MyTN50 Tennessee Life, Told by Tennesseans

MyTN50

Tennessee Life, Told by Tennesseans

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From Grain to Glass: The Small-Batch Distillers Putting Tennessee on the Craft Spirits Map
Food & Travel

From Grain to Glass: The Small-Batch Distillers Putting Tennessee on the Craft Spirits Map

Tennessee's spirit story goes way deeper than the big brown bottles you already know. Across the state, a new generation of craft distillers is experimenting with local grains, bold aging tricks, and flavors rooted in the land itself. Pull up a stool — this is a tour worth taking.
Paddles, Peaks, and Possibility: The River Towns Quietly Becoming Tennessee's Outdoor Playgrounds
Food & Travel

Paddles, Peaks, and Possibility: The River Towns Quietly Becoming Tennessee's Outdoor Playgrounds

From the bluffs above the Hiwassee to the calm stretches of the Duck River, a handful of Tennessee's lesser-known riverside communities are rewriting their own stories — and drawing serious outdoor adventurers in the process. Forget the overcrowded trailheads of Moab or the pricy ski-town vibes of Colorado. Tennessee's got something different brewing along its waterways, and the people building it there are just getting started.
Clay, Thread, and Sawdust: Meet the Tennessee Makers Betting Everything on the Handmade Life
Music & Culture

Clay, Thread, and Sawdust: Meet the Tennessee Makers Betting Everything on the Handmade Life

Something's happening in Tennessee's rural towns, and it smells like fresh-cut walnut and kiln-fired clay. A new generation of makers — potters, weavers, woodworkers, and beyond — is staking their futures on traditional craft, and they're finding that the rest of the country is ready to buy in. This is the story of a creative revival that's as much about community as it is about commerce.
Small Stages, Big Dreams: The Tennessee Venues That Turn Unknown Artists Into Household Names
Music & Culture

Small Stages, Big Dreams: The Tennessee Venues That Turn Unknown Artists Into Household Names

Long before the arena tours and the radio hits, most Tennessee musicians got their start in a cramped listening room or a backyard amphitheater where somebody's uncle ran the soundboard. These grassroots venues are more than just places to play — they're the classrooms, proving grounds, and community heartbeats that keep Tennessee's musical legacy alive and growing.
Beyond Biscuits and Gravy: The Chefs Putting Unexpected Tennessee Towns on the Culinary Map
Food & Travel

Beyond Biscuits and Gravy: The Chefs Putting Unexpected Tennessee Towns on the Culinary Map

Southern food has always had soul, but a new generation of Tennessee chefs is proving it can have swagger too. From a reimagined Appalachian kitchen in Jonesborough to a farm-driven restaurant tucked into the hills outside of Cookeville, these nationally recognized culinary talents are building something remarkable — and they're doing it without leaving home.
Chords, Craft, and Community: Inside the Tennessee Schools Teaching the Next Wave of Country Songwriters
Music & Culture

Chords, Craft, and Community: Inside the Tennessee Schools Teaching the Next Wave of Country Songwriters

Across Tennessee, a quiet revolution in music education is unfolding — one co-write session, mentorship call, and late-night workshop at a time. From Nashville's publishing row to smaller cities like Johnson City and Murfreesboro, aspiring songwriters are finding world-class instruction without ever leaving the state. We went inside these programs to see what makes Tennessee's approach to teaching the craft so different from anywhere else.
Coming Home on Purpose: Meet the Tennesseans Trading City Life for Small-Town Roots
Food & Travel

Coming Home on Purpose: Meet the Tennesseans Trading City Life for Small-Town Roots

Something unexpected has been happening across Tennessee's smaller communities — the people who left are coming back, and this time they're staying. Fueled by remote work flexibility and a hard reset on what matters, young professionals are trading city apartments for hometown front porches, and in the process, they're reshaping the towns they grew up in. We talked to four of them about why they left, why they returned, and what they found when they got here.
Behind the Glass: Meet the Tennessee Musicians Who Build the Songs You Can't Stop Hearing
Music & Culture

Behind the Glass: Meet the Tennessee Musicians Who Build the Songs You Can't Stop Hearing

Before a song becomes a hit, somebody has to build it. In Tennessee, the people doing that work — the session players, engineers, and producers working in studios from Nashville to Knoxville — are some of the most talented and least celebrated artists in the country. We went inside their world to find out what keeps them here and what they're creating right now.
Smoke, Rub, and Repeat: Chasing Tennessee's Most Legendary BBQ Joints One County at a Time
Food & Travel

Smoke, Rub, and Repeat: Chasing Tennessee's Most Legendary BBQ Joints One County at a Time

Tennessee's barbecue isn't just food — it's a living, breathing piece of the state's identity. From Memphis ribs dusted in dry spice blends to East Tennessee whole-hog traditions that predate the Civil War, this is your road-ready guide to the smoke rings, sauce debates, and pit masters keeping it all alive.