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Emmylou Harris and Her Guitars

Instruments Music & Songs Personalities

December 7, 2024

Posted on December 7, 2024November 6, 2024 by Guest Blogger

Ellie Davis is an intern at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum and a student at East Tennessee State University where she studies Human Studies with a minor in Old Time Music Studies.

As an avid old-time and folk musician, I thought I’d share some interesting background behind one of my lifelong inspirations, Emmylou Harris, and more specifically, the story behind her guitars. As a young girl, I was always so drawn to Emmylou because of her beautiful voice, her unapologetic stage presence, and her big, powerful guitar.

An image of Emmylou Harris, standing between two other musicians with her guitar. She has white hair, is smiling, and lightly strumming the guitar. — Picture of Emmylou with her guitar.

For those who might need an introduction or refresher on Emmylou Harris, she is a fourteen-time Grammy Award winner and Country Music Hall of Fame inductee, and has been a pioneering women musician in country and folk music for decades. Emmylou’s career was transformed when she was discovered by country music legend Gram Parsons in the early 1970s, and when he invited her to join his band, their duet harmony singing immediately captivated listeners. Another one of Emmylou’s most memorable collaborations was with Dolly Parton and Linda Ronstadt, where their iconic 1987 album, “Trio”, featured unforgettable harmonies that remain a landmark in country music history.

Gram Parsons & Emmylou Harris performing “Big Mouth Blues” live in 1973 at the Liberty Hall in Texas. In 1973, Gram Parsons, a pioneering country rock artist, passed away at age 26. There are few recordings of him performing live.

Now, let’s get back to Emmylou’s guitar. Because the music industry has notoriously been unwelcoming to women musicians, it’s too often generally accepted that women should not take up as much space, or be heard as loudly as their male counterparts. This is one of the reasons women rarely performed solo for many years and you still don’t often see women performing with big guitars. Like a lot of country artists, Emmylou found her signature guitar early on, and it remained her staple instrument for decades. This guitar for Emmylou was the. With the S and J standing for “Super Jumbo” this guitar is large bodied, with a rosewood neck, maple sides and back, mother-of-pearl inlay, and has strong bracing inside the body of the guitar. For non-guitar nerds, bracing refers to a guitar’s internal support system; essentially the bones of the guitar. It’s made of thin pieces of wood that are glued to the inside of the guitar’s top, and they help to both strengthen the instrument and control the vibrations of the strings, making the sound better and stronger. Gibson calls this guitar the “King of the Flat Tops” due to its popularity with American artists, but you almost never see a woman playing one. You can see Emmylou’s SJ-200 pictured on her 2001 album, Hickory Wind and a darker stained version of the same model on the cover of her 1987 album Angel Band.

Because Emmylou made this guitar model so famous, Gibson even created a limited edition custom model dedicated to her, called the Gibson L-200. It’s a slightly smaller and lighter weight model of the exact same guitar with the exact same bracing inside it, making it more accommodating to smaller musicians while still preserving the full and striking sound. Emmylou now performs most often with the L-200. Gibson introducing a new custom model in honor of Emmylou shows how she has led by example and carved out space in the music industry for other women musicians to rise up and feel more of a sense of belonging.

Image of the Gibson L-200, a light-colored acoustic guitar. The pick guard is adorned with flowers and vines. — This image of a Gibson 2004 L-200 Emmylou Harris guitar is from rudysmusic.com.

Just like Gibson did with their custom, guitar, I hope to honor Emmylou’s unique musicianship with this ode to her instrument and how she likes to be heard. Emmylou is admired because of the duality in her musicianship. She can sing so tenderly and allow her femininity to be so prominent, and at the same time, she takes up space with her big guitar and her strong voice. The harmonious balance she strikes between vulnerability and strength paves the way for so many women musicians following in her footsteps.

A Brief Overview of Sacred Harp Music

History Music & Songs

November 30, 2024

Posted on November 30, 2024November 26, 2024 by Sam Parker

By Sam Parker, Curatorial Specialist at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum.

