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Nothing but a dream. Isn't that what they say people come to Nashville with? A big dream, maybe a guitar and a whole lot of determination. It's a common story line, one that I can understand.

I grew up in a household filled with music. From attending concerts, to piano lessons, to church choirs, music has always been important in my life. At one point, my childhood best friend and I even started a band, Lemon & Lime. It eventually fizzled out when my family moved half way across the country, obviously not because of our name choice or stellar talent (or probable lack thereof). I eventually began taking voice lessons with the hard earned cash I made from my cleaning business and babysitting jobs. Much to the dismay of my Mother, I researched artists, agencies, managers and how to get record deals. I had a dream to be a singer and it was a dream that I was pretty determined to see through.

But like I always say, things don't work out the way we think they should, they work out the way they should. I rarely understand God's plans for my life, but I do know His plans always work out far better than any plans I've ever made for myself. Obviously, I never made it to Nashville with my singing dream. I never really made it anywhere with that dream. Instead, I made it to Nashville with a different dream, a dream of seeing and documenting the world. It's a dream I, at one point, never imagined having, and yet it's a dream far better than the singing one I once had. It's still on my bucket list to record an album one day, just for fun, but, walking down Broadway in Nashville, listening to all the live music, I couldn't help smiling, thinking about all the dreams that don't work out in life...and all the ones that do....

PHOTOS BY DAVID LEVINE

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