Teddy LaMaster Band

Belmont University charges exorbitant fees to have stoic professors grind through a complex syllabus for four months in an effort to teach students the secret to success in the country music industry. The Nashville institution of higher learning has produced stars like Brad Paisley, Chris Young, Trisha Yearwood and Josh Turner.

Far more singers have become famous by graduating from the school of hard knocks. They figure things out as they painstakingly pay their dues, constantly learning and improving through trial and error.

Teddy LaMaster of Mount Vernon has taken the less-expensive route and devised a plan he hopes one day will allow him to be mentioned in the same breath as Chris Stapleton, Miranda Lambert and Jamey Johnson.

Since middle school, he has been building an emotion-filled catalog. From his plethora of original material, a couple years ago he selected “Side By Side,” and made a video for his ATV anthem. When word got out about filming the project, a caravan of his friends brought their off-road machines to a huge hay field in rural Ashley and the shoot turned into a party.

“The video got it all started for me. I posted in on YouTube and it had over 225,000 views,” says the 32-year-old singer. “WMIX radio (Mount Vernon) started airing it, which led to me to solo shows in the area.”

As his following grew, he started playing bigger venues with his solo act. The phone kept ringing, so he put together a band and invested revenue into a bigger PA system and upgraded lighting.

LaMaster will take a giant step forward in artistic development Friday when he releases his eight-song debut album “Eye of the Beholder.”

“I wrote the title track about my daughter,” he says. “Little kids are so aware of their surroundings and see things from a different perspective.”

The album was recorded at the Blackbird Studio in Nashville, which is owned by John McBride, husband of Martina. Music legends like Dolly Parton, Bruce Springsteen, Bon Jovi and Kenny Chesney have recorded at Music City’s premiere studio.

LaMaster said he completed the album on four separate trips to the studio, recording two tunes each session. The project was produced by Grady Salzman and Grammy-nominated Russian banjo player Ilya Tonshkiy.

The album will be available for purchase on all music streaming services Friday. Hard copies of the compact disc will be sold on Amazon and at live performances.

“My next step will be to use the contacts I have made in Nashville to book writing sessions with the more experienced songwriters in town, people that know how to write a hit record,” LaMaster says.

“Up to this point, I have written all my own material. I think taking it to the next level will involve co-writing with established writers that can teach me the craft. I want to keep getting better and better at songwriting and earn a publishing deal.” - The Southern