To Amanda Martin, singing is like breathing. Born and raised in the Adirondack Mountains of New York, she spent her early years listening to her parents perform the best of Merle Haggard, Johnny Cash, and Waylon Jennings in the honky-tonks of the North Country. Amanda came to Nashville in 1999 to attend Belmont University’s Music Business Program from which she received her degree in 2003 in Music Business Management. During her second year at Belmont, she was awarded the prestigious “Best of Belmont” which afforded her the opportunity to perform with Vince Gill. After graduating from Belmont, Amanda appeared on the “Oh Mickey, Where Art Thou?” compilation with other artists such as Ronnie Milsap, Collin Raye, and Charlie Louvin. She then went on to sign her first publishing contract with Best Built Songs, and became affiliated with the performing rights organization BMI in 2004.
Robin Ruddy
Bio
Robin was born in the tropics of Miami Florida, but now considers herself an official Nashvillian. “I think there is some unwritten rule in Nashville, that if you hang out here long enough, that qualifies you as a native.” She says, as she is changing the strings on her pedal steel guitar.
She won a Grammy Award in the category of Best Traditional Folk Album in 2005, for playing banjo and singing on a David Ball cut that got included in a project called “Beautiful Dreamer; Songs of Stephen Foster.”
Since arriving in Nashville in 1986 Robin has worked her way into the heart and soul of the amazingly creative Nashville community by being a multi-instrumentalist and a singer songwriter. She is the rare singer/songwriter who also plays banjo, dobro, mandolin, pedal steel, and guitar, which puts her in her own special niche.
She has worked as a “sidewoman/multi-instrumentalist” with notable artists like Rod Stewart, Ray Stevens, Lynn Anderson, Vince Gill, Deborah Allen, Matt King, David Ball, Terry Clark and so many others.
She is an active songwriter and works with young up and coming artists helping them develop their songs and catalogs.
Robin and her husband Larry Sheridan currently own and operate, a commercial recording studio in Nashville called the Parlor Studio, a production company called Parlor Productions, and a publishing company called Best Built Songs, where they take pride in creating new music and developing new talent.
Robin also has earned her Real Estate Broker’s License and started her own Firm called Music Row Realty in 2006, which specializes in working with people in the music industry. Robin Ruddy and Larry Sheridan make up the entire roster at the thriving real estate company.
She enjoys hobbies like yoga, gardening, reading, and spending time with her family, which includes her husband Larry Sheridan and her two dogs Delaney, and Bonnie Raitt the singing dog.
1317 16th Ave South, Nashville, TN 37212. 615 485-3303-c, banjogirl@bestbuiltsongs.com









