This Is Nashville

This week, our Roundabout panel discusses President Donald Trump’s second first year.Have we entered “The golden age of America” as President Trump said during his inauguration speech — or something else entirely? Immigration policy. The economy. Military action in foreign lands. We break it all down. Plus, we want to hear from you. Call 615-760-2000 during the live show or pop into chat on our YouTube stream to weigh in with your question or comment.Guests:Mike Floss, Co-founder, Southern Movement CommitteeIan Shapiro, PhD, Political Science, Tennessee State UniversityChris Walker, Founding partner, The Poplar Group

It’s hard to make heads or tails of the housing market in Nashville.You’ve got McMansions sitting for months and starter homes swept up in a flash. If you’re selling you’re a little nervous. If you’re buying, you’re also a little nervous. Can it really be that you need a six-figure income to be a homeowner in Middle Tennessee? We’ve got your market report. A homebuyer, a real estate agent, an academic and a policy maker. And you. We’re taking your calls today. Join our real estate reality check.This episode was produced by Josh Deepan. Guests Kenneth Chilton, TSU Professor of Public Administration Dexter Evans, active homebuyer Gabriela Lira, Real Estate Agent, The Lira Group Rollin Horton, Nashville Metro Councilmember (District 20)

We bring Leonard Slatkin to our podium on the eve of his first performance in this new era at the helm of the Nashville Symphony. He’s one of the most prominent American conductors of our time, and he’s back in town 20 years after serving a similar interim period between permanent conductors. We get reacquainted, talk about the state of classical music and take your calls live later in the show at 615-760-2000.This episode was produced by host Blake Farmer.

The Tennessee General Assembly reconvenes for another session this week. Today we take you inside the halls of power to preview the key issues, potential legislation and the political dynamics that will shape the next few months – and our state’s future. We hear from reporters who offer insights into what’s at stake and break down major topics expected to dominate the conversation in the coming months — from school vouchers and immigration policy to targeting drag shows. It's a lot. And we want to hear from you: What issues are important to you? And what do you want from lawmakers in the coming months? Join the conversation by calling 615-760-2000.This episode was produced by Mary Mancini.Guests Sam Stockard, Reporter and Columnist, Tennessee Lookout Marianna Bacallao, State Legislature Reporter, WPLN Mandy Spears, Executive vice president, The Sycamore Institute

Is Major League Baseball on the horizon? Women's basketball? Nascar?Today we check in on the professional sports eco-system in Nashville: baseball, football, soccer, how far hockey has come — and the $2 billion dome going up for a team that’s coming off one of its worst seasons to date.This episode was produced by Mary Mancini.Guests: Emma May-Bradley, Co-founder, Playmakers; sports marketing professional David Boclair, Veteran Nashville sports reporter, host of First & Tenn pod and Digital Producer for Nashville Banner Will General, Director of Marketing, Music City Baseball Johari Matthews, Vice President & Executive Director of ONE Community & Titans Foundation, Board of Directors,  Playmakers Nate Rau, Axios Nashville Erin Ryder, Professor of Practice, Department of Sport Administration, Belmont University; Co-founder,  Playmakers

It might be hard to believe after a visit to Lower Broadway, but fewer people are drinking these days – at least that’s what folks are telling pollsters.According to Gallup, people say they are abstaining from alcohol more now than in the past 85 years. Besides being generally better for your health, going booze-free has become fashionable. On today's show, we’re exploring what it looks like to dry out in a drinking town – from non-alcoholic alternatives to navigating a wet world while sober.This episode was produced by Josh Deepan. Guests: Michael Caldwell, MD, Meharry Medical College Stephanie Styll, Killjoy Booze-Free Beverage Shop Owner Ian Cox, Milestone Brands (Empress 0.0 Indigo Gin) Hal Tayip, Titans Enthusiast, Kurdish American Further reading:  WPLN: Navigating Nashville's nightlife scene while sober WPLN: Out, About: You don't need a drink in Nashville to have fun!  The Tennessean: Why NA drinks, mocktails can be tricky for those of us in recovery

What kind of person can light up the stage at the Lipstick Lounge and a 7th-grade classroom?A genuine original named Benjamin Slinkard, that’s who. Ben, also known as Kennedy Ann Scott, is the 2022 Metro Schools Teacher of the Year. Kennedy Ann is a local favorite drag queen and community staple. Today, we chat with Benjamin about growing up in a small Missouri town, the birth and longevity of Kennedy Ann, and the life experiences that connect the two.This episode was produced by Mary Mancini.

