February 1, 2024
By MEALAND RAGLAND-HUDGINS
Rutherford County Schools
Robert Abernathy was “relatively young” when he began to take the guitar seriously.
He’d continue performing and writing songs while raising a family and teaching in Alabama, he’d perform at local venues, including Tin Roof in Birmingham. In 2019, Abernathy was spotted by a scout who handled bookings for the Tin Roof locations there and in Nashville.
In 2022, Abernathy retired after 25 years of teaching to move to Middle Tennessee and pursue music full time.
“I’d been driving back and forth from Birmingham to Nashville once or twice a week. I got here and realized how expensive housing was and I knew I had to go back to work,” he said.
He joined the staff at Rocky Fork Middle for the 2022-2023 school year and coached football. When the opportunity to tour came about, he stepped down.
“I was scared I was going to miss too many days and that wasn’t going to be fair to the staff or the kids. Then the tour didn’t happen,” said Abernathy, who joined Smyrna Primary School in January as a physical education teacher.
January also marked the release of “Somewhere Around 18,” his fifth studio album since 2017. It is available on Amazon, Spotify and Apple Music.
Abernathy recently took time to talk about the influence students have on his music and the artists that have impacted him most.
How long did this new album take you?
Abernathy: I started these songs several years ago. They were all just fun ideas I had here and there. They were good enough for me and songwriters to turn into a demo. Some of them, we went back into studio and rerecorded them. I pitched some to major artists. In country nowadays, it’s hard to pitch to an artist because they like to be in on the (writing) credit.
Did you do much writing while schools were closed for snow?
Abernathy: I actually worked in my own demo studio. Songwriters will send me songs to record as demos and send them back, so that’s pretty much what I did.
What is the oldest song on this album?
Abernathy: It’s from 2018 and it’s “You Can’t Have My Boat.” When I was in Alabama, I kept a guitar in my classroom when I taught seventh-grade science. Students gave me the idea and kept egging me on about it. I really didn’t know what to do with that phrase other than that’s what somebody would say during a divorce: You can have the house and the dog, but you can’t have my boat.
If you were stuck on an island with three albums, which ones would you have to have?Abernathy: Eagles’ greatest hits. I could listen to that on repeat. Vince Gill’s greatest hits. Keith Urban’s “Golden Road” album.
The Eagles are timeless, to me. Lyrically, their expertise in writing, I’ve yet to see anybody that matches it. I’m lead singer of a tribute band called Eagle Sunrise Band. I learned how to sing harmony with the Eagles. When I started mimicking, it was Vince Gill. He’s an incredible human. I learned how to write from listening to Keith Urban.
How often do you mix music with P.E.?
Abernathy: I connected with a lot of our ESL kids. I had them help me translate lyrics into Spanish for a song called “Glad I Came in Last.” It’s not easy. I was going to use it at a show in Miami. They helped me do it so that it lined up phonetically so that everything was perfect. I ended up performing it once. I probably could have done a better job.
Sofia Ramirez, one of my students from Rocky Fork, helped a lot with it and I think her mom helped some too. Some of those kids from Rocky Fork have come to my shows.
How often do you perform and where? Abernathy: On average, two or three shows a week. I’m at Dawg House in Midtown (Nashville) every Monday and I’ll do the other shows on Fridays and Saturdays.
What is it like teaching older kids for so many years then move to elementary school?Abernathy: It’s so different teaching elementary. I love this age group. I melt every single day with how these kids come in and put a smile on my face. I have never been welcomed at a school the way I have been here and at Rocky Fork Middle. Both schools really are like a family, and that’s the truth.
Follow Abernathy’s show schedule via Instagram (rabernathy) and or TikTok (@robertabernathy12).