David Andersen: Nashville's Ambassador of Music City U.S.A.

Guitarist Andersen is "Ambassador of Music City" David Andersen loves his job, a job that countless thousands of musicians would kill to have.
He actually makes a living playing the guitar.

But he doesn't play just anywhere, as he has the privilege of representing Nashville as the "Ambassador of Music City" at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum (photos), where he has greeted more than a million visitors from around the world who have walked through the building's doors during more than 2,000 of his daily performances.

A gifted guitarist who can play nearly any song upon request - and play it flawlessly in a jazz-oriented solo style featuring both rhythm and melody - Andersen has become a Music City legend who is also in demand at other venues and functions, not only as a guitarist, but also as a pianist.

"Playing for so many people around the world has enabled me to discover the beauty, the simplicity and the appeal of what makes people request a certain song," he says. "Songs like 'Release Me' or "Make the World Go Away' - these are songs that say something everyone can identify with in just a few words. Playing requests for people everywhere has helped me really find the common thread in humanity and in the songs that people everywhere are familiar with."

A guitar virtuoso with a repertoire that leaves the heads of most other musicians spinning, Andersen has released his own original CDs as well, his latest being "Sundown," a jazz-tinged recording that features backing from some of Nashville's finest players, all of whom probably envy his day job as Nashville's musical representative to the world. Andersen was a successful musician on the West Coast before making his way to Nashville, where he has found a unique, usually unheard-of, success, gaining an international audience without ever leaving town.

"It's a privilege to be able to connect with so many people through music, to touch them with my playing," he says. "I can't imagine anything better, and it's a privilege to have so many people see my role as Nashville's ambassador the way they do."

You can read more about David, his music, and more at www.davidandersenmusic.com.

Article Written & Submitted by Rick Moore