Things I've Learned from the Audience

Don McNatt is the son of fiddler Speedy McNatt, most well known for his work with Eddy Arnold, but also a violinist with symphony orchestras. He was born into a family of musicians, and entertainers. Performing in a variety of art forms, from a very young age, he was given a grant by the Ford Foundation at age 17, to support his talent as an actor, and while working in local bands, he was the Tennessee High School Dramatics Champion. Fast forward about 50 years, and Don has continued to work in music venues, both concert, and dance halls. He has worked in major film projects in Hollywood, produced his own television program for cable, worked as a magician, and a street performer. He is best known today, as a Nashville Songwriter, who has played Europe, Australia, Canada, some islands, and most of the states in the USA. He has worked as a musician, a writer, an actor, a director, and a producer, of television, studio recordings, and live events. While not a national household word, he has survived as a working performer, starting in the 1960's, with some high points along the way. Academically, He attended University of Memphis, on a BFA program, for 5 1/2 years, but falled to stay the last months for a degree, due to an offer to open in "Billy Hill", by Gerome Ragni, that was intended for the Broadway Stage. He spent 3 years studying with Lawrence Menkin in San Rafael, and was the assistant to Mr. Menkin, in teaching for the last year there. He has attended countless seminars, and classes, through the years, but in this book gives credit to the best education, which was appearing in front of audiences, regularly, several times per week, for roughly 50 years.