BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//The Birthplace of Country Music - ECPv6.3.5//NONSGML v1.0//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH X-WR-CALNAME:The Birthplace of Country Music X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://birthplaceofcountrymusic.org X-WR-CALDESC:Events for The Birthplace of Country Music REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H X-Robots-Tag:noindex X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/New_York BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20230312T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20231105T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20240310T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20241103T060000 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20240323T140000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20240323T170000 DTSTAMP:20240328T043633 CREATED:20240103T203930Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240208T202334Z UID:10030824-1711202400-1711213200@birthplaceofcountrymusic.org SUMMARY:Monthly Bluegrass Jam DESCRIPTION:Dates: Monthly every 4th Saturday \nTime: 2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. ET \nLocation: Birthplace of Country Music Museum \nCost: FREE EVENT \nThe Birthplace of Country Music Museum\, in partnership with the East Tennessee Bluegrass Association\, hosts a monthly gathering of local musicians for a bluegrass jam session. The jam events are intended to provide a space for local musicians to gather and pick\, collaborate\, share their experiences\, and—most importantly—to have fun. The jams are acoustic and only feature traditional bluegrass instruments: acoustic guitar\, upright bass\, fiddle\, mandolin\, banjo\, and dobro. \nThe jams are free and open to the public. All ages and skill levels are welcome. Those just interested in joining as a spectator are welcome at no charge. \nBluegrass Jams will be held every fourth Saturday of the month from 2:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m.\, serving as a great warm-up for Saturday night gigs. Musicians are asked to bring their own instruments. Beginner-focused hour from 2:00-3:00 p.m. \nThe sessions will be held in the Learning Center at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum. \nFor more information call 423-573-1927. URL:https://birthplaceofcountrymusic.org/event/monthly-bluegrass-jam-2-2-2/2024-03-23/ LOCATION:Birthplace of Country Music Museum\, 101 Country Music Way\, Bristol\, VA\, 24201\, United States CATEGORIES:Museum,Special Events ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://birthplaceofcountrymusic.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/BluegrassJamWeb.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20240323T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20240323T120000 DTSTAMP:20240328T043633 CREATED:20240118T172836Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240206T161119Z UID:10030806-1711188000-1711195200@birthplaceofcountrymusic.org SUMMARY:Monthly Museum Volunteer Orientation DESCRIPTION:We want YOU to join our wonderful team of volunteers at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum! \nDate: Every 4th Saturday except for October & November (3rd Saturday) and December (No Training) \nTime: 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. \nLocation: Birthplace of Country Music Museum\, Learning Center \nIf you have a passion for Bristol and its musical legacy and love helping others\, our museum volunteer program is the perfect fit for you! \nMuseum volunteers play a vital role in a number of key areas behind the scenes and on the front lines\, such as working as a gallery assistant or docent\, helping out in The Museum Store\, working with the public at events\, concerts\, and programs\, assisting with behind the scenes administrative or collections work and so much more! Our Museum Volunteer Orientation session gets you acquainted with every aspect of the museum to help you find your area of interest. Volunteer schedules are flexible and fun! \nIf you are interested in coming to our Museum Volunteer Training\, call 423-573-1927 or email Myrissa at volunteercoordinator@birthplaceofcountrymusic.org. URL:https://birthplaceofcountrymusic.org/event/monthly-museum-volunteer-training-17/2024-03-23/ LOCATION:Birthplace of Country Music Museum\, 101 Country Music Way\, Bristol\, VA\, 24201\, United States CATEGORIES:Museum ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://birthplaceofcountrymusic.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/AshliJadenPhoto_1927SocietyConcert_Aug2023_Experience-26-scaled.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20240316T130000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20240316T160000 DTSTAMP:20240328T043633 CREATED:20240131T220818Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240207T155820Z UID:10030802-1710594000-1710604800@birthplaceofcountrymusic.org SUMMARY:Letterpress Workshop with the Museum and King University DESCRIPTION:Date: Saturday\, March 16\, 2024 \nTime: 1:00-3:00 p.m. ET (optional additional activity afterwards) \nLocation: Birthplace of Country Music Museum\, Learning Center \nCost: $20 + tax/fees \nREGISTER HERE \nJoin us on Saturday\, March 16\, 1:00-3:00 p.m. at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum for a letterpress workshop led by David Winship and Lee Jones. \nLetterpress printing originated in the mid-15th century with Johannes Gutenberg’s invention of the movable type printing press. In letterpress printing\, raised metal type or plates are inked and pressed onto paper\, creating an impression of the text or image. This technique revolutionized the dissemination of information and played a crucial role in the spread of literacy and knowledge during the Renaissance and beyond. Despite advancements in printing technology\, letterpress printing remains cherished for its tactile quality and vintage aesthetic\, often utilized in artisanal and specialty printing projects today. \nThis workshop will include a talk about the history of letterpress printing\, a hands-on introduction to some of its elements (e.g. block letters)\, and an opportunity to use a portable poster press. Each participant will leave the workshop with a special workshop-themed poster that they have printed themselves. \nAttendees will also get a guided tour of our current special exhibit\, A Cardboard History of Blue Ridge Music\, which is based on letterpress-printed concert and performance posters and show cards. Following the 2-hour workshop\, interested participants are invited to go with David and Lee to King University to tour the Sign of the George\, the university’s working letterpress\, and to share some refreshments. There is a limit of 20 participants so sign up now! \nThis program goes along with our current special exhibit and is offered in partnership with King University. \n  \nDavid Winship \nDavid Winship is a native of Bristol\, Tennessee\, and he grew up with the Sign of the George letterpress at King College\, now King University. His father started the press as an educational tool\, and David learned the ins and outs of the press there. Following a career in public education\, David has retired to his home place in Bristol and is operating the press at King with the support of the Digital Media Art and Design department. \nLee Jones \nLee Jones is an Assistant Professor of Photography and Digital Media at King University. Originally from Bristol\, Virginia\, he also works professionally in the community as a commercial photographer and digital marketer. When he’s not with his family\, he is teaching\, creating images\, making music in the community\,\nor volunteering for local art organizations. You can see more of his work on his website at: HerbertLeeJonesPhotography.com. URL:https://birthplaceofcountrymusic.org/event/letterpress-workshop-with-the-museum-and-king-university/ LOCATION:Birthplace of Country Music Museum\, 101 Country Music Way\, Bristol\, VA\, 24201\, United States CATEGORIES:Museum ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://birthplaceofcountrymusic.