With the Academy of Country Music Awards back in town, Frisco Live and Melody of Hope bring the soul of Nashville to Frisco, giving the city a soundtrack of its own
When you think of country music, what comes to mind? Generally, this style of southern, cowboy-focused music highlights folk lyrics and harmonies accompanied by banjos, fiddles, harmonicas, and many types of guitar, including acoustic, electric, steel, and resonator guitars. Famous names in country music like George Strait, Morgan Wallen, Willie Nelson, or Carrie Underwood might also come to mind. If you love country music, now is the best time to be here in Frisco!
For the past three years, Frisco has had the exclusive honor of being the host city for the popular Academy of Country Music (ACM) Awards. Over the past few years, Frisco has welcomed some of the most famous, well-known names in country music right here to our sweet city. With the ACM Awards returning this May, it’s the perfect reason to grab those boots and hats and head out on the town to experience all the best things about country music. Just like you would see on the stages in honky tonks and bars on Broadway in Nashville, Frisco excitedly welcomes some of its most talented artists to take center stage in venues across the city in celebration of the ACMs.
Welcoming the Academy of Country Music Awards Back to Frisco
The 60th annual ACM Awards will be held May 8 at The Ford Center at The Star. In the three years since the awards have called Frisco home, the excitement and celebration surrounding the awards have been nearly a week-long celebration that begins with the ACM Country Kickoff at The Star’s Tostitos Championship Plaza, where fans can see some of country music's biggest stars and count down to the much-anticipated ACM Awards.
While rubbing shoulders with some of the biggest country music stars during the ACM Awards is nothing short of a once-in-a-lifetime experience, there are also so many talented, passionate musicians living right in our vicinity. With dreams and aspirations of making it to the ACM stage one day, these singers will get their time to shine on stages throughout venues and businesses in Frisco during the week-long celebration leading up to the ACM awards.
Some of Frisco’s top local country artists will take the stage in venues across the city during Frisco Live – a country music concert series specially designed with everyone in mind. Frisco will host performances all around the city in various venues and at the best hotels, businesses, and restaurants – all thanks to the collaboration between local non-profit Melody of Hope (MOH) and Visit Frisco, the official Destination Marketing Organization for the City of Frisco. Now, everyone is invited to take part in Frisco’s live music scene, featuring everything from intimate shows in one-of-a-kind venues to large concerts with musicians on a big stage.
Melody of Hope - Enriching Communities Through Live Music
Melody of Hope is dedicated to supporting artists and other nonprofits throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth area in an effort to share the amazing power of live music. The group provides paid performance opportunities and artist development to help bring attention to talented local musicians while enriching communities and supporting meaningful causes.
Charlie Welch, founder and executive director of MOH, shares, “Music is universal. Regardless of background, beliefs, ethnicity, or religion…everyone can go to a concert and experience the same vibe. With live, local performers, you have the feeling of community. And we are trying to expose new artists to the community. During this exciting time, if someone cannot afford tickets to the ACM Awards, they can still go see our local artists for free. It’s almost like experiencing the ACM Awards at no cost.”
Because of the talent and excitement that the Frisco Live series brings to the city, anyone can experience and enjoy live music by a local artist they may not have known about before. You don’t have to go to Nashville or Austin to experience such a level of live music. The arts and culture scene is active in Frisco. “It’s vibrant and all encompassing,” Ms. Welch shares.
“We are really trying to build a Renaissance era here in Frisco – trying to incorporate all genres. During the time around the ACM Awards, we want to create a country music vibe modeling that of Broadway in Nashville. When people come to Frisco for the ACM Awards, it’s like being in Nashville. If you cannot afford to get tickets to the ACM Awards, you can still see the best of our local country artists!” Ms. Welch explains. “We have built up a repertoire of artists. We have a few that have gone to Nashville and are doing big things.”
With the help of local MOH talent, the organization can bring the fun, music-filled Nashville-level of music and arts to Frisco. The goal is to help create a city traditionally known or recognized for sports with an arts and culture vein.
The Frisco Live Concert Series
Michelle Norris, the Cultural Affairs Manager of Play Frisco, and Visit Frisco’s Lisa Bethea, the Director of Destination Services, are co-liasons of the Music Friendly Frisco program. Together, they work with the MOH team and artists to help identify locations that would be optimal to host musicians. MOH has the artists, and local businesses serve as the venues.
Ms. Bethea shares, “We are excited to work with MOH and the Academy of Country Music for a third year. The support for live music is strong in Frisco, and we look forward to making the most of this opportunity while discovering new ways to support our artists.”
