CMT Blog: Archive

When I think of camp, I think of campy things. Middle-of-the-night pranks, bologna sandwiches in the mess hall, catching fireflies, roasting marshmallows on a stick and singing "The Zulu King" with reckless abandon.

But this new camp is so not that kind of camp. For starters, CMT Camp Nashville gives you a country star name before you even register. Mine was Jesse Walton, then I put in a friend's name and his was John Boy Hickman. And there's no real camping involved in this camp. (You actually bunk at the boutiquey Hotel Indigo near downtown Nashville.)

Besides just the sheer fun of five days and nights in May in Music City, the objective of this camp is to let fans experience the life of a country music superstar. To that end, you get roadies to pick you up at the airport and haul your stuff. You get coaching from country artists. You go to auditions, write songs, start a band, get vocal coaching and record in a real recording studio. Then there is the nightlife. One night, there's a private show from Ronnie Milsap, and another night, it's from John Rich. And on the last night, you open a Phil Vassar and Lady Antebellum concert at the Wildhorse Saloon.

All good, right? There's a catch, though. It $8,500. But if you need to rationalize that to a husband/girlfriend/parent, run these numbers by him/her:

Five nights at a nice Nashville hotel: $1000. Five days of meals, snacks, Goo Goo Clusters and drinks: $500. Great seats for Vassar, Lady A, Rich and Milsap concerts: $500. Expert coaching: $1,000. Recording session: $1,000

I realize that still only adds up to $4,000. But what you can't really put a price tag on is the hanging with the stars part. For a true country fan, that's got to be worth at least $4,500.