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Letterpress.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20240312T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20240312T203000 DTSTAMP:20240328T043633 CREATED:20240212T205857Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240212T205857Z UID:10030819-1710270000-1710275400@birthplaceofcountrymusic.org SUMMARY:Speaker Sessions: Katlin & Mohsin Kazmi and Chef T on Melding Traditions in Appalachian Foodways DESCRIPTION:Date: Tuesday\, March 12\, 2024 \nTime: 7:00 p.m. ET \nLocation: Birthplace of Country Music Museum (in-person); YouTube (virtual) \nCost: Free and open to the public \nRSVP HERE \nJoin us at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum on Tuesday\, March 12\, 7:00 p.m. for our monthly Speaker Sessions with Katlin & Mohsin Kazmi (The Pakalachian Food Truck) and Chef T (Union 41 Bristol). This program will explore how these regional chefs meld different cultural traditions with Appalachian foodways to create a wonderful and tasty dining experience – from food on the road to a meal in a historic bus station! \nPlease note: For those attending virtually via YouTube\, the live stream will originate on the Radio Bristol YouTube channel after 6:50pm EST.  If you load the channel page before 6:50pm\, and the live stream does not automatically appear\, please refresh the page after 6:50pm. \nAbout Katlin and Mohsin: The Pakalachian Food Truck \nKatlin Wohlford Kazmi is the Executive Director of the Region VII Virtual Academy and co-owner of The Pakalachian Food Truck. Katlin obtained her Masters in Education from the University of Virginia in 2012 and her Educational Specialist in Policy and Administration from Virginia Tech in 2014. Climbing the educational ladder from teacher to assistant principal\, she now works collaboratively with 18 rural school divisions in Virginia’s Region 7. Named as one of 2020’s 40 under Forty in the Business Journal of the Tri-Cities\, Katlin advocates for creating opportunities to keep hardworking people living and working in the mountains she calls home. Most recently\, Katlin co-founded To The Brim\, a nonprofit aiming to provide economic opportunities and cultural experiences to the people of Southwest Virginia. \nMohsin Kazmi is an entrepreneur\, public speaker\, food truck owner\, and conservation photographer specializing in tropical jungle ecosystems. Mohsin graduated with his Bachelor of Science from Virginia Tech. He is CEO and Board Member of Junglekeepers\, a nonprofit working in the Madre de Dios region of Peru to protect 50\,000 hectares of rainforest and create sustainable opportunities for local Peruvians. Mohsin helped build Tamandua Expeditions\, a conservation-based ecotourism company that specializes in educational trips to the same region of Peru. Mohsin is a two-time TEDx Speaker and a published conservation photographer. His photography has been featured in Mongabay\, Environment 360\, Ecology.com\, The Rainforest Alliance\, New York Times\, and The United Nations International Forum on Forests\, among others.  Locally\, he is the Resident Naturalist and Marketing Photographer for Nicewonder Farms and Vineyards and co-owner of The Pakalachian Food Truck. \nAbout Chef T: Union 41 Bristol \nWith a passion for food that began as a child when she watched her grandmother feed their community from her tiny kitchen on the islands of St. Vincent and the Grenadines\, Chef T has become a decorated and respected Chef within the food service industry. As a founder of “Chef T Culinary Concepts\,” she strives to provide her culinary vision and love of food to those that she cooks with as well as those that she serves. Her best-selling cookbook PARADIGM: A Macro Manifesto to Food\, is a lifestyle cookbook that further honors her vision of food as a celebration of life. She is the owner and Executive Chef of Union 41 Bristol. URL:https://birthplaceofcountrymusic.org/event/speaker-sessions-katlin-mohsin-kazmi-and-chef-t-on-melding-traditions-in-appalachian-foodways/ LOCATION:Birthplace of Country Music Museum\, 101 Country Music Way\, Bristol\, VA\, 24201\, United States CATEGORIES:Museum,Speaker Series ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://birthplaceofcountrymusic.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/March-Speaker-Sessions.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20240309T140000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20240309T170000 DTSTAMP:20240328T043633 CREATED:20230831T230207Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240111T162141Z UID:10030638-1709992800-1710003600@birthplaceofcountrymusic.org SUMMARY:Monthly Country Jam DESCRIPTION:Dates: Monthly every 2nd Saturday \nTime: 2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. ET \nLocation: Learning Center\, Birthplace of Country Music Museum \nCost: FREE EVENT \nThe Birthplace of Country Music Museum hosts a monthly gathering of local musicians for a country jam session focusing on country\, old-time and blues music. The jam events are intended to provide a space for local musicians to gather and pick\, collaborate\, share their experiences\, and—most importantly—to have fun! \nCountry Jams will be held on the second Saturday of each month from 2:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m.\, serving as a great warm-up for Saturday night gigs. Musicians are asked to bring their own instruments. \nThe jams are free and open to the public. All ages and skill levels are welcome. Those just interested in attending as a spectator are also welcome at no charge. \nFor more information call 423-573-1927. URL:https://birthplaceofcountrymusic.org/event/monthly-country-jam/2024-03-09/ LOCATION:Birthplace of Country Music Museum\, 101 Country Music Way\, Bristol\, VA\, 24201\, United States CATEGORIES:Museum,Special Events ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://birthplaceofcountrymusic.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/CountryJamWeb.