A superstar country group came to Hunters Lane High School this month to sing a few songs, share some insights, and listen to music students’ own compositions.
Old Dominion, which has won the CMA Award for Top Vocal Group for six years running as well as the Academy of Country Music’s Group of the Year Award each of the last seven years, visited choral music teacher Allison Snyder’s Music Tech class at Hunters Lane through a partnership with Save the Music, which donated funds to build a music studio at the Madison-area school in 2021.
Band members Matthew Ramsey, Trevor Rosen, Geoff Sprung, and Brad Tursi answered students’ questions for about 30 minutes, sharing the group’s Virginia-to-Nashville history, their long road to success, their songwriting inspirations, and what’s changed in the music industry since they started. 
“The business is what you make it,” Ramsey said, noting how TikTok and other platforms have made it much easier for young musicians to share their work and find an audience.
The Old Dominion musicians encouraged the students to follow the music that inspires them rather than chasing trends and urged them to enjoy this time in their lives even as they plan for future success.
“What’s happening right now is just as important, and it’s enjoyable, it’s amazing, it’s to be appreciated,” Sprung said.
They also said students should write as much as they can.
“It’s a muscle,” Ramsey said of songwriting. “You have to use it.”
Old Dominion then performed three of their chart-topping songs on acoustic guitars and electric bass: “Make It Sweet,” “Song for Another Time,” and “One-Man Band.”
Students Showcasing Their Talents
Hunters Lane seniors Ronin Freeman and Grace “GiGi” Johnson also shared samples of their own songs, drawing praise from the Old Dominion members for their musical skill and arrangements.
MNPS Director of Schools Dr. Adrienne Battle thanked Old Dominion, Save the Music, the Hunters Lane team, and others for creating the opportunity for the students to meet and hear the band.
“The way you filled the space today, just being so authentic with our children and connecting with them and, quite frankly, inspiring them, inspiring me as well around work that we want to accomplish here in Metro Nashville Public Schools ... I have an extra bounce in my step today,” Dr. Battle told Ramsey, Rosen, Sprung, and Tursi at the end of the class.
“We have a mantra in Metro Nashville Public Schools, which is Every Student Known, and it’s experiences like this that help us really tap into the talent of our students.”
