Special Exhibit

New Harmonies: Celebrating American Roots Music

Explore the rich traditions in American music through “New Harmonies: Celebrating American Roots Music,” a special exhibit running until October 11, 2015.

Music is all around us – at a local festival, at a dance hall on a Saturday night, or on your radio or MP3 player. Whether you’re listening to blues, zydeco, folk, tejano, or gospel, American roots music reveals our collective American story. Americans from a variety of backgrounds shared cultural influences, and as a result, musical sounds, instruments, and styles also merged in unique and unexpected ways.

Through a series of photographs and text panels, recordings, instruments, lyrics, and artist profiles, “New Harmonies” celebrates the variety of American roots music and illustrates the diversity of musical traditions and practices in the United States from bluegrass and blues to klezmer and Native American sacred music. The Birthplace of Country Music Museum strives to explore the interconnectedness of American music and this exhibit – with its core panels and added interactive components – helps the visitor to understand those connections.

“New Harmonies” was once part of Museums on Main Street and served as one of the Smithsonian Institution’s traveling exhibits; the Smithsonian gave it to the Birthplace of Country Music Museum in January 2015.

Run dates: March 17—September 30, 2015
Hours: Monday: Closed; Tuesday—Saturday: 10am—6pm; Sunday: 1—5pm
Ticket prices: Included in the price of museum admission