Around the time of the 1927 Bristol Sessions, it wouldn’t have been too out of the ordinary to find oddly-shaped musical notes in your church’s hymnal. In the United States, a lack of formal musical education led to the use of shape-note systems, which combined with Puritan religious traditions in the early frontier to create a unique form of vocal worship music, most commonly referred to as sacred harp singing. Some of the musicians who recorded at the sessions, like The Tennessee Mountaineers, were church groups who might have used shape-notes or began their interest in music with shape-note singing in church.

The cover of the original "Sacred Harp" hymn book. It is old and worn, reading "The Sacred Harp, a Collection of Psalm and Hymn Tunes, Odes, and Anthems; selected from the most eminent authors, together with nearly one hundred pieces never before published. Suited to most metres, and well adapted to Churches of every denomination, singing schools, and Private [word obscured]. With Plain Rules for Learners. By B.F. White and E.J. King — *Cover of the first edition of The Sacred Harp. Image from Southern Spaces.*

The term “sacred harp” comes from a specific songbook published in 1844, but its roots are much deeper than that. It started in New England, inherited from English Protestant movements– called “Dissenters”– who separated from the Church of England and left to colonize the Americas. In the late 1700s years of stagnation in Puritan religious music led to singing schools being established to teach laypeople how to read and perform music.

In these schools older rules of musical composition were ignored, allowing newer styles to flourish, but as those in the cities pushed back in an effort to cling to more traditional European-styled music, these newer styles moved south and west, finding fertile ground in the Appalachian region around the beginning of the 19th century.

At this time, a vital component of sacred harp music was adopted: the shape note. Assigning specific shapes to different notes assisted in sight reading for those new to music, and allowed music to flourish on the frontier where formal musical education was rare. Many books used these shape notes, but none would be so influential as the eponymous The Sacred Harp.

A picture of Benjamin Franklin White. He is an older man, sitting in a three-piece suit, with white, wispy hair and a beard around the base of his neck. — *Image of Benjamin Franklin White, from Sacred Harp Publishing Company. Image colored by Sam.*

Printed in 1844, The Sacred Harp was originally published in Philadelphia, but it eventually found its way to Northern Georgia, where it spread along the Appalachian mountains along Alabama, Mississippi, and Tennessee. George Pullen Jackson, a Musicologist specializing in Southern Hymns, surmised that at one point, besides the Holy Bible, The Sacred Harp was the most widely-owned book in the rural South.

The Harp itself was put together by two Georgia Baptists, Benjamin Franklin White and Elisha J. King, the latter of whom composed more songs inside the book than any other, and died the year it was published. White also founded the Southern Musical Convention, which served to promote the sacred harp style of music. During the two decades he led the Southern Musical Convention, White expanded The Sacred Harp greatly, almost doubling the number of songs within.

Much of the music found in The Sacred Harp retains Calvinistic themes from its Puritan origins, stressing the natural sin of man while glorifying the sovereignty of God. Many hymns also focus on the afterlife, shunning this world and longing for death, as in the piece “I’m Going Home” —“I’m glad that I am born to die, From grief and woe my soul shall fly, and I don’t care to stay here long.”

One of the more unique aspects of sacred harp singing is the organization of the singers. Performances are very informal, emphasizing fellowship and singing as a group over individuals, with the singers arranged in a square facing each other, grouped by what part they sing: tenor, treble, alto, and bass. Instead of a conductor, a volunteer leads the group for one or two songs before another stands to replace them in keeping time. Anyone is welcome to lead the group, regardless of gender or age. Sacred harp singing typically takes up most of the day, so all who want to lead get a chance.

Typically, a song starts with just vocalization, each part singing the syllable instead of the word for each note. You might already know the do-re-mi solfège from The Sound of Music, but sacred harp uses only fa-sol-la-mi, each assigned to the four shapes used in its shaped note music. There is also the complete absence of instruments, the songs are usually sung a cappella, as it’s believed the term “sacred harp” refers to voices raised together in song. The singing is emotional, and it’s loud—sacred harp singers prefer the acoustics of a small, wooden church compared to the large concert hall, and it creates a sound unlike any other.

