story of Brent Arledge who is the most prolific piano tuner in Nashville, and possibly the world. He tunes the Ryman, the Schermerhorn and the Grand Ole Opry. He services dozens of studios and is trusted in the homes of countless Nashville musicians. Arledge’s craft can be heard on every song coming out of Music Row that features piano.
But elite piano tuning is grueling work. It’s taxing on the body, it strains relationships, and it never leads to fame or glory. How does someone become the top piano tuner in Nashville? And why would they want to?
Voices in the episode include:
Jason Moon Wilkins — Host
Justin Barney — Reporter, Producer
Brent Arledge — Piano Technician
James Arledge — Piano Technician
T Bone Burnett— Producer, musician
Ian Fitchuk — Producer, musician
Georgia Middleman— Singer/songwriter
This episode was produced by Justin Barney, Emily Siner and Jason Moon Wilkins. Mixing and Mastering by Michael Pollard. Special thanks to Tony Gonzalez, Jewly Hight, Rachel Iacovone, Char Daston, Tasha A.F. Lemley, Meribah Knight, Jesse Strauss, Carly Butler, Stephanie O’Byrne, and everyone who helped.
Institutional support from Tennessee Arts Commission, Metro Arts Thrive and First Horizon Foundation. Follow WNXP on social platforms as @WNXPNashville
2 Apr 2025
TEASER: Music Citizens Episode 3
Music Citizens Episode 3: The Tuner ready for launch on Monday, April 7th.
Episode 3 of Music Citizens tracks down Brent Arledge, Nashville’s, and possibly the world’s most prolific piano tuner. Arledge has played an uncredited part of every top ten hit featuring piano to come out of Music Row for the past 25 years. He tunes The Ryman, The Schermerhorn and The Grand Ole Opry. He is trusted in the homes of so many Nashville musicians.
In a city that is often so good at recognizing the key players on a song, service workers like Arledge are often forgotten. This episode gives credit where credit is due.
21 Nov 2024
Music Citizens Episode 2: The Operator
Music industry insiders Piper Payne, Drake Coker, Scott LeMasters, Mark Michaels, and Cam Sarrett expose the vinyl industry's hidden crisis point and its profound implications for music fans.
14 Nov 2024
Music Citizen Episode 2: The Operator ready for launch on Thursday, November 21!
Episode 2 of Music Citizens tells the story of Piper Payne, a scrappy, independent record manufacturer who opened up in the middle of the recent vinyl boom. But as her story unfolds, we discover the vinyl industry is at a profound inflection point that no one has reported on — until now.
20 Jun 2024
Music Citizens Episode 1: The Lifer
In Nashville, there are more people who work in the music industry per capita than any other city in the world. It’s the perfect setting for Music Citizens, a series about the people behind the scenes who make music work.
Episode 1 is about Bruce Fitzpatrick, owner of The End. We’re doing this series at a time when independent music venues like The End are in trouble. And it’s all precariously held together by one 80-year old man who does the job of 10 people.
Voices in the episode include:
Jason Moon Wilkins — Host
Justin Barney — Reporter, Producer
Bruce Fitzpatrick — Owner of The End
Alyson Estes — Assistant GM of The End
Michelle Egnasko — Legacy Promotions
Jason Ringenberg — Lead singer of Jason & the Scorchers
Danie Pujol — Lead singer of Pujol
Brennan Wedl – Musician
Amy Dee – Owner of Dee’s Country Cocktail Lounge
This episode was produced by Justin Barney, Emily Siner and Jason Moon Wilkins. Mixing and Mastering by Michael Pollard. Special thanks to Tony Gonzalez, Jewly Hight, Rachel Iacovone, Marquis Munson, LaTonya Turner, Meribah Knight, Jesse Strauss, Carly Butler, Stephanie O’Byrne, Emily Young and everyone who helped.
Institutional support from Metro Arts, National Endowment for the Arts, Tennessee Arts Commission, Metro Arts Thrive and First Horizon Foundation
Follow WNXP on social platforms as @WNXPNashville and for more on Music Citizens you can head over to WNXP.org/musiccitizens/ (https://wnxp.org/musiccitizens/)
17 Jun 2024
TEASER: Music Citizens
WNXP and Nashville Public Radio are proud to announce a new podcast series about the people in the music industry who make music work: Music Citizens. Each episode will explore the behind the scenes jobs of music's working class and the folks who do them. Episode one features The End’s owner/operator Bruce Fitzpatrick, “The Lifer.”
Music Citizens launches its first episode on Thursday, June 20, on 91.ONE FM, at wnxp.org (https://wnxp.org/musiccitizens/) and through all podcast outlets.
Who has been a guest on Music Citizens
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Tori Butash
Nick Sanborn
Amelia Meath
Michael Pollard
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
14 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
7 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 22 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
10
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
85
Contact Music Citizens
Guest appearances
Does not typically book guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.
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