Dasha, Russell Dickerson, Post Malone & More Take Part In 15th Annual ACM Lifting Lives Music Camp

Jordan Davis, Russell Dickerson, Dasha, ERNEST, Post Malone and more took part in this year’s 15th Annual ACM Lifting Lives® Music Camp with Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, a week-long residential program for musically talented individuals with Williams syndrome. The long list of country stars and emerging talent in attendance gave campers a look into their daily lives as artists and also shared insight into the Nashville Music Industry through exclusive opportunities around Music City. 

With this program, ACM Lifting Lives®, the philanthropic partner of the Academy of Country Music®, aims to study the rare genetic condition, while also providing music enrichment through performance and education for the campers. 

“Hosting this camp is truly the highlight of the year for everyone involved, including the campers and those volunteering and doing the research,” said Lyndsay Cruz, ACM Lifting Lives Executive Director, and Taylor Wolf, ACM Lifting Lives Sr. Manager and Music Camp lead. “This camp allows our partners at Vanderbilt Kennedy Center to conduct important research on Williams syndrome, all while providing campers with an experience they’ll never forget. The artists, songwriters and venues in Nashville who donate their time to this amazing summer camp are the ones who make this research and fulfilling experience for campers possible, and we thank them for their positive energy and excitement.” 

Earned A Standing Ovation At The Opry

Earlier this month, 30 campers with Williams syndrome from across the U.S. came to Nashville to participate in a variety of exciting personalized activities. They kicked things off by stepping into the writer’s room and co-writing an original song with the help of some of Nashville’s top songwriters including Ross Copperman, Dasha, Jordan Davis, Russell Dickerson, ERNEST, Alex Hall, Caylee Hammack, Tiera Kennedy, Post Malone, Conner Smith and more.

After finding their words and melody, the campers recorded the track at Ocean Way Nashville before rounding out their week with a live performance of their song titled “Find The Sunshine” on the stage of the historic Grand Ole Opry. As a result of their hard work, the packed-out audience rose to their feet for a standing ovation. 

Other Highlights Of The Week

As the week went on, campers attended multiple exclusive events that gave them a behind-the-scenes look into the country music industry. ACM award winner Jordan Davis joined the campers at Seacrest Studios at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, where they got the unique opportunity to act as a radio DJ. Part of their role involved asking Davis questions that were then broadcast throughout the hospital. 

Post Malone And ERNEST Make Surprise Appearance

Other events found Conner Smith playing a few songs and hosting a casual Q&A with campers at the Bluebird Café and Caylee Hammack joining campers for a night of karaoke at Loser’s Bar and Grill, where they were also joined by a few more surprise guests like Post Malone and ERNEST.

In addition to writing music and learning new roles within the industry, the campers also got to move their feet at the Nashville Palace, where Dasha led them in a line dance lesson to her smash hit “Austin.” Other stand-out moments from the week included taking a trip to Hatch Show Print, where campers designed their own Hatch Print to commemorate the week, and getting a behind-the-scenes tour of Municipal Auditorium, where they learned the ins and outs of setting up for a show with PTP Live and were gifted some surprise merch by Morgan Wallen.

ACM Lifting Lives® funds the costs of the camp, along with providing scholarships to several campers, thus enabling the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center to continue its mission of improving the lives of individuals with developmental disabilities and their families through research, training, and service.  

To learn more about ACM Lifting Lives or Williams syndrome, please visit www.ACMLiftingLives.org.