Today our Roundabout panel of guests focuses exclusively on Venezuela, breaking down the consequences of the president’s capture and the potential impact felt here Middle Tennessee.And we take your calls. Are you celebrating the fall of a dictator? Concerned about what comes next? Confused about how this impacts our Venezuelan neighbors? Call 615-760-2000 to join the conversation.This episode was produced by Mary Mancini.

Freddie O’Connell is back for the first “Ask the Mayor” of 2026!Today, along with your questions, we'll ask him about East Bank development, the main Public Library branch, racing at The Fairgrounds and more.Plus, the phone lines will stay open for you to shout out your upcoming community event. Joining us to talk about WPLN's weekly event amplification, What Where Whens-day, is curator and WNXP music director Marquis Munson.Call 615-760-2000 — or pop your question or event into chat — we’re streaming live today at youtube.com/@wpln.Guests Freddie O’Connell, Mayor, Metro Nashville and Davidson County Marquis Munson, What Where When-sday curator and WNXP music director

Shape-note singing is one of the oldest musical traditions in this country. It’s a practice that began in colonial America, and after centuries of ups and downs in popularity, today it’s finding an expanded and surprisingly diverse new following. And some of its singers believe the music can teach democracy a thing or two.Join hosts Laura Atkinson and Justin Hicks as they trace the shape-note tradition from its origins 200 years ago to the largest Sacred Harp singing in living memory. “Shapes of America” is a special from Louisville Public Media and the Appalachia + Mid-South Newsroom.

Our guest this hour is the frontman of the punk rock trio The RIP Taylors. Their latest album – Negativity Bias – has songs with titles like “I still don’t believe in you,” “I gotta bad attitude,” and “I’m not like…ya know…whatever.” It’s the passion project of Mikey Noechel, who thinks a lot about our state of mind. He’s a Buddhist teacher who guides the Wild Heart Meditation Center on the east side. From ritzy retreat halls to Riverbend Maximum Security Prison, he’s teaching mindfulness wherever he finds himself. And he’s helping us face the new year together. 

Although This Is Nashville broadcasts from our studios in Metrocenter, sometimes we let the producers out in the wild to collect tape.If editors find it compelling enough, producers develop a feature out of what they collected. On today’s best-of edition of This Is Nashville, we take a behind-the-scenes look at what went into producing some of 2025’s feature stories that aired both during the show and on the news side.This episode was produced by Josh Deepan. Guests Tasha A.F. Lemley, This Is Nashville Managing Editor Josh Deepan, This Is Nashville Multimedia Producer Mary Mancini, This Is Nashville Multimedia Producer Featuring Harm reduction in Tennessee: a week of perspectives How the Eviction Right to Counsel Program supports evictees Neither 'Monkeytown' nor Bible thumpers

Every week This is Nashville presents The Roundabout where we bring together a panel of guests spanning the political spectrum to unpack the week’s biggest news and hear directly from listeners across Middle Tennessee. For this special “Best of…” episode we revisit some of the most timely conversations, surprising moments of agreement, and thoughtful opinions.Featuring How will Vanderbilt answer Trump? with Marianna Bacallao, state legislative reporter, WPLN; Rep. Jody Barrett, state house representative; Bruce Barry, Vanderbilt professor;  Tennessee Lookout contributor Vouchers with Maryam Abolfazli, founder of Rise & Shine TN; Shaka Mitchell, Sr. Fellow for the American Federation for Children; Pat Nolan, political analyst and retired journalist The real-world economy with Molly Davis, Reporter, The Tennessean; Kara Smith, PhD, Belmont University Professor of Economics; Mandy Spears, Executive Vice President, The Sycamore Institute Southern Christians and the death penalty with Liam Adams, religion reporter, Tennessean; Russell Moore, Editor at-large of Christianity Today; Dr. Phillis Sheppard, professor of religion and psychology, Vanderbilt University

A songwriter who climbed out of the shadow of her first song, a nonprofit leader who refuses to see his own disability, a restaurateur with a hot take on tourism, a humorist who leaned into her heritage, a forward-thinking physician who rediscovered her mom’s remedies, and the sentimental saint of the Opry. It's the best of our weekly profile interviews, all in one episode. Further listening: Tia Sillers Fred Bailey Tom Morales Andi Marie Tillman Dr. Britt Stone Whisperin' Bill Anderson