“It’s a synergistic partnership.” Ms. Welch adds. “What we get to do is funded by tourism dollars. There is a hotel occupancy tax paid for tourism. Surrounding city visitors add to that fund. Visit Frisco has helped find hotels, restaurants, and merchants, giving us a great network of businesses that we can source artists for.”
Visit Frisco and MOH work together to connect artists to Frisco hotels, attractions, and businesses throughout the month of May to showcase Frisco’s unbelievable level of local talent. “This benefits artists by giving them a stage or location to perform and grow. Our community and visitors see Frisco’s investment in the live music industry firsthand, while also being treated to incredible live music as they travel around the city.” Ms. Bethea says.
These partnerships help show residents that the Frisco business community is behind this arts initiative. Adding an arts and culture feel to an establishment helps bring economic development to that business. “We partner with the business community for the purpose of bringing funds to Frisco businesses. The arts generate economic revenue,” Ms. Welch says.
Ms. Bethea adds, “Fine arts help drive tourism by telling Frisco’s story in a way that creates cultural significance and emotional connections with visitors. They learn more about our community and our values while witnessing the personal expression of our artists. Visitors want authenticity and want to spend money with organizations and people who mirror their own values.”
As the non-profit organization enters its 11th year, MOH has become a mainstay in Frisco and a beloved partner to other businesses when it comes to hiring local talent and incorporating live music into events and locations. The organization receives many phone calls from businesses that are new to Frisco as well. For example, the Omni PGA Frisco Resort and Spa and Baylor Scott & White Medical Center at PGA are adding arts and culture elements to their businesses. The PGA has an entertainment district and programs live music, while Baylor Scott & White is bringing in a special, designated space to help use the arts as a healing power. The new businesses coming into Frisco see the benefits and desire arts and culture.
Hometown Country Music Performers
MOH’s artists are seen as more than performers, but storytellers and advocates who use their unique talents to bring hope to businesses, events, nonprofits, churches, and local communities through live music. Each of its artists helps fulfill the organization’s mission of glorifying God and uniting people through music.
MOH’s newest artist, Justin Hobbs, will perform in this year’s Frisco Live concert series. He shares “Performing in Frisco and getting to interact with the community where I live is such a blessing. Getting to hear feedback from people on what they love to listen to really tells a lot about a person. Some of my favorite interactions happen when a young kiddo comes up and requests something older. That tells me they have shared experiences with what their parents listen to and appreciate what their parents listened to when they were growing up. It’s really beautiful.”
“It’s even more special getting to play live during the time of the ACM Awards. A lot of the artists either wrote the soundtrack to my youth or were also inspired by the artists I grew up listening to. I will cover a lot of the artists’ songs that are attending and performing at the ACM Awards. It will be very special to honor the influence they have had on my life, and so many others, as I play that week.” Mr. Hobbs adds. For artists like Mr. Hobbs, this type of unique concert series is like the Super Bowl.
“It is an exciting time to provide talent in hopes that another artist, producer, or label will see them performing around town and think they are the next big star. Previously, one of our artists had the chance to talk with singer and songwriter Lainey Wilson, and another one of our artists met singer and songwriter Cole Swindell. It is cool and exciting to be recognized by some of the biggest names in country music,” Ms. Welch says.
MOH singer and songwriter April Sapp shares Mr. Hobb’s enthusiasm for performing in Frisco Live. She shares, “As a musician, performing live in Frisco, especially around the energy of the ACM Awards, feels like such an honor. What makes it even more meaningful is my partnership with MOH, a nonprofit that has given me a platform to not only share my music but to bring healing and encouragement to others. I was first introduced to them in 2019, and I was immediately drawn to their heart for the community.”
A special part of Ms. Sapp’s journey has been getting to serve at Treasured Vessels Foundation, a safe home for survivors of sex trafficking, where she leads monthly music therapy sessions and music lessons. “That connection was made possible through MOH, and it has become one of the most impactful and ongoing pieces of my life as a musician. Every time I perform in Frisco, I’m reminded that this city embraces purpose-driven art, and I’m so thankful to be a part of it,” Ms. Sapp adds.
ACM tickets or not, there will be plenty of live music for Frisco to enjoy in and around the time Frisco is enveloped with country music. As the weather gets warmer and you make plans around town, be sure you include the Frisco Live concert series in your schedule.
To stay up to date on all Melody of Hope's events and artists, follow MOH on social media: Instagram @melodyofhope, Facebook @MelodyofHope.
