In The Round with Tony Arata, Marc Beeson, Emily Falvey & Kat Higgins

Tony Arata was born in Savannah, GA and grew up on nearby Tybee Island. While studying for a journalism degree from Georgia Southern University, he began performing his original songs in local bands. In 1986, he and his wife Jaymi moved to Nashville where his unique, soulful style began to get the attention of people like Allen Reynolds and Garth Brooks. Garth, to date, has recorded seven of Tony’s songs, and “The Dance” won song of the year at The Academy of Country Music and received both a Country Music Association and a Grammy nomination, as well as a most performed song in Radio and Records Magazine.

Tony is a member of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame (2012). He has also had No. 1 records with “Here I Am” for Patty Loveless, “I’m Holding My Own” for Lee Roy Parnell, and “Dreaming With My Eyes Open” for Clay Walker. Other artists who have recorded his songs include Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris, Bonnie Raitt, Trisha Yearwood, Delbert McClinton, Don Williams, Reba McEntire, Suzy Bogguss, and Hal Ketchum.

Tony has also recorded four solo albums featuring new songs, covers, and guest appearances by many of Nashville’s finest musicians as well as folks who have recorded his songs, including Garth, Patty, and Lee Roy.

Marc Beeson is an Illinois native and 30 year Nashville veteran who signed to SMACKSongs in 2021. Beeson has had songs recorded by Sam Hunt, Blake Shelton, Jason Aldean, Garth Brooks, Lady Antebellum, Keith Urban, Carrie Underwood, Martina McBride, Little Big Town, Willie Nelson, Reba McEntire, and Chicago, among others. He has also won 12 ASCAP awards including both Country and Pop Song of the Year for his No. 1 hit "When She Cries” by Restless Heart. He also co-wrote Billy Currington’s No.1 single, “We Are Tonight,” the title track of Ashley Monroe's Grammy-nominated record, “The Blade,” Blake Shelton's "She's Got A Way With Words,” Josh Turner’s No. 1 single "Hometown Girl,” and “The Bullet,”' from Carrie Underwood’s Grammy-nominated record, Cry Pretty. He also co-wrote the title track to Willie Nelson’s record, “First Rose of Spring'' and Rascal Flatts’ recent Top 10 single, "How They Remember You.” As an artist, Beeson has recorded for Warner Bros., BNA Records and Curb Records. He has served on the Board of NSAI, the NARAS education committee and as a mentor in the MTSU Music Business program.

Emily Falvey is a singer/songwriter based in Nashville, TN. Falvey is an alumna of Belmont University’s esteemed Curb College of Entertainment & Music Business, graduating in 2018 with a B.A. in Songwriting and a B.B.A. in Music Business. She signed an exclusive worldwide publishing deal with SMACKSongs in April 2018. Emily is a versatile writer in both pop and country and is known for her strong pop melodies and lyrical sensibilities, as well as her next level hooks. The single she penned for Big Loud artist MacKenzie Porter, “Seeing Other People,” reached #1 on the Canadian country chart. Falvey has other recent and upcoming releases with artists such as Pitbull, Vicetone, Nightly, Walker Hayes, Carly Pearce, Joshua Bassett, Kevin Quinn, Josh Kerr, Jake Scott, Katelyn Tarver, Kylie Morgan, Jack Newsome, and more. Falvey has also had sync placements on Grey’s Anatomy, Love Island, The Voice, and with Cracker Barrel. She was nominated for a 2020 AIMP award in the category of “Publisher’s Pick” for “Seeing Other People,” and was named as a member of the AIMP Nashville Songwriter Series class of 2019, which has been categorized by Music Row Magazine as “an indicator of what’s to come from the thriving independent music publishing community.” In addition, Falvey was voted "Favorite Songwriter" by the Nashville chapter of Young Entertainment Professionals (YEP), and was named as an inaugural recipient of the Nashville Briefing's 30 Under 30 List. The songs she has been a part of have garnered over 45 million streams on Spotify to date. Her recent collaborators include Shane McAnally, Amy Wadge, Nicolle Galyon, Maddie & Tae, Sasha Sloan, Charles Kelley, Lindsay Ell, Jimmy Robbins, Danielle Bradbery, RaeLynn, Avenue Beat, Tommy Lee James, Stuart Crichton, Nate Cyphert, Tofer Brown, Paul DiGiovanni, Matt McGinn, Gordie Sampson and more.

Growing up with seven kids in the house and a father who loved listening to Irish music, Kat Higgins remembers pushing play on the family’s tape deck, learning songs like “Fields of Athenry” and “Danny Boy.” It wasn’t long before she and her brothers and sisters were performing them together for her parent’s friends. What started out as a song or two at parties quickly grew into full on concerts.

“We looked like a scene from The Sound of Music,” Kat remembers. “We wore matching outfits, and stood in order of height.”  By the time she was ten years old, she was earning money at it, and by age 13, she had bought her first guitar.

She learned to play that guitar and eventually began honing her skills as a songwriter. As the group became more popular, it wasn’t just family and friends who took notice. Open Road/Universal Music Canada soon came calling. By this time, some of the siblings had lost interest in being in a band, so along with one sister and brother, The Higgins were formed.

The transition into a country music trio was effortless with the sound of their tight-knit family harmonies.  Kat loved that storytelling was at the heart of country music.  She co-wrote almost every song they recorded and at 19, she was well on her way to realizing what she had been born to do.

The group’s unique sound and catchy melodies propelled the trio to the top of the Canadian radio charts.  They were nominated for multiple awards including CCMA Group/Duo of the year.  However, the group disbanded when older sister Eileen decided to become a stay at home mom.  All was not lost.  Kat knew where she belonged. During the making of the band’s albums, she travelled back and forth to Nashville, where she spent her time co-writing.

Kat finally made the one-way trip to Nashville for good. “Music is the true constant in my life,” says Kat with a smile. “The only relationship I’ve known how to maintain is with mr. guitar.”  Like some of her influences, The Dixie Chicks, Joni Mitchell, Fleetwood Mac and Emmylou Harris, she knew the importance of crafting a song.  Kat thrived on producing the music, not just singing it.

Having caught the attention of Nashville music industry veteran Pat Higdon, she was offered her first publishing deal with Patrick Joseph Music.  A young uninhibited spirit blended with old soul wisdom, Kat knows how to tell an emotional story.  Her vulnerable lyrics compliment her smoky and unique voice.

While many things have changed for Kat in the last few years, the motivation of her craft has stayed the same.  “It’s a simple goal, whether through a lyric, a melody or a performance, I just want to make people feel.”