STEAM Behind Country Music’s Biggest Night with Danny Rader, Franklin Willis, Jessica Basile & Robert Deaton | SXSW EDU 2025 Rewind

Since 1967, The CMA Awards have been an exciting night to celebrate country music, but you may not know that STEAM plays a big part in making everything go smoothly behind the scenes. Danny Rader, Franklin Willis, Jessica Basile, and Robert Deaton took the Featured Stage at SXSW EDU 2025 to share personal anecdotes and provide a peek backstage at how STEAM helps shape the CMA Awards.

Learn So You Can Be Prepared

Producing a live awards show requires extensive pre-production to prevent last-minute challenges, and STEAM plays a big role. By knowing the baseline of science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics, and being willing to learn new skills allows our speakers to be ready for anything that comes up during the preparation period and on the fly.

“These guys are all coming up with these fantastical ideas. And then you go back to the technical people and go, this is what we want to do. And then we drop in STEAM. He’s relying on being able to shoot for the stars and dream up whatever he can dream up, and then relying on the technical people who can execute that, and then working together the whole time.”

Jessica Basile
CMA Post Production Supervisor & Archiver, Country Music Association

Problem-Solving in Action

Live television comes with its share of challenges, but the team behind the CMA Awards thrives on creative problem-solving. From figuring out timing during pre-production to solving problems happening live like failing mics or hearing backstage sounds, the team thrives on being prepared to solve any puzzle.

The Impact of Teachers

The CMA team shared personal stories of teachers and mentors who helped them get to where they are in their careers today. From middle school coaches to high school choir directors, they instilled values that continue to guide their work today.

“They were so instrumental in shaping how I view music. They didn’t let us settle for less than our best.”

Danny Rader
Musical Director for the CMA Awards, Country Music Association

Advice for Aspiring Professionals

For young professionals looking to break into the industry, the panelists shared stories from when they first started out and gave advice on what worked for them to get to where they are now.

“You’ve got to just show up. There’s nothing to prepare for. Honestly, in the beginning you’ve just got to show up, you know, do anything, serve coffee, do whatever. I mean, just get in the door. That’s what I did.”

Robert Deaton
Executive Producer of the CMA Awards, Country Music Association

Watch the full Featured Session to learn more about how STEAM shapes the biggest night in country music.

Watch SXSW EDU 2025 On-Demand Content

Take a look back at SXSW EDU 2025 and relive exciting Keynotes, Featured Sessions, and more, now available to watch on our official YouTube channel, plus listen to hundreds of audio recordings in the schedule.

Stay tuned for more information about registration and participation opportunities for SXSW EDU 2026 coming later this summer.

Photo by Stephen Olker