Behind The Curtain: The STEAM-Powered Magic Of The CMA Awards At SXSW EDU

Behind the Curtain: The STEAM-Powered Magic of the CMA Awards at SXSW EDU

A SXSW EDU 2025 panel, presented by the CMA Foundation, revealed how science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) fuel one of the biggest nights in Country Music

At first glance, a major music awards show like the CMA Awards might seem to be all about artistry and star power. But behind every seamless performance, dramatic stage transition, and perfectly timed lighting cue is a complex web of science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics—STEAM. That was the focus of Backstage Pass: STEAM Behind Country Music’s Biggest Night, a panel at SXSW EDU 2025 presented by the CMA Foundation.

Hosted by Emmy winner and Director of Visual and Performing Arts for Metro Nashville Public Schools, Franklin Willis, the conversation brought together key figures from the CMA Awards production team to reveal the hidden mechanics of live entertainment. Executive Producer Robert Deaton, Post-Production Supervisor Jessica Basile, and Musical Director Danny Rader offered a rare behind-the-scenes look at how they bring the show to life—and how STEAM is at the core of everything they do.

As part of the CMA Foundation’s mission to support music education, the session mirrored a virtual field trip created with Discovery Education, giving students a chance to explore the connections between their classroom learning and the real-world skills used to produce Country Music’s Biggest Night. To further support educators, curriculum plans designed to complement these experiences are also available, helping teachers bring the magic of music into their classrooms.

For Deaton, who has produced over 60 major television events, the process begins long before the cameras roll. As soon as nominations are announced, his team gathers in a hotel for an intense three-day creative session to shape the vision of the show. “I always start with the music,” he said. “The music gives me all the answers.” But bringing those performances to the stage requires precision. Every detail—how a camera moves, when the lighting shifts, how long a segment runs—is carefully calculated, tested, and executed.

Basile, who oversees post-production, emphasized the role of math and technology in her work. “If I don’t have the baseline of the basics—the mathematics, the spreadsheets—then I’m lost when something unexpected happens,” she explained. As the person responsible for ensuring that everything captured on the live broadcast is edited and delivered flawlessly, she has to juggle time management, problem-solving, and communication with both creative and technical teams.

Rader, who is responsible for the show’s live musical arrangements, described how performances are elevated through careful planning and creative engineering. Whether it’s blending orchestral elements into a song or adjusting arrangements on the fly, he must ensure that the music supports the artist while also meeting the technical demands of live television. “You want to take these moments and make them special,” he said. “That’s where the magic happens.”

Despite meticulous preparation, live television is unpredictable. The panelists shared stories of moments when things went wrong—and how quick thinking and teamwork saved the show. Rader recalled a performance at Nissan Stadium during CMA Fest featuring students singing alongside Tim McGraw. During rehearsal, it became clear their voices were being drowned out by the stadium’s PA system. The solution? A last-minute mobile recording session where their vocals were captured and blended into the live mix. “We turned it around in an hour and a half,” he said, illustrating how STEAM disciplines are applied in real-time problem-solving.

Basile recounted a crisis during a New Year’s Eve broadcast when an artist’s vocals accidentally overlapped with another performance due to an audio routing issue. With only 20 minutes to fix it before the West Coast broadcast, she relied on her team’s expertise and her own ability to think under pressure. “I didn’t know how to fix it, but I was going to get it done,” she said.

For Willis, a former music teacher, the conversation underscored the direct parallels between live production and the classroom. “The way you all pivot in live production is exactly what teachers do every day when a lesson isn’t landing the way they planned,” he said. The panelists agreed, emphasizing that learning is a lifelong process. Basile, who entered her role with no prior experience in post-production, shared how she grew into her position by being open to learning and building relationships with her team. “People are willing to teach you anything that you’re willing to learn,” she said.

The discussion also touched on the changing landscape of live music production. With audiences increasingly consuming music digitally, producers must find ways to make live performances compelling for both in-person and at-home viewers. Deaton acknowledged the challenge but stressed that authenticity remains key. “You still have to put greatness on television,” he said. “Even if it’s not a guaranteed ratings win, you put it on because it’s the right thing to do.”

Before wrapping up, Willis invited the panelists to reflect on the teachers who had shaped their lives. Their answers were a reminder of the profound impact educators have beyond the classroom. From a high school teacher who refused to accept mediocrity to a choir director who nurtured a love of music, each credited their success to someone who had pushed them to do more.

Through this SXSW EDU panel, the CMA Foundation continues to bridge the gap between education and career pathways, showing students, and their educators, how the skills they develop in the classroom can lead to dynamic careers in music and entertainment. But its work goes far beyond just sparking interest in STEAM careers.

For more than a decade, the CMA Foundation has been a driving force in ensuring equitable access to quality music education across the country. From investing in music programs and supporting teachers to advocating for policies that recognize music as a critical part of a well-rounded education, the CMA Foundation is committed to empowering the next generation of thinkers, creators, and problem-solvers. Through its partnerships, grants, and hands-on initiatives, it is not only shaping the future of music but also using music to shape brighter futures for students everywhere.

As Willis put it, “It all starts here. In the classroom. In your classroom.” And thanks to the CMA Foundation’s ongoing work, that starting point is becoming stronger, more accessible, and more impactful than ever.

For more information on the CMA Foundation’s mission, programs, and how to support music education through donations, visit CMAfoundation.org.