It was such an honor to see the turnout at the historic RCA building for those who have been a part of the documentary, “She Sang,” which exposes the hidden costs of being a woman in the music business.

We are fortunate to have such access to the magic room which used to be Chet Atkins’ office. There were a lot of talented women in attendance including Patsy Bradley, who is Music Row royalty, Justyna Kelley, Irene Kelley, Karen Waldrup, Ariel Jade, Deborah Allen, Odessa Settles, Mirium Mimms, Robin Ruddy, Dr. Sarah Childress, Annie Shebanow, Amy Kurland, Ron Harmon and Minnie Murphy.

There were also some awesome folks there who don’t have ovaries like Wood Newton, Alex Shebanow and Michael Cripe.

The world premiere of “She Sang” is planned for the last week of September 2026. Precise dates and times will be posted here once we get them.

After four years, “She Sang” is finally done. We will have a private screening on May 27, 2026 at RCA Studio A in Nashville. Media outlets along with the principals who contributed to the making of this documentary are invited.

If you’d like more information on reviewing the film or becoming a sponsor, please contact the director at: Dona.nichols@sjsu.edu

The world premiere is slated for the last week of September in Nashville, Tennessee.

I’m in Nashville this week for some pickup shots and to pump up my B-roll. I’m feeling extremely positive about the great interviews we’ve had and the private concert in the Magic Room with legends like Wood Newton, Mike Loudermilk and Robin Ruddy. Feeling blessed to get an interview with up-and-coming singer/songwriter, Ariel Jade, who just debuted her new song, “Hard to Trust a Man.” She is my kind of woman … she sings, writes music and can parallel park on a busy street.

Tonight we’ll go to the Opry to see Mandy Barnett, who we interviewed a few months ago. Another high point of this trip was a tour of RCA Studio B where Elvis recorded dozens of hits. The tour guide from the Country Music Hall of Fame immediately recognized Wood Newton and introduced him to the other tourists on the tour, then asked him to sit at the Steinway that Elvis played.

I’ll have a PR intern (Tavleen Kaur) working with me this summer to help with the final leg of this journey. Here’s a link to the trailer AKA sizzle reel. The plan is to get this to the screen by the end of summer.

We filmed at Freight and Salvage in Berkeley where we caught two shows. Mya Byrne and Swan Real, who are real life lovers and leaders for the presence of queer trans women in country and Americana, opened the show. Lizzie No gave a breath-taking performance proving her expertise as a singer-songwriter in indie folk music. Lizzie No is a rising star that this documentary will follow as she completes the last leg of her West Coast tour.

Today was devoted to shooting B-roll in and around the Country Music Hall of Fame. Every corner and in between there’s a honky tonk with high quality music. Our first stop was Legends where they featured a country western cover band that was really good. Here’s the rub … since I’m shooting a documentary movie that focuses on women in music, that’s what’s on my mind all the time. We sat there for two hours without hearing a single song that had been recorded by a woman. It wasn’t until I requested a song by a woman that they actually played one.

This website is a companion to the documentary currently in production, “She Sang, and that made the difference.” Filming started in July 2022 by interviewing Donna Halper and William McKeen.

Interviews

July 2022 Boston: William McKeen, Donna Halper

October 2022 Studio City: Brad Schreiber

November 2022 Nashville: Stella Parton, Robert K. Oermann

January 9, 2023 Nashville: Scheduled interviews include Kathy Mattea, Wood Newton, Karen Waldrup, Justyna Kelley, Mary Bufwack and Robert K. Oermann.