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20240301T103000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20240301T113000 DTSTAMP:20240328T043633 CREATED:20240109T201615Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240209T201331Z UID:10030789-1709289000-1709292600@birthplaceofcountrymusic.org SUMMARY:Museum Story Time - "Swamp Angel" by Anne Isaacs DESCRIPTION:Date: Friday\, March 1\, 2024 \nTime: 10:30 a.m. EST \nLocation: The Learning Center\, Birthplace of Country Music Museum \nCost: Free and open to the public \nJoin us in the museum’s Learning Center for our monthly Museum Story Time program. Aimed at toddler-age children and their grown-ups\, we will gather on the first Friday of each month for a music- or Appalachia-related storybook\, a tune or two by WBCM Radio Bristol show host Ella Patrick\, and a related activity or coloring sheet. This month we will be doing a fun bear-art craft! \nAbout “Swamp Angel” \nSwamp Angel can lasso a tornado\, and drink an entire lake dry. She single-handedly defeats the fearsome bear known as Thundering Tarnation\, wrestling him from the top of the Great Smoky Mountains to the bottom of a deep lake. Caldecott Medal-winning artist Paul O. Zelinsky’s stunning folk-art paintings are the perfect match for the irony\, exaggeration\, and sheer good humor of this original tall tale set on the American frontier. \nA Caldecott Honor Book\nAn ALA Notable Book\nA Time magazine Best Book of the Year\nA New York Times Best Illustrated Children’s Book of the Year\nWinner of the Boston Globe/Horn Book Award\nA Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year \nAbout the Author\n \nAnne Isaacs (born March 2\, 1949) is an American writer of children’s and young adult literature. Isaacs is known as the writer of “Swamp Angel\,” a picture book illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky and published by Dutton Children’s Books in 1994. Zelinsky was a runner-up for the annual Caldecott Medal for this work. Her book “Torn Thread\,” based on the true story of her mother-in-law who survived a Nazi labor camp\, received numerous awards including the Outstanding International Book\, Notable Book for a Global Society 2000 from the American Library Association\, and Smithsonian Notable Book for Children\, among others. \n  \n  URL:https://birthplaceofcountrymusic.org/event/museum-story-time-swamp-angel/ LOCATION:Birthplace of Country Music Museum\, 101 Country Music Way\, Bristol\, VA\, 24201\, United States CATEGORIES:Museum ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://birthplaceofcountrymusic.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/StoryTime_Swamp_Angel.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20240213T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20240213T203000 DTSTAMP:20240328T043633 CREATED:20240119T021227Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240206T155007Z UID:10030815-1707850800-1707856200@birthplaceofcountrymusic.org SUMMARY:Speaker Sessions - You and Me: A Journey through Country Music’s Rich Duet Tradition DESCRIPTION:Date: Tuesday\, February 13\, 2024 \nTime: 7:00 p.m. ET \nLocation: Birthplace of Country Music Museum (in-person); YouTube (virtual) \nCost: Free and open to the public \nRSVP HERE \nJoin us at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum on Tuesday\, February 13\, 7:00 p.m. for our February Speaker Sessions with Bailey George and Jessica Stiles. With “You and Me: A Journey through Country Music’s Rich Duet Tradition\,” Bailey and Jessica will explore the winding stream of country duets from brother acts of the 1930s to chart topping country pop of the 1970s. Hear the stories and witness the harmonies that birthed an American tradition. \nPlease note: For those attending virtually via YouTube\, the live stream will originate on the Radio Bristol YouTube channel after 6:50pm EST.  If you load the channel page before 6:50pm\, and the live stream does not automatically appear\, please refresh the page after 6:50pm. \nBailey George \nBailey George is a musician\, historian\, and radio personality. Becoming interested in roots music at a young age\, Bailey began collecting\, performing\, and chronicling the history of American vernacular music\, as well as hosting various radio programs across the southeast. Bailey has been hosting Honky Tonk Hit Parade weekly on Radio Bristol since 2016\, as well as developing a steady career as a musician with various groups including Bailey George and Jukebox Jess and Bailey George and the Oscillators. \nJessica Stiles \nA Yale graduate\, Jessica Stiles has had a multi-faceted career in music across many aspects of the industry. As a musician\, she has led her own band and has performed at the Country Music Hall of Fame\, Ernest Tubb Record Shop\, Bluebird Cafe\, and on Music City Roots. As an engineer and technical consultant\, she has worked on broadcast shows Bluegrass Underground and American Masters on PBS\, as well as being a freelance broadcast engineer at 650 AM WSM\, home of the Grand Ole Opry. In addition\, she has interviewed country music icons such as Mac Wiseman\, Ramona Jones\, and Marty Stuart. Jessica is a broadcaster and songwriter\, currently performing as part of Bailey George and Jukebox Jess as well as under her own name. URL:https://birthplaceofcountrymusic.org/event/speaker-sessions-bailey-george-and-jessica-stiles-on-country-music-duets/ LOCATION:Birthplace of Country Music Museum\, 101 Country Music Way\, Bristol\, VA\, 24201\, United States CATEGORIES:Museum,Speaker Series ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://birthplaceofcountrymusic.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/BaileyGeorgeJessicaStiles.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20240210T130000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20240211T160000 DTSTAMP:20240328T043633 CREATED:20240104T162043Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240208T153126Z UID:10030778-1707570000-1707667200@birthplaceofcountrymusic.org SUMMARY:ONE SLOT LEFT! Cardboard Dulcimer Workshop with Musician Roxanne McDaniel DESCRIPTION:Register now\, there’s only one slot left! \nDates: Saturday\, February 10 & Sunday\, February 11\, 2024 \nTime: 1:00–4:00 p.m. each day \nLocation: Learning Center\, Birthplace of Country Music Museum \nRegistration: :$30+taxes/fees \nREGISTER HERE \nHave you ever wanted to learn how to play the mountain dulcimer? Here’s an opportunity to not only learn\, but also build your very own cardboard dulcimer! \nThe Birthplace of Country Music Museum is partnering with dulcimer player and instructor Roxanne McDaniel to offer a two-day\, weekend class in which you will be able to build a cardboard dulcimer using simple tools. No previous musical or technical experience is necessary. \nParticipants will learn about the dulcimer\, its history\, and its importance as they actively take part in keeping this uniquely Appalachian instrument relevant for younger generations. It’s a perfect opportunity for anyone who wants to learn a new instrument\, from experienced musicians to complete beginners. The dulcimer is among the most accessible stringed instruments\, making it especially suitable for beginners. \nThis class is open to all ages and will introduce participants to a number of simple playing techniques and beginner-friendly dulcimer tunes. Space is limited to 15 participants\, so be sure to reserve your spot before it’s too late! \n \nAbout Roxanne McDaniel \nRoxanne McDaniel is a singer/songwriter and dulcimer player based in Johnson City\, Tennessee. A graduate of East Tennessee State University’s Bluegrass\, Old-Time\, and Roots Music Studies program\, she has a passion for the dulcimer and for teaching others about it. She leads classes\, hosts dulcimer workshops\, and incorporates the instrument heavily in her music. She was a 2023 Central Appalachian Living Traditions (CALT) Tradition Bearer Fellow\, and her work has seen her featured in (and on the cover of) Dulcimer Players News. She and her band The Big Bad Buzz are currently working on their debut album. URL:https://birthplaceofcountrymusic.org/event/cardboard-dulcimer-workshop-with-musician-roxanne-mcdaniel/ LOCATION:Birthplace of Country Music Museum\, 101 Country Music Way\, Bristol\, VA\, 24201\, United States CATEGORIES:Museum ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://birthplaceofcountrymusic.