VOTE FOR THE BEST NORTH AMERICA CITY FOR MUSIC

North America is really good at creating music, and we are blessed with some awesome music centers. This country continues to produce and innovate with roots music, new music, traditional, classic and even pop music in its many forms. In our research, we have rounded up some of North America's best homegrown music centers - places that really excel in being a hotbed for talent, originality and a public that is unusually supportive.

If someone wanted to vacation in the best music scene in North America, where would you send them? We want to know, so please take the following 1 minute or less survey.

Nashville Flood Update - Nashville is Open For Business

Update on the hiistoric Nashville flood of the Cumberland River: in regards to the hotels, entertainment venues and business services listed in The Carlton Files for member's reference and use. All the hotels are back open at this time receiving guests and that includes the historic Hermitage Hotel which had closed temporarily we are told. Additionally the Hutton remained open during the storms and flood of May 2010, as it is a safe distance from the river. Many of the small venues and businesses in the Nashville "District" (along Second Avenue, Third Avenue, and Broadway) remain closed. That includes Schermerhorn Center, Country Music Hall of Fame, Encore, Pinnacle and the Bridgestone Arena as well as many small honky-tonks near the Cumberland. The Mercy Lounge is open with a full calendar of talent, as well as the Station Inn and The Stage on Broadway. Basically Nashville is open for business, so no reason to not go downtown if you are there on business.

NPR reported that the Soundcheck music instrument storage building was inundated with Cumberland flood waters, further devastating the Nashville music scene and heritage. Not only did the Grand Ole Opry House have to close with no reopening date set, and the Nashville Symphony losing two Steinways when its basement flooded, but the Musicians Hall of Fame was forced to store its collection of instruments at Soundcheck after the city acquired its downtown property to make way for a new convention center. Lost in the flood to history: Jimi Hendrix's Stratocaster guitar and the bass used in Hank Williams' "Your Cheating Heart." In all, the Soundcheck flood affected an estimated 600 musicians.

CMAfest, Nashville's annual showcase of country music from June 10 - 13, wrapped up the festival with mega hit Brad Paisley. The tone of the town is "we are back open for music business."