An image of people singing Sacred Harp music. It is the interior of a wooden church, where pews are arranged in a square around the leader, who stands and conducts the singing. — *A group of Sacred Harp Singers at Holly Springs Primitive Baptist Church in Bremen, Georgia. Image from Southern Spaces.*

As mentioned before, a usual sacred harp performance is an all-day affair. Singing begins in the morning, and then there is a break at lunch, where the congregation exits the church for the Dinner on the Grounds. An outdoor meal spread over many tables awaits them outside, after which they return indoors to continue singing until the afternoon. It isn’t uncommon for the closing piece to be “Parting Hand,” a slow piece bidding farewell to each other. One video of a performance of the Irish Sacred Harp Convention shows the group standing and embracing one another as they sing: “Oh could I stay with friends so kind, how would it cheer my drooping mind! But duty makes me understand, that we must take the parting hand.”

Sacred harp survives both in church services in the South, as well as conventions where singers travel long distances to take part in many performances over multiple days. Altogether, sacred harp evokes the ideas of pan-denominational worship and American innovation of traditional European ideas, as well as being a persevering hallmark of the combination of religious influence and material hardship in American music. Though it has come a long way from its Dissenter origins, you can still find hints of its Puritan roots in its lyrics and messages—when listening to the song “Babylon is Fallen” talk of the destruction of the enemies of God, and how Christ will return to rule with a rod of iron, it isn’t difficult to imagine the Puritans huddled in the lower hold of a ship in a storm, singing together as they make their way to the New World.

A Brief Introduction to Country Music in Japan

History Music & Songs Radio

October 26, 2024

Posted on October 26, 2024November 12, 2024 by Guest Blogger

Guest Blogger Emily Lu is a PhD candidate in History at Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida. She is currently studying in Japan as part of the Fulbright program.

Since the 1960s, country music, the musical ethos of the essential and everyday American, has danced around the globe. Since 2020, its global music market has risen significantly. Statista reports in January 2023 that Country Music is the seventh most popular music genre in the world, with—unexpectedly—India leading in consumption, followed by the U.S. and China. The music’s surge in Europe owes thanks largely to music festivals like Country to Country (or C2C) with its crowd-forming country acts, and British Country Music Festival that give singer-songwriters opportunities to shine on stage. In Japan, country music-themed restaurants, bars, and clubs populate urban areas. Despite the genre’s dwindling popularity in recent decades, this year marks the 52nd year of the Takarazuka Bluegrass Festival.

A wooden door to the "Country Home Cafe" in Osaka, Japan. On the door is pictures Japanese-American fusion food as well as signs saying "English Friendly" and "Take Away/Dine-in." — Country Home Café in Osaka.

The Takarazuka Bluegrass Festival is held annually at the Canadian Oiso (Mita Athletic Park) campground in Sanda City, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan. This year, the festival began on the evening of Friday, August 1st and lasted until Sunday, August 4th. This summer was one of Japan’s hottest yet. Even in the mountains, where the festival was held, people could not escape the heat. Jeromie Stephens, a freelance photographer who documents bluegrass scenes in and outside of the U.S., was in attendance working on his own piece about the festival and noted that he has been to many bluegrass festivals, and Takarazuka is by far the “shadiest”—literally.

The festival has a dedicated following with many supporters attending annually. Some have even made it into a family tradition! It is not easy to access the mountain campground without a vehicle, so many attendees arrange to meet up and carpool from nearby public transit stations. A fellow attendee, Hashi, very kindly offered me a ride.

Watanabe Toshio (note: for Japanese names, surnames come before first names), organized this year’s event and has been overseeing the festival since its inception. Toshio used to be part of the Sino-Japanese group Bluegrass 45, one of the first non-American bluegrass bands to have played in America. Toshio’s two sons also play Bluegrass music and now help in running the festival!

In 2017, Bluegrass 45 recorded for a Radio Bristol Session at the International Bluegrass Association Conference. On their 2019 tour of America, they visited and performed at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum.