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/DulcimerWorkshop_WEB.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20240202T103000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20240202T113000 DTSTAMP:20240328T043633 CREATED:20240109T185013Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240110T163544Z UID:10030788-1706869800-1706873400@birthplaceofcountrymusic.org SUMMARY:Museum Story Time - "Coat of Many Colors" by Dolly Parton DESCRIPTION:Date: Friday\, February 2\, 2024 \nTime: 10:30 a.m. EST \nLocation: The Learning Center\, Birthplace of Country Music Museum \nCost: Free and open to the public \nJoin us in the museum’s Learning Center for our monthly Museum Story Time program. Aimed at toddler-age children and their grown-ups\, we will gather on the first Friday of each month for a music- or Appalachia-related storybook\, a tune or two by WBCM Radio Bristol show host Ella Patrick\, and a related activity or coloring sheet. This month we will be doing a fun banjo-art craft! \nIn February we’ll read from Dolly Parton’s “Coat of Many Colors!” \nAbout “Coat of Many Colors” \n“Coat of Many Colors” is a children’s picture book written by country music icon Dolly Parton. Published in 1994\, the book is based on the autobiographical song of the same name\, which Dolly wrote and recorded in 1971. The story\, illustrated by Judith Sutton\, recounts Dolly’s childhood experience of her mother sewing a coat for her out of colorful rags. Despite the coat being made of simple materials\, Dolly cherishes it for the love and sacrifice it represents. The narrative emphasizes themes of family\, resilience\, and the intrinsic value of cherished memories\, offering young readers a heartwarming glimpse into Dolly Parton’s humble upbringing in the Appalachian region. URL:https://birthplaceofcountrymusic.org/event/museum-story-time-coat-of-many-colors/ LOCATION:Birthplace of Country Music Museum\, 101 Country Music Way\, Bristol\, VA\, 24201\, United States CATEGORIES:Museum ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://birthplaceofcountrymusic.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/StoryTime_Coat_of_Many_Colors.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20240116T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20240116T203000 DTSTAMP:20240328T043633 CREATED:20240103T170915Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240103T213244Z UID:10030787-1705431600-1705437000@birthplaceofcountrymusic.org SUMMARY:Speaker Sessions: Holly G on the Black Opry DESCRIPTION:Date: Tuesday\, January 16\, 2024 \nTime: 7:00 p.m. ET \nLocation: Virtual via Zoom; please pre-register via the link below to attend. \nCost: Free and open to the public \nREGISTER HERE \nJoin us on Tuesday\, January 16 at 7:00 p.m. for our first Speaker Sessions of 2024! Holly G will be with us via Zoom to talk about the Black Opry\, the home for Black artists\, fans\, and industry professionals working in country\, Americana\, blues\, and folk music. \nThis program is also connected to Bristol’s Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration event. \nAbout Holly G \nHolly G is a country music industry disruptor. In April 2021\, she founded the Black Opry\, which began as a website and Twitter account celebrating the Black performers working in country\, Americana\, folk\, and other adjacent musical styles and quickly grew into a “vital voice” (Billboard) within those genres\, devoted to advocating for Black entertainers and helping the marginalized group reclaim its place in the American musical canon. The Black Opry Revue\, the organization’s national touring showcase\, began in October 2022\, and Holly G launched Black Opry Records\, in partnership with Thirty Tigers\, in September 2023. Holly’s writing has appeared on Grammy.com\, Holler\, Taste of Country\, and The Boot\, as well as in the quarterly roots music journal No Depression. \nAbout the Black Opry \nBlack Opry is a home for Black artists and Black fans of country\, blues\, folk\, and Americana music. Country music has been made by and loved by Black people since it’s conception. For just as long\, they have been overlooked and disregarded in the genre by fans and executives. Black Opry wants to change that. They invite you to discover\, support\, and enjoy the Black artists that make magic in this space. One of the most valuable aspects of country music is its versatility and diversity in sound. Country\, blues\, folk\, and Americana music often overlap or weave together – these artists explore all of those sounds and intersections. . \nThe organization and its work are featured in the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum exhibition American Currents: State of the Music 2022\, has a year-long collaboration with Wrangler\, and\, in early 2023\, partnered with Philadelphia public radio station WXPN for the first Black Opry Residency\, which brought five acts together for virtual workshops and a week of creative work in Philadelphia. (A podcast documenting the residency is forthcoming.) The “hub for Black talent” (Grammy.com) has devoted itself to advocating for Black entertainers and helping the marginalized group reclaim its place in the American musical canon. \n The Black Opry Revue\, the organization’s national touring showcase\, began in October 2022 and has since staged performances at Nashville’s Exit/In; Los Angeles’s Troubadour; the Millennium Stage at the Kennedy Center in Washington\, D.C.; Berkeley\, Calif.’s non-profit venues Freight & Savage; and several City Winery venues. The Revue has also earned slots at festivals including the Newport Folk Festival (2022\, 2023)\, Hardly Strictly Bluegrass (2022)\, AmericanaFest (2022)\, the 30A Songwriters Festival (2023)\, Cayamo (2023)\, MerleFest (2023)\, and the High Water Festival (2023). URL:https://birthplaceofcountrymusic.org/event/speaker-sessions-holly-g-on-the-black-opry/ CATEGORIES:Museum,Speaker Series ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://birthplaceofcountrymusic.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Black-Opry-collage.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20240105T103000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20240105T113000 DTSTAMP:20240328T043633 CREATED:20240102T223455Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240103T201851Z UID:10030785-1704450600-1704454200@birthplaceofcountrymusic.org SUMMARY:Museum Story Time: When Uncle Took the Fiddle DESCRIPTION:Date: Friday\, January 5\, 2023 \nTime: 10:30 a.m. EST \nLocation: The Learning Center\, Birthplace of Country Music Museum \nCost: Free and open to the public \nJoin us in the museum’s Learning Center for our monthly Museum Story Time program. Aimed at toddler-age children and their grown-ups\, we will gather on the first Friday of each month for a music- or Appalachia-related storybook\, a tune or two by WBCM Radio Bristol show host Ella Patrick\, and a related activity or coloring sheet. This month we will be doing a fun banjo-art craft! \nFor January we will be reading When Uncle Took the Fiddle written by Libba Moore Gray and illustrated by Lloyd Bloom. \nAbout When Uncle Took the Fiddle \nWhen the entire family declares they are exhausted\, Uncle reaches for the fiddle\, and before you know it\, Grandpa’s feet are stomping\, grandma’s hands are clapping\, and everyone finds good cheer. This book explores the wonderful power of music! \nAbout the Author \nLibba Moore Gray has been an actress\, a dancer\, and for 20 years a teacher of high school English and drama. Her poetry and short stories have appeared in a number of literary magazines\, and Miss Tizzy was her first book for children. When Uncle Took the Fiddle was published in 1999. Ms. Gray’s four children include a businessman\, a ballerina\, a teacher\, and a professional clown. With her husband\, Robert\, she makes her home in Knoxville\, Tennessee. URL:https://birthplaceofcountrymusic.org/event/museumstorytime_whenuncletookthefiddle/ LOCATION:Birthplace of Country Music Museum\, 101 Country Music Way\, Bristol\, VA\, 24201\, United States CATEGORIES:Museum ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://birthplaceofcountrymusic.