NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — The sound doesn't start on stage.
It starts just on the other side of the door where history waits.
For musician Ryan Jacobs, that door is the line between knowing the Ryman Auditorium and stepping onto its stage.
"I mean, as a musician, it's pretty sacred ground, I have to say," said Jacobs.
Jacobs said he had to stop and take it all in once he got there.
"To be up there, I had to pinch myself a couple of times, to take it all in…"
Inside the dressing room, the space still feels personal a room where legends once waited and tuned their guitars in the same silence.
"I've seen a lot of shows there, and been to several events, but never of course gotten to play it before," said Jacobs.
Outside, the building was wide open for the Ryman Auditorium's Community Day, drawing families, food trucks, and kids running across the plaza.
The event gave the public a chance to connect with a venue that has stood for more than 130 years.
"A building that's been standing for over 130 years that pretty much every famous superstar has performed at," said WSM Radio host Erin Cooper. "You should get to stand on that stage and feel the energy."
That energy isn't just preserved at the Ryman, it's passed down.
Jacobs is part of a new wave of musicians. He won the Tennessee Songwriter's Week competition and still plays under Broadway's neon lights.
"I mean, for me, like music is all about community and connection, I think," said Jacobs.
Jacobs said the stage experience reinforced why he plays.
"And that's why you do it to kind of make these bonds with people," said Jacobs.
In a building that has hosted more than a century of voices, the story isn't just who has played here it's about who is taking the stage.
Watch the full story and see what it looks like to step onto one of the most storied stages in American music history. Have you ever been to the Ryman — or dreamed of performing there? We want to hear your story. Share your experience or reach out to reporter Kim Rafferty directly at kim.rafferty@NewsChannel5.com.
In this article, we used artificial intelligence to help us convert a video news report originally written by Kim Rafferty. When using this tool, both Kim and the NewsChannel 5 editorial team verified all the facts in the article to make sure it is fair and accurate before we published it. We care about your trust in us and where you get your news, and using this tool allows us to convert our news coverage into different formats so we can quickly reach you where you like to consume information. It also lets our journalists spend more time looking into your story ideas, listening to you and digging into the stories that matter.
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