Toshio told me he first became interested in bluegrass music as a child. He used to hear American music broadcasted on Japanese radio stations. He said this was pretty typical and helped introduced the genre to many Japanese people who then became enamored with country music. During World War II, the Japanese were not well exposed to American music, but after the war, an influx of American music and culture took Japan by storm.

Postwar American occupation brought country music into Japan. Members of the American military would listen to country music radio programs from back home, some also played and sang country music live. Around this time, Japanese country bands such as the Western Ramblers and Swing West, which would go on to become staple country acts in Japan, began to emerge.

A collage of album covers from the Japanese Country band "Swing West." — Images of Swing West album covers found on Discogs.com

Today, “bluegrass circles” (buruu gurasu saakuru) are still popular in higher institutions, many of which maintain active performance schedules, such as those at Nagoya, Tohoku, Kyoto, and Kansai Universities, along with Ryukyu University in Okinawa. Rakuno Gakuen University and Hokkaido University are both home to bluegrass research programs that also perform regularly. Amongst college bluegrass enthusiasts, Kobe University seems to have the largest circle. They also attended this year’s Takarazuka!

Three elderly men, two Japanese and one Caucasian, posing together for a photograph. The man in the center is holding up a book of bluegrass photography. — From left to right: WATANABE Toshio, KOMORIYA Nobuharu, and Jeromie Stephens, posing with Komoriya’s bluegrass photography book, Blue Ridge Mountains, Friendly Shadows (1973).

Country music in Japan is still largely known as Euro-American music, with its African origins and Tejano influences under explored. Outside of the U.S., country music is considered exotic and sometimes nearly idolized. However, the conceptualization of “America” is still overwhelmingly white. Bobby Cash, the founding father of India’s country music scene, points out that the American ethos may pose a challenge to foreign listeners from “forging an instant emotional connection.”

Similar sentiment is expressed by Kelly Scanlon of the Far Out Magazine. Scanlon believes that country music largely fails outside of the U.S. due to its strong association with American patriotism, made particularly evident after September 11. However, while it is true that non-Americans do not necessarily identify politically with country music, its cultural resonance cannot be understated. In several countries, country music has established a foothold for itself. Ally Portee of Euronews takes a different approach in her coverage of country music gaining momentum in Europe. She points out that the music’s relatable themes of love, heartbreak, and family resonate with people regardless of nationalities.

Such seems to be the case in Japan’s country music scene, where songs are almost exclusively sung in English—like Italian in opera. Outside of the U.S., country music’s American exoticism is an asset rather than a liability. Concertgoers proudly show off their cowboy hats and boots! Neither does the American-ness take away the genre’s ability to relate to people who celebrate life through a country ode to community, love, or faith.

Songwriting with Ella Patrick

Music & Songs

October 5, 2024

Posted on October 5, 2024October 29, 2024 by Ella Patrick

Trigger Warning: This post contains content about domestic violence. If you or a loved one is experiencing violence at home, please contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline 1(800) 799-SAFE (7233)

There is something about writing a song that can scratch your brain in the most wonderful way, it makes you feel hyper-present; and removed from the trauma of existing. It’s like you get to take all the hurt and fold it back, and organize it into three neat little verses and a chorus. You can play it over and over; and hey you might even make some money doing it!

A photo of songwriter Ella Patrick posing with her guitar. — Photo of Ella Patrick by Nicola Aloisio Photography.

That feeling is what drew me to songwriting. I’ve been thinking a lot about Kris Kristoferson since his passing, and how he liked to quote the English poet William Blake’s thoughts on creativity. Blake said that if you were called to be creative by the divine you were “obligated to do so,” and that if you didn’t pursue your talent, sorrow and desperation would follow you throughout life, and even after death it would “shame and confuse you until eternity.” I don’t know about eternal shame, but I do know my need to create has fundamentally driven me. It has allowed me to be actively engaged with my life, and present with the most traumatic of experiences. I can always sit down and find joy from writing a good line.