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/01_Jan_WhenUncleTooktheFiddle.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20231212T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20231212T203000 DTSTAMP:20240328T043633 CREATED:20231015T021000Z LAST-MODIFIED:20231117T161210Z UID:10030628-1702407600-1702413000@birthplaceofcountrymusic.org SUMMARY:Speaker Sessions: McKenzie Isom on Women in Country Music -- VIRTUAL ONLY! DESCRIPTION:Date: Tuesday\, December 12\, 2023 \nTime: 7:00 p.m. EST \nLocation: Virtual via Zoom \nThis event is FREE and open to the public\, but you will need to register HERE. \nJoin us on Tuesday\, December 12 for our next Speaker Session featuring Dr. McKenzie Isom as she examines the experience of women in country music. Throughout the long 1970s\, country music sought to cultivate a traditional\, “authentic\,” and conservative image and sound that would be commercially competitive. Though the study of country music continues to develop\, very little attention has been paid to how this adherence to authenticity and traditionalism impacted its artists’ personal and professional lives\, particularly among its roster of female artists. In her presentation\, Dr. Isom will provide a more nuanced look into the inner workings of the country music industry\, one that sheds light on the highly restrictive atmosphere and working culture that female country artists regularly struggled against during this period. \nAbout McKenzie Isom \nMcKenzie L. Isom is an instructor of History at Trine University\, where she teaches courses related to American history. She received her Ph.D. in History from Purdue University\, where she specialized in 20th-century US history\, gender studies\, and popular culture. Her dissertation\, “Rustic Roots and Rhinestone Cowboys: Southern Identity\, Authenticity\, and the Gendered Construction of Persona in the Long 1970s Country Music Industry\,” examined the evolution of the term “authenticity” within the country music industry and its impact on female artists and their careers over time. Her most recent article about Bob Dylan’s connections to country music will be included in The Politics and Power of Bob Dylan’s Live Performance (Routledge Press). She is also currently working on an article discussing Welsh mythology’s impact on Stevie Nicks’ lyricism and stage persona that will be included in Classic Rock and Ancient History (Bloomsbury Publishing). URL:https://birthplaceofcountrymusic.org/event/speaker-sessions-mckenzie-isom-on-women-in-country-music/ LOCATION:Birthplace of Country Music Museum\, 101 Country Music Way\, Bristol\, VA\, 24201\, United States CATEGORIES:Museum,Speaker Series ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://birthplaceofcountrymusic.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/McKenzie-WEB.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20231209T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20231210T160000 DTSTAMP:20240328T043633 CREATED:20230831T172903Z LAST-MODIFIED:20231122T151107Z UID:10030164-1702116000-1702224000@birthplaceofcountrymusic.org SUMMARY:Workshop: Songwriting in the Tradition with Alice Gerrard DESCRIPTION:Dates: Saturday\, December 9 – Sunday\, December 10\, 2023 \nTimes: 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. and 2:00 –  4:00 p.m. daily  \nLocation: Birthplace of Country Music Museum \nCost Per Person:\n$150+ tax/fee for adults\n$100+ tax/fee for high school & college students with discount code ALICESTUDENT\n(limited student tickets available) \nBUY TICKETS \nJoin us at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum for a two-day Songwriting in the Tradition Workshop with legendary singer\, songwriter\, and instrumentalist Alice Gerrard. With a career spanning some 50 years\, Alice has known\, learned from\, and performed with many of the old-time and bluegrass greats and has in turn earned worldwide respect for her own important contributions to the music. This two-day workshop will be an opportunity for attendees to dig deep into their creativity and muse in a safe and supportive environment. Students will explore the songwriting process (different for everyone) and have fun sharing their creations. Participants are encouraged to bring along a rhyming dictionary or thesaurus\, notebook\, their own instrument\, recording devices\, and fragments of inspiration\, both melodic and lyric. \nA limited number of scholarships are available to attend; please send inquiries to Toni Doman at tdoman@birthplaceofcountrymusic.org. \n“The Tradition”:\n“I define ‘the tradition’ loosely as southern traditional music including unaccompanied ballads\, country ballads\, and blues to George Jones…as opposed to pop. But I’m not going to quibble about style except that I’m much more familiar with songwriting in that tradition. However\, you will be free to choose the kind of song you want to write. The main goal is to write something and hopefully to grab onto a melody to go with it. Building on the bedrock of “three chords and the truth” is a good way to start. You should be able to accompany yourself (nothing fancy but just know keys and their chords and be able to change chords with ease). This will be easier on a guitar\, mandolin\, piano\, autoharp\, etc. But I (we) can guide you in case you have a melody or fragment of melody but are not sure what chords to use. At the end of the two days\, students will have an original composition and we’ll do a small performance for each other. No particular level is required\, just the desire to write a song or finish a song you’ve started. Songwriting is personal and everyone will have different ideas. There are as many different approaches to songwriting as there are songwriters. You are not alone!” ~ Alice Gerrard \n  URL:https://birthplaceofcountrymusic.org/event/workshop-songwriting-in-the-tradition-with-alice-gerrard/ CATEGORIES:Museum ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://birthplaceofcountrymusic.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Alice_Gerrard_WEB_Photo.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20231201T103000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20231201T113000 DTSTAMP:20240328T043633 CREATED:20230816T153827Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230816T153827Z UID:10029472-1701426600-1701430200@birthplaceofcountrymusic.org SUMMARY:Museum Story Time: The Relatives Came by Cynthia Rylant DESCRIPTION:Date: Friday\, December 1\, 2023 \nTime: 10:30 a.m. EST \nLocation: The Learning Center\, Birthplace of Country Music Museum \nCost: Free and open to the public \nJoin us in the museum’s Learning Center for our monthly Museum Story Time program. Aimed at toddler-age children and their grown-ups\, we will gather on the first Friday of each month for a music- or Appalachia-related storybook\, a tune or two by WBCM Radio Bristol show host Ella Patrick\, and a related activity or coloring sheet. \nThis month we will be reading Hello Crow written by Jeff Daniel Marion and illustrated by Leslie Bowman. \nAbout The Relatives Came \nIn a rainbow-colored station wagon that smelled like a real car\, the relatives came. When they arrived\, they hugged and hugged from the kitchen to the front room. All summer they tended the garden and ate up all the strawberries and melons. They plucked banjos and strummed guitars.