Nashville has a long history of celebrating the holidays with musical performances.Nashville has a long history of celebrating the holidays with musical performances. Belmont’s Christmas Eve concert played on their tower’s 42-bell carillon dates back to 1929. Amy and Vince have been gracing the Ryman Stage since 2008. Today we feature holiday music traditions that exist beyond the mainstream, in pockets throughout the city. A Longest Night Solstice Eve gathering and Moon Requiem at St. Augustine's. A sampler of holiday songs released by indie label yk Records. And a holiday shopping anthem by local Post-punk/power-pop legends, Tower Defense.Guests Michael Eades, Owner, YK Records Jereme Frey | Drummer, Tower Defense Mike Shepherd | Guitar, Tower Defense Rev. Scott Owings | Associate Chaplain and Pastoral Leadership, St. Augustine’s Christopher Roberts

If you see a man with three, maybe four cameras hanging around his neck, odds are you've crossed paths with Ray Di Pietro.He's literally taken millions of photos of Nashville, documenting anything from historic moments to flowers on the sidewalk. He follows three mantras in his profession: do the work, show up, and be kind. Now, he shows up in our studio to kindly share what makes him so passionate about his work in Nashville and how a visual rendition of the city’s history adds to the local fabric. This episode was produced by Josh Deepan.Guest: Ray Di Pietro, photojournalist

Mary Elizabeth Vinett died on November 21, 2025, and her family decided her 90 years on the planet deserved more than the average obituary. So they tried to capture her essence starting with the first paragraph. "Beth was loved by all, perhaps because she was so outrageously funny," they wrote. "A storyteller extraordinaire who changed the essence of a room just by entering it. She smoked with a style and elegance that made you wonder why you ever quit."May we all be remembered so colorfully.The end of the year puts us in a reflective mood, so collectively we're remembering those we've lost in Middle Tennessee during 2025. With the help of listeners submitting one-minute memorials or calling in live, we’re celebrating long lives and lives cut short and remembering their contributions to our community, large and small.   Plus, a visit to the East Nashville wind telephone, where calls connect to lost loved ones.Guests: Christal Pennic, therapist and founder of The Grief Center Almeta Slater-Rogers, founder and CEO of UnSaid Memories  Further reading: Jen Alexander Bobby Cain Dot Dobbins Lucille Duke Vincent Martin Marquez Ruel Oquindo Marjorie Pisapia Mary Elizabeth Vinett Ridley Wills II  

A simple aluminum pole. The annual airing of grievances. The legendary feats of strength. It can only mean one thing: It’s Festivus - the holiday for the rest of us. And to kick the Festivus season off right this year,  Mayor Freddie O’Connell will be here to take your questions and comments…and maybe demonstrate a few feats of strength. Now, the very first Festivus may not have included Ask the Mayor…or the Muppets…or 8 french horns…but ours does. It’s Festivus for the Rest of Us!Call 615-760-2000 to ask Freddie — or pop your question into chat — we’re streaming live today at youtube.com/@wpln.Special thanks to Mark Lemley and Daniel Jones.Guests Freddie O’Connell, Mayor, Metro Nashville and Davidson County Nashville Horn Hang Elaine Braun - Conductor  Rich Davis  Leigh-Anne Eftychiou  Walter Everton  Clare Gibson  Julia Hedrick  Tim Mullican  Kent Stewart  Glenn Trew   Kindling Arts Festival takes on The Muppets Christmas Carol Emma Supica (Gonzo)  Cammie York (Rizzo)  Seth Nathan Green (Kermit)    

It’s Curious Nashville: where WPLN News answers your questions about Middle Tennessee and takes you on a monthly adventure to find answers. Today we’re shining a light on an obscure album recorded in Nashville more than 50 years ago that features a Christmas choir performing inside the lobby of a downtown bank. Astute local listener Matthew Bond came across the record two decades ago and wondered: Why did a bank form a choir? And what were their performances like? In today's story, we revisit the city's banking history and learn just how popular an all-volunteer choir became.We're also talking with two gurus of Christmas music collecting, and taking your calls and questions — live!Guest experts on Christmas music: Andy Cirzan, Jam Productions senior vice president Howard Petruziello, Red Light Management / ATO Records Justin Barney, WPLN News music reporter Further listening:Sound Opinions: Andy Cirzan’s 2023 Holiday Spectacular

Marie Williams came up through homeless services in Memphis and found her way to the state agency that oversees mental health and substance abuse services when Gov. Bill Haslam appointed her to lead the agency she’s now been a part of for 25 years. She talks about her life, her work and her philosophy that has guided her career trying to fight off the stigma of the heartless bureaucrat.