Braden Cowart is from all over the place. Born in Florida to two parents who were worship leaders, Braden has lived in 6 different states and about 10 different houses over the course of his life. At age 11 that he began to seriously pursue playing guitar while living in Buffalo NY (Go Bills!).

In 2013, Braden moved to Franklin, TN with his family. It was here that he began to press in to his craft and hone his skills on the guitar. Not knowing a lot of people after moving to Franklin, Braden spent many hours listening to “The John Mayer Trio” album and other blues records, and tried to emulate the playing styles of Mayer and other of blues legends like Stevie Ray Vaughn and B.B. King. Throughout his teenage years of living in Nashville, Braden studied under a few different mentors, and was even at one point a student at ROOTS under guitarist Toby Friesen.

Since then Braden has continued to pursue a career in music. In the Spring of 2022, Braden released his first song “Sarah,” and graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree from Belmont University where he studied Music Business with an emphasis in production. Now returning to ROOTS as a mentor, he is excited to give back and help others who are looking to grow their musical abilities. As for the next steps in his career, he aspires to become a touring guitarist or artist, and to write songs that have an impact on people.

Braden’s Teaching Philosophy: “I think learning a musical instrument and fostering a love for music carries over into so many other aspects of life. As a teacher I want to make the learning environment fun, but I also want to help my students connect with the music they are playing, so that they can in turn connect with others through the music they make.”

What’s been the highlight of your professional career — like your biggest spotlight moment to date?
“My biggest highlight so far was when my sister and I got the opportunity to open for Clark Beckham at Mercy Lounge. Other than that I have had the opportunity to play at a lot of church camps all throughout the south, and I was also shortly involved with a side project band started by Stephen Sanchez.”

What type of student will excel best with you as his/her mentor?
“Anyone who is willing to have fun in the process of learning music while also putting in the hard work to become better at their craft. I also think one of the most important traits to have as a student, is being able to keep the big picture in mind while also celebrating the little victories along the way.”

What does being a “Mentor” mean to you and why are you excited to step into this role?
“I have had a lot of great mentors along my journey as a guitar player. Looking back I have found that along with musical knowledge they passed down a lot of good wisdom through their teaching. I found I was able to carry a lot of what they taught into other areas of my life. As a mentor I hope I can be a good model to my students, and give them something that they can carry beyond the practice room.”

What type of music did you grow up listening to? How did it influence your artistry?
“I listened to a lot of blues music in middle school and high school. I would say that the artist that has had the most influence on my playing and writing is John Mayer. I think the thing that I liked the most about his playing was that he combined the styles of a lot of different guitarists that I was listening to and did it in a way that was digestible for people who didn’t listen to blues music.”

Where is your favorite local spot? 
“Coffee- Honest
Breakfast/ Brunch- Ladybird Taco (the #7 is undefeated)
Lunch- Prince’s;also can’t go wrong with Chick fil A
Dinner- Smiling Elephant
Place to Walk- Radnor Lake”

What is your go-to Karaoke song?
“Fireflies – Owl City”

If you could meet one author/performer/creator who would it be and what wold you ask them?
“I would want to meet John Mayer. I don’t know if I would know what to ask him. If I’m being honest I would probably just cry.”