\nWhen they finally had to leave\, they were sad\, but not for long. They all knew they would be together next summer. \nAbout the Author \nAn author of fiction\, nonfiction\, and poetry for children and young adults as well as an author and author/illustrator of picture books for children\, Cynthia Rylant is recognized as a gifted writer who has contributed memorably to several genres of juvenile literature. A prolific author who often bases her works on her own background\, especially on her childhood in the West Virginia mountains\, she is the creator of contemporary novels and historical fiction for young adults\, middle-grade fiction and fantasy\, lyrical prose poems\, beginning readers\, collections of short stories\, volumes of poetry and verse\, books of prayers and blessings\, two autobiographies\, and a biography of three well-known children’s writers; several volumes of the author’s fiction and picture books are published in series\, including the popular “Henry and Mudge” easy readers about a small boy and his very large dog. \nRylant is perhaps most well known as a novelist. Characteristically\, she portrays introspective\, compassionate young people who live in rural settings or in small towns and who tend to be set apart from their peers. URL:https://birthplaceofcountrymusic.org/event/museum-story-time-the-relatives-came/ LOCATION:Birthplace of Country Music Museum\, 101 Country Music Way\, Bristol\, VA\, 24201\, United States CATEGORIES:Museum ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://birthplaceofcountrymusic.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/StoryTime_The_Relatives_Came_Graphic.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20231116T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20231116T210000 DTSTAMP:20240328T043633 CREATED:20230823T124323Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230831T174253Z UID:10029998-1700161200-1700168400@birthplaceofcountrymusic.org SUMMARY:Hoot and Holler Live: Soundtrack of My Life DESCRIPTION:Roanoke’s Hoot and Holler live storytelling event at the museum! \nDate: Thursday\, November 16\, 2023 \nTime: 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. EDT \nLocation: Performance Theater\, Birthplace of Country Music Museum \nTickets: $15+ tax/fee \nBUY TICKETS \nDo you have a theme song? A concert story that shook your very soul? A make out or break up ballad that seems to play at just the right time? The record you played until you wore the grooves out? A band that changed your life? A tale about that time at that music festival? Maybe it was the slow dance with your prom date? Your church hymns? That punk band you started in your parent’s basement? A story about the way music maybe\, just maybe\, saved your life? \nOn Nov. 16\, Hoot and Holler will gather to honor those stories in a lively\, rollicking\, poignant\, and life affirming way at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum. \nHoot and Holler is a live storytelling event series based out of Roanoke\, Va. If you are a fan of NPR’s The Moth\, This American Life\, Mortified\, and other storytelling events and podcasts\, then you will love being a part of Hoot and Holler. We build up our community by encouraging all people to step up and share their stories in a supportive\, diverse\, and empowering format. We believe that all stories matter and that all people have thousands of stories within them to tell. \nA little Vaudeville\, a smidge of irreverent rock ‘n’ roll\, a dash of freakshow\, a heap of hilarity\, and a massive infusion of soul\, Hoot and Holler will restore faith in the way we\, as humans\, share and listen to stories. \n***Interested in submitting a story pitch to be considered as a storyteller? We ask for a detailed outline to be submitted in a private message through the Hoot and Holler Facebook Messenger. Deadline for submissions is Oct. 10. \nWe look for a beginning\, middle\, and end\, lots of juicy details\, humor and truth\, conviction and confidence\, and the willingness to step up in all of your brave glory to share your story. \nWhat compels you to want to tell it? Dazzle us! \n  URL:https://birthplaceofcountrymusic.org/event/hoot-and-holler-live-soundtrack-of-my-life/ CATEGORIES:Museum ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://birthplaceofcountrymusic.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Hoot-and-Holler-WEB-image.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20231114T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20231114T203000 DTSTAMP:20240328T043633 CREATED:20231015T015101Z LAST-MODIFIED:20231020T161721Z UID:10030627-1699988400-1699993800@birthplaceofcountrymusic.org SUMMARY:Speaker Sessions: Damean Mathews on Appalachian Folklore DESCRIPTION:Date: Tuesday\, November 14\, 2023 \nTime: 7:00 p.m. EST \nLocation: Birthplace of Country Music Museum (in-person) and YouTube (virtual) \nThis event is FREE and open to the public\, but we encourage you to RSVP here. \nHave you lived your life hearing tales of the strange goings on in the mountains? Did your grandparents warn you about what might lurk in the dark after the lights go out? Or do you want to learn about some of the mystery and magic our Appalachian culture is built on? Then step into the world of Appalachian folklore with local author Damean Mathews to hear about many such myths and legends. Join us on Tuesday\, November 14\, 7:00pm – in-person or virtually via YouTube – for this interesting program! \nIf you are attending via YouTube\, the live stream will originate on the Radio Bristol YouTube channel after 6:50pm EST.  The link to the channel page is HERE. If you load the channel page before 6:50pm\, and the live stream does not automatically appear\, please refresh the page after 6:50pm. \nAbout Damean Mathews: \nDamean Mathews was born in Tazewell\, Virginia and almost immediately fell in love with literature. From an early age he preferred to be in the company of books than most anyone else\, taking books with him everywhere he went. The only thing that matched his love of the written word\, was his fascination with the paranormal. Ghosts\, vampires\, werewolves and monsters make up much of Damean’s life. \nIt only made sense that\, at some point\, Damean began to write. At first he would toy around with rewriting some of his favorite stories\, or coming up with ideas for sequels to tales where none existed. In his junior year of high school\, Damean got a story idea that “absolutely demanded to be written. I had no idea how something in my own head could be so powerful. It was in that exact moment that I knew I had to write.” \nTaking this urge by storm\, Damean started his first novel\, quickly turning one idea into nearly half a dozen. While working on novels\, he also put out a few short stories\, one of which earned him his first publication in a literary journal. That