Choosing the creative life path also saved me. After my first heartbreak I lost everything, my job and apartment. The man I had fallen deeply in love with had knocked me so hard in the mouth that he punched my front teeth loose, and from that my whole life became loose. I didn’t know what to believe in anymore, I moved back home and couldn’t find steady work; family issues lead me to living in a van and squatting in an apartment with a drug addicted dobro player. And then out of nowhere, I played at an open mic one night, and the gigs started rolling in. Gigs that paid decent, $175 for two hours plus tips, it was more money than I had ever seen, and I thought ok, I can do this.

A photo of Matty Sheets sitting on the roof of a car, holding his guitar in his lap and tipping his ballcap with his hand. — Photo of Matty Sheets by Laura Jane Vincent.

A songwriter at open mic once told me “Life isn’t a competition, it’s an exhibition, and everyone has something special to share.” Those words have helped me through the hardest parts of creating music; the judgment, fame game, the body shaming, and comparisons to other “big time” artists. Musicians like my friend Matty Sheets, who also just recently passed away, encouraged me to keep writing. Matty had me on air at his show on the community radio station WUAG in Greensboro, NC long before I had ever recorded anything. His excitement and willingness to share good music for the sake of the music helped light a fire within me for promoting local artists. It has led me to cherish the writers that might not be on the billboards, but work tirelessly to foster creative scenes in rural areas throughout the Southeast. If you want to hear some excellent songwriting, go listen to Matty’s music here.

While I can’t tell you how to write a song because there’s so many ways to do it, I can suggest a few books and tips for new songwriters:

A photo of a red book titled "Songwriter's Journal." It had a drawing of a crossed guitar and banjo on the cover. — Uncommon Goods Songwriter’s Journal, Ella’s copy. Photo by Ella Patrick.

Uncommon Goods makes a great Songwriter’s Journal and it’s organized in verse chorus verse bridge sections with separate pages to write in music and fret diagrams. I think any journal works for songwriting, but that one is really useful.

Also Hank Williams Sr. and Nashville songwriter Jimmy Rule’s How to Write Folk and Western Music to Sell is full of common sense advice for songwriting. One tidbit that has helped me, is that the “concept” of your song should be reflected in the title, and the title should come from the main line of your chorus. Hank says the title should be no more than five words long. I haven’t always stuck to this rule, but I think making songs concise, and direct is very powerful. Also the realization that songs are about concepts, whether it’s a back street affair, or a cold, cold heart; it’s the concept of the song that creates a backbone for the rest of the verses to follow, just like a thesis statement in an essay.

Tom T. Hall’s The Songwriter’s Handbook is another one I would recommend. Tom T. is known as “The Storyteller” of country music, and he saw “songwriting is as much a craft as it is a talent “. He was known for waking up at the crack of dawn with his coffee, and writing as a daily practice. Tom T. says that every line should be able to stand by itself, and be a complete thought. Take for example the line from his hit song Harper Valley PTA:

“I wanna to tell you all a story ‘bout a Harper Valley Widowed wife”

Cover of "How to Write Folk and Western Music to Sell" by Hank Williams and Jimmy Rule. It has a photo of Hank Williams smiling on the cover. — “How to Write Folk and Western Music to Sell” By Hank Williams and Jimmy Rule from The Hank Williams Museum.

It says a lot, and gives context to what we’re talking about; a story that wants to be told, about a widowed wife from Harper Valley. Whereas a new writer might write a more cliche line like:

“Well let me tell you a story”

It’s much weaker, and does nothing to define the direction or concept of the song. At any rate, thinking about the strength and power of each line has been a huge writing tool.

I’m thankful to share my two cents on songwriting, and hope this post helps light a new fire for someone. If you feel the urge to create, I’m with Blake, you have to do it! Be encouraged, it will make your life much richer, not just from the potential gigs (which by the way now-a-days pay less and are harder to come by) but from the perspective you will gain about life’s twists, turns, traumas, and tribulations.

This blog goes along with our current Special Exhibit: Songwriter Musicians, on display now through December 31, 2024.

Ella Patrick is an associate producer and DJ for Radio Bristol, she is also a songwriter who sings under the moniker Momma Molasses, and performs regionally.