As the campus buzz dwindled down on the Monday before fall break, I walked into a Buttrick classroom and was greeted with faces of students from around the Nashville community. Vanderbilt and Belmont students, Nashville locals and other members of The Music Room — an organization of college students aiming to uplift students interested in the music community — chatted as they waited for the singer-songwriter Daniel Nunnelee to arrive. Though the group fit comfortably within the 30-person classroom, it created an intimate atmosphere that allowed students to truly get to know each other.

Once Nunnelee entered the room with a guitar case in hand, it was clear that his energy could calm a crowd of thousands. As the session began, Nunnelee made students feel comfortable to ask hard-hitting questions about life as an artist in Nashville and the reality behind performing and writing songs. Questions about lyrics, music management and everything in between made Nunnelee smile, and the passion for his craft was evident from the glimmer in his eyes. 

Prompted by the audience’s interest in getting started in the industry, Nunnelee gave the advice to keep playing gigs and to find a musical community for one to share their work, receive feedback and grow. He highlighted how he shares a lot of his music that is in progress during weekly meet-ups with other Nashville artists as a way to receive constructive feedback and grow as a musician. He encouraged students to try performing in open mic nights in the area. 

After the questions settled, Nunnelee pulled out his acoustic guitar to play a few songs for the crowd. Pulling out a chair to sit in, he stacked his feet on top of his guitar case, tapped his foot lightly on top of its roof and sang his heart out. Nunnelee played a student request “Pick and Choose” — which is also a viral hit — followed by an unreleased song he recently wrote. Through wide smiles and far-off stares, performing took him to another realm where all that existed was him and his music. Surrounded by chalkboards and laptops, Daniel Nunelee turned a Buttrick classroom into a world stage.