first publication inspired him to write more than ever\, leading to more publications in more journals\, while somewhere along the way Damean managed to finish three novels. \nSpecializing in the paranormal\, the self-proclaimed vampirologist\, attended symposiums\, learning more about the craft and eventually teaching lessons about how to relate worldwide legends to local lore in the Southwest Virginia region in particular. \nDamean is incredibly proud of his Appalachian culture and loves to explore the region his ancestors lived in. He often emphasizes elements of that culture within his writing and makes it a mission to seek out as much mountain lore and legend he possibly can\, both for personal enjoyment and to use in his writing. \nHe independently published his first print collection\, “Tales of the Mysterious and the Macabre: Stories From the Appalachian Foothills\,” in 2019\, his Appalachian werewolf novel “Moonlight” in 2020\, and his much awaited and beloved Appalachian vampire novel\, “Maverip” in 2021. \nDamean teaches high school English and continues to write while loving every second of life with his incredible wife\, who provides endless support and encouragement\, in their mountain home. \nVisit Damean’s website at dameanmathews.com. \n  URL:https://birthplaceofcountrymusic.org/event/speaker-sessions-damean-matthews-on-appalachian-folklore/ LOCATION:Birthplace of Country Music Museum\, 101 Country Music Way\, Bristol\, VA\, 24201\, United States CATEGORIES:Museum,Speaker Series ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://birthplaceofcountrymusic.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/20230602_090645-3-scaled.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20231103T103000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20231103T113000 DTSTAMP:20240328T043633 CREATED:20230816T152018Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230816T152131Z UID:10029471-1699007400-1699011000@birthplaceofcountrymusic.org SUMMARY:Museum Story Time - Life in Knifely: The Hawk by Virginia Cooper DESCRIPTION:Date: Friday\, November 3\, 2023 \nTime: 10:30 a.m. EST \nLocation: The Learning Center\, Birthplace of Country Music Museum \nCost: Free and open to the public \nJoin us in the museum’s Learning Center for our monthly Museum Story Time program. Aimed at toddler-age children and their grown-ups\, we will gather on the first Friday of each month for a music- or Appalachia-related storybook\, a tune or two by WBCM Radio Bristol show host Ella Patrick\, and a related activity or coloring sheet. \nThis month we will be reading Hello Crow written by Jeff Daniel Marion and illustrated by Leslie Bowman. \nAbout Life in Knifley \nFollow life in 1940’s in the mountains with Sweet Ginny. URL:https://birthplaceofcountrymusic.org/event/museum-story-time-life-in-knifley/ LOCATION:Birthplace of Country Music Museum\, 101 Country Music Way\, Bristol\, VA\, 24201\, United States CATEGORIES:Museum ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://birthplaceofcountrymusic.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/StoryTime_Life_in_Knifley_Graphic.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20231029T143000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20231029T160000 DTSTAMP:20240328T043633 CREATED:20230921T184552Z LAST-MODIFIED:20231026T172118Z UID:10030596-1698589800-1698595200@birthplaceofcountrymusic.org SUMMARY:Screening: All Wigged Out: The Musical DESCRIPTION:Date: Sunday\, October 29\, 2023 \nTime: 2:30 p.m. Eastern \nLocation: Walnut Willow Spruce Classroom\, Bristol Regional Medical Center\, 1 Medical Park Boulevard\, Bristol\, TN 37620 (From the hospital’s main entrance\, go down the stairs behind the check-in/information desk. This will put you at the cafeteria. Go to the right\, and through the first set of double doors to the left.) \nCost: FREE and open to the public; donations are encouraged and all money raised at the screening will go to the Cancer Center Foundation – Patient  Assistance Fund \nAttendees are encouraged to RSVP due to space: RSVP HERE \nJoin the Birthplace of Country Music and Ballad Health for a screening of All Wigged Out: The Musical on Sunday\, October 29\, 2:30pm in the Walnut Willow Spruce Classroom. This heartwarming musical comedy takes us through Marcy Marxer’s many stages of discovery and diagnosis of breast cancer and neuropathy tempered by her wacky sense of humor and ability to make the personal universal. Grammy-winning singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Marcy\, along with her musical and life partner Cathy Fink\, have shared All Wigged Out with audiences nationwide\, helping us to navigate the cancer maze while showcasing the power of hope\, love\, and advocacy. \nThe screening of the stage show of All Wigged Out will be followed by a Q&A with Marcy and Cathy\, along with a representative from one of Ballad Health’s cancer centers. \nThe film is 58 minutes long. \n“ALL WIGGED OUT is heartwarming\, touching\, hilarious and SO relatable! A true ‘must see’ for us all.“ ~ Doreen Bickel\, American Nurses Association \nThis program is complementary programming to go along with the museum’s current special exhibit\, I’ve Endured: Women in Old-Time Music\, on display through December 31\, 2023. Special thanks are due to the East Tennessee Foundation Art Fund for programming support\, along with sponsors Robert and Rene Rodgers in memory of Joyce Rodgers. \nAbout Marcy Marxer and Cathy Fink \nTwo-time Grammy Award winners\, Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer are master musicians with a career spanning over 35 years. Their superb harmonies are backed by instrumental virtuosity on the guitar\, five-string banjo\, ukulele\, mandolin\, cello-banjo\, and many other instruments. An eclectic folk festival on their own terms\, their repertoire ranges from classic country to western swing\, gypsy jazz to bluegrass\, and old-time string band to contemporary folk including some original gems. Their versatility defies a brief description\, perhaps “well rounded Americana” does it best. \nCathy & Marcy have performed at hundreds of bluegrass and folk festivals and taught at close to 100 music camps. The Washington Area Music Association has recognized the duo with over 60 WAMMIE Awards for folk\, bluegrass and children’s music. They have performed with Pete Seeger\, Theodore Bikel\, Tom Paxton\, Patsy Montana\, Riders in the Sky and a wide range of musical luminaries. \nThey are happily known as “social music conductors” ready to start a jam session\, a community sing or to cre-
ate a music camp helping others learn to play and sing. Past students include Kaki King and Rhiannon Giddens. Through their long relationship with the Music Center at Strathmore they collaborated with positive hip-hop artist Christylez Bacon. They continue to mentor up-and-coming artists on navigating the professional music world. \nThey have entertained the Queen of Thailand\, been keynote singers for the AFL-CIO\, performed at hundreds of folk festivals\, and appeared on the “Today Show” and National Public Radio. They have advocated in Washington for unions\, health care for children\, and the rights and livelihoods of artists. \nAs curators\, performers and hosts\, Cathy & Marcy produce A Tribute To Hank Williams at The Birchmere Music Hall\, 2019 was their 23rd annual concert. Their annual weeklong Ukulele & Guitar Summit at The Music Center at Strathmore went into its 11th year in 2019. \nCathy & Marcy have earned two GRAMMY® Awards for their recordings “cELLAbration: a Tribute to Ella Jenkins” and for “Bon Appétit!”. Their CDs “Postcards” and “Banjo Talkin’” were both GRAMMY® nominated in the Best Traditional Folk Album category. \nCathy & Marcy have toured worldwide from Japan to New Zealand\, Vancouver to New York and everywhere in between. Shows include The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Museum (OH)\, Smithsonian Institution and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. American Voices Abroad chose Cathy & Marcy with fiddler Barbara Lamb to perform in China\, Malaysia\, Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu for the U.S. Department of State. URL:https://birthplaceofcountrymusic.org/event/screening-all-wigged-out-the-musical/ LOCATION:Bristol Regional Medical Center\, 1 Medical Park Boulevard\, Bristol\, TN\, 37620\, United States CATEGORIES:Museum,Special Events ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://birthplaceofcountrymusic.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/2023_BCMM_AllWiggedOut-Web.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20231028T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20231028T180000 DTSTAMP:20240328T043633 CREATED:20230831T195709Z LAST-MODIFIED:20231003T013129Z UID:10030577-1698487200-1698516000@birthplaceofcountrymusic.org SUMMARY:Community Day at the Museum - With Performances by Cathy Fink and Marcy Marxer! DESCRIPTION:Date: Saturday\, October 28\, 2023 \nTime: 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Eastern \nLocation: Birthplace of Country Music Museum  \nCost: FREE and open to the public! \nJoin us on Saturday\, October 28 for our annual Community Day at the Museum. Admission is free all day long\, and visitors can enjoy the museum’s permanent exhibits\, our current special exhibit I’ve Endured: Women in Old-Time Music\, and a variety of family-friendly activities! \nActivities will include: \n\nSinging\, yodeling\, and rope tricks with old-time and bluegrass musicans Cathy Fink and Marcy Marxer at 12:30 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. in the museum’s Performance Theater. Children (and the young-at-heart) can try their hand at rope tricks with Marcy outside the museum following the performances.\nInstrument Petting Zoo with Bailey George and Jukebox Jess from 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. in the museum’s Learning Center\, a chance to try out a variety of stringed and other instruments including the fiddle\, banjo\, guitar\, mandolin\, autoharp\, spoons\, and washboard!\nSpooky and Appalachian story time from 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.\, a new book every half hour\n“Busking” from our friendly bluegrass jammers throughout the day\nColoring and activity sheets to takeaway\n\nBe sure to stop by the museum for a day of fun and engagement! And check out these other family-friendly activities happening downtown that day: \n\nPumpkin Palooza\, Downtown Center – 9:00 a.m. until supplies run out!\nTrick-or-treating – 10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. (you will find us handing out candy near 606 State Street\, Bristol\, TN)\nHalloween Parade\, State Street – 6:30 p.m.\n\n \nAbout Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer \nTwo-time Grammy winners Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer are master musicians with a career spanning over 35 years. Their superb harmonies are backed by instrumental virtuosity on the guitar\, five-string banjo\, ukulele\, mandolin\, cello-banjo\, and more. Their repertoire ranges from classic country to western swing\, gypsy jazz to bluegrass\, and old-time string band to contemporary folk (including some original gems). \nCATHY & MARCY are trailblazers in children’s music and have been connecting families through music for over 30 years. Over 5\,000 shows in performing arts centers\, schools\, folk festivals\, community centers\, libraries and children’s festivals have given Cathy & Marcy the superb skills to deliver a show that is fun\, wacky\, energetic\, participatory\, and meaningful. \nAbout Bailey George & Jukebox Jess \nBailey George & Jukebox Jess are multitalented – as a musical duo\,  the opening act and the Master and Mistress of Ceremonies at the Boones Creek Opry\, and preservers of vintage music memorabilia. Bailey is also the host of Radio Bristol’s Honky Tonk Hit Parade\, one of our most popular shows. Frequent hosts of the museum’s Instrument Petting Zoo\, they are sure to inspire kiddos to love music! \n  \nSpecial Thanks \nSpecial thanks to the East Tennessee Foundation’s Arts Fund for providing grant funding for public programming related to the I’ve Endured: Women in Old-Time Music exhibit\, including the performances by Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer. URL:https://birthplaceofcountrymusic.org/event/community-day-at-the-museum-with-performances-by-cathy-fink-and-marcy-marxer/ LOCATION:Birthplace of Country Music Museum\, 101 Country Music Way\, Bristol\, VA\, 24201\, United States CATEGORIES:Museum ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://birthplaceofcountrymusic.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Facebook-Event-Cover.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20231018T170000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20231018T200000 DTSTAMP:20240328T043633 CREATED:20231002T181158Z LAST-MODIFIED:20231002T181158Z UID:10030625-1697648400-1697659200@birthplaceofcountrymusic.org SUMMARY:Museum Volunteer Training DESCRIPTION:We want YOU to join our wonderful team of volunteers at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum! \nDate: Wednesday\, October 18\, 2023 \nTime: 5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. \nLocation: Birthplace of Country Music Museum\, Learning Center \nIf you have a passion for Bristol and its musical legacy and love helping others\, our museum volunteer program is the perfect fit for you! \nMuseum volunteers play a vital role in a number of key areas behind the scenes and on the front lines\, such as working as a gallery assistant or docent\, helping out in The Museum Store\, working with the public at events and programs\, assisting with behind the scenes administrative or collections work and so much more! Our Museum Volunteer Training session gets you acquainted with every aspect of the museum to help you find your area of interest. Volunteer schedules are flexible and fun! \nIf you are interested in coming to our Museum Volunteer Training\, email Myrissa at volunteercoordinator@birthplaceofcountrymusic.org. URL:https://birthplaceofcountrymusic.org/event/museum-volunteer-training-16/ LOCATION:Birthplace of Country Music Museum\, 101 Country Music Way\, Bristol\, VA\, 24201\, United States CATEGORIES:Museum ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://birthplaceofcountrymusic.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/2022_BCMM_VolunteerTraining_Web.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20231010T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20231010T203000 DTSTAMP:20240328T043633 CREATED:20230817T203423Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230817T203423Z UID:10029477-1696964400-1696969800@birthplaceofcountrymusic.org SUMMARY:Speaker Sessions: Ballad Singer Donna Ray Norton on Murder Ballads DESCRIPTION:Date: Tuesday\, October 10\, 2023 \nTime: 7:00 p.m. Eastern \nLocation: Birthplace of Country Music Museum\