BRISTOL, Va.-Tenn. (May 20, 2025) – You’re invited to explore the complex relationship between country music and the blues with historian and author Dr. Charles L. Hughes as part of the Birthplace of Country Music Museum’s Speaker Sessions series. The event will be held virtually only, via Zoom at 7 p.m. ET, June 10. Monthly Speaker Sessions are free and open to the public.
“The entwined histories of country and blues reveal not only a profound musical kinship, but also a window into the social, cultural, and racial dynamics that have shaped the United States,” said Museum Director Dr. Rene Rodgers. “This session offers an engaging exploration of that enduring relationship.”
Dr. Hughes is a Professor of History and Urban Studies at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tenn., whose book “Country Soul: Making Music and Race in the American South” was critically acclaimed for its groundbreaking exploration of how race, music, and industry intersected in southern recording studios in the 1960s and 1970s. Drawing on extensive research and interviews, Hughes challenged conventional narratives by revealing the complex collaborations between Black and white musicians in shaping country, soul, and rock music.
For more information on the Speaker Session and to pre-register for the Zoom link, please visit the Events page at BirthplaceOfCountryMusic.org. The video will post later to the website.
Bristol, Va.-Tenn. (May 8, 2025) – It’s a musical summer for kids at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum‘s Pick Along Summer Camp, and registration is officially open. Students ages 8-14 won’t need any previous experience on an instrument for beginner week, June 16-20. Students ages 10-16 that have taken beginner week in the past, or have more experience playing an instrument, will be right at home in our intermediate-level camp June 23-27. Scholarships are available for those in need.
“This is a very unique camp experience where kids learn the basics of an instrument, get to dabble in the world of radio, and also learn about our region’s music history,” said Museum Director Dr. Rene Rodgers. “If your young one has a passion for music, Pick Along Summer Camp is the place to be!”
Pick Along Summer Camp is all about bringing our region’s youth closer to their music heritage. In addition to learning the basics of an acoustic instrument – guitar, banjo, or fiddle – students will have the opportunity to work on projects with WBCM Radio Bristol, explore the museum and learn more about the 1927 Bristol Sessions, and kick up their heels with some dance lessons. They’ll also take their show on the road, busking at a location in Historic Downtown Bristol! At the end of camp week, students will give a performance for their families.
Classes run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday and on Friday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. ET.
Each week of camp costs $200 for museum members and $250 for non-museum members. Instrument rentals are $25 for the week or students may bring their own. Got a whole band of music lovers at home? Discounts are available for multiple campers.
BRISTOL, Va.-Tenn. (May 6, 2025) – You’re invited to a special evening steeped in Appalachian heritage at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum on May 17 at 7 p.m. ET, as the museum proudly hosts “The Nest of Singing Birds Ballad Swap: Love & Murder A Capella,” an informal and deeply moving gathering of traditional ballad singers.
This event, hosted by eighth-generation ballad singer Donna Ray Norton, brings together some of the region’s most respected voices in this centuries-old tradition, including Sarah “Songbird” Burkey, Sheila Kay Adams, Leila Weinstein, and Darci DeWulf.
Channeling the spirit of the region’s oral history, the ballad swap offers an intimate glimpse into a practice passed down through generations. Ballad singing in the Appalachian mountains, and particularly in Madison County, N.C., holds a vital place in American folk history. It was there in 1916 that English folk song collector Cecil Sharp famously described the area as a “nest of singing birds,” a phrase that continues to resonate over a century later.
Today, this unique tradition – spanning more than nine generations – faces new challenges. In the wake of Hurricane Helene, which devastated parts of the singers’ hometown, the Nest of Singing Birds collective has taken their regular ballad swap, traditionally held at the Old Marshall Jail, on the road to raise awareness of the fragility of both the practice and the region it comes from. For more information about The Nest of Singing Birds, visit NestOfSingingBirds.com.
Tickets to “The Nest of Singing Birds Ballad Swap: Love & Murder A Capella,” are on sale now for $15 (+tax, fees) and may be purchased through the Events page at BirthplaceOfCountryMusic.org. Do not miss this opportunity to experience a powerful piece of living history, through the voices of those keeping it alive.
BRISTOL, Tenn.-Va. (April 28, 2025) – The Birthplace of Country Music Museum invites artists and artists-at-heart to unleash their creativity at a special Art & Music Workshop with acclaimed muralist and instructor Ellen Elmes at 1 p.m. ET on Saturday, May 3. Held in the museum’s learning center, this immersive experience combines hands-on art-making with the inspiration of live music for a unique and engaging afternoon.
Guided by Elmes, participants will explore line, shape, color, and texture through a series of thoughtful, creative exercises. The artistic process will be enhanced by the live sounds of singer-songwriter Ella Patrick, who will perform select songs during the workshop to help inspire and fuel particpants’ imaginations.
“We are thrilled to have Ellen at the museum for this fun and engaging workshop,” say Museum Director Dr. Rene Rodgers. “Bringing together art and music is sure to nourish participants’ creativity, resulting in a wonderful artistic experience.”
The Art & Music Workshop with Ellen Elmes is open to adults of all skill levels, whether seasoned artists or enthusiastic beginners. All necessary art supplies are included in the registration fee of $20 (+tax/fee). Space is limited to 16 participants.
The workshop is part of the museum’s complementary programming for the current exhibit, “Ellen Elmes: The Art of Music & Mountains,” on display through Sept. 30. Special thanks to the United Company Foundation for their generous support of exhibit-related programming. To register, visit the Events page at BirthplaceOfCountryMusic.org.
