Mayor and Musician Bond Through Song

We had an incredible night on January 7th at Analog! In collaboration with TEDx Nashville, we hosted the first "Mixtape" event, bringing together Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell and Grammy-nominated musician Devon Gilfillian for something truly special—a live experiment in building connections through the universal language of music.

The concept that started during COVID as a way for friends to stay connected has evolved into something powerful. Watching the mayor and Devon share their musical stories—from Vanilla Ice taking us back to middle school days, to Paul Simon's thoughtful exploration of identity and community—reminded us all that behind every decision-maker, every artist, every neighbor, there's a real person with experiences that mirror our own.

When Devon shared Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On" in connection with protesting Breonna Taylor's death, and when Mayor O'Connell opened up about pandemic-era melancholy through Beautiful Small Machines, we witnessed music doing what it does best: helping us understand each other across our differences.

This is the work of the Come Together Music Project—using music to bridge social, political, and generational divides in our community. But we can't do it without you. Your support helps us create more of these transformative experiences. Please consider donating today to help us expand this work across Nashville and beyond. Together, through music, we can build the understanding our country needs.