Songs on the Frio

How one spark became something more

EVENTSMUSIC

6/27/20263 min read

Sometimes the most meaningful things in life begin with something very small. A conversation. A dream. A simple spark. For first cousins Danny Myrick and Jan Larsen, one of those sparks began around a family Thanksgiving table many years ago. Though deeply connected through family and a shared love of music, they saw each other only about once a year for nearly three decades — Jan living in Houston and Danny building his career in Nashville as an award-winning country music songwriter and producer. Yet every Thanksgiving, the conversation inevitably drifted toward music.

Jan was serving on the board of HeartGift, a Texas nonprofit providing lifesaving heart surgery to children from around the world, and was searching for a fresh approach to fundraising. She asked Danny: What if we created an intimate evening where people could hear hit songs — and the stories behind them — from the songwriters themselves?

Danny’s wife, Megan Linville, supplied the name: Songs for the Heart.

The first event was held in Houston in 2015. Guests were captivated by the humor, heartbreak and inspiration behind songs they knew and loved. The idea grew into a signature HeartGift fundraiser in Houston and Austin, ultimately helping raise well over $1 million.

But that spark was far from finished. In 2021, Jan began planning her 60th birthday and imagined her perfect celebration: close friends, incredible music and the beauty of the Frio River.

That November, Danny, Megan, David Lee and Tim James gathered at Rio Bella Resort for a songwriter round along the Frio. Guests sat almost completely silent, hanging on every lyric and story. Something magical had happened.Among those inspired was Rio Bella Resort manager AnaLisa Glass, who had long dreamed of creating a meaningful music event in Leakey. Resort owners Rob and Carole Petrovics embraced the vision, Danny agreed to curate the songwriters, and Jan, AnaLisa and the Petrovics began working through the details.

Before they knew it, Songs on the Frio was born.

Five years later, that birthday party has grown into a four-day celebration bringing some of Nashville’s most accomplished songwriters to Real County each Veterans Day weekend. Songs on the Frio gives back locally while honoring veterans, encouraging young people through music, supporting area businesses and bringing visitors to the Frio Canyon during the offseason.

Fittingly, another longstanding Real County story has become part of the Songs on the Frio story. The Cavender Auto Family’s connection to the Frio Canyon reaches back generations. James M. “Big Jim” Cavender, who began the family’s automotive legacy in San Antonio in 1939, also established a family tradition of trips to Leakey and the Frio River.

His descendants continued that connection. The late James Milton “Jimmy” Cavender III grew up visiting the area and took a particular interest in preserving and sharing stories of the family’s Real County history. Today, generations of the Cavender family continue to gather at and care for their historic property near Leakey and Rio Frio.

For Rick Cavender, that connection has also found its way into music. A lifelong musician and songwriter, Rick has written songs inspired by the Frio River and family memories made here — putting into words the same sense of place, family and belonging that inspired Songs on the Frio.

So when Cavender Auto Family became the presenting sponsor of Songs on the Frio’s fifth-anniversary reunion, the partnership brought the story full circle. It represents more than a corporate sponsorship: a shared love of music, a deep connection to the Frio Canyon and a commitment to giving back to a community both families love.

That connection became even more fun through the “Truck Yeah!” campaign, giving supporters the opportunity to win a new 2026 Toyota Tundra while helping Songs on the Frio continue its community impact. “Truck Yeah,” co-written by Danny Myrick, became a hit for Tim McGraw.

This November 12-15, approximately 25 songwriters will return to the Frio Canyon for the fifth-anniversary reunion — filling listening rooms, restaurants, outdoor spaces and community venues with songs and stories.

And to think, it all started with a conversation around a Thanksgiving table. Perhaps that’s the lesson in all of this. A spark doesn’t have to be big. It simply needs the right people, the right place and enough heart to keep it burning. Photos courtesy Songs on the Frio.

FYI • For more information, visit SongsOnTheFrio.com.

Danny Myrick, Jan Larsen and Megan Linville at Songs for the Heart event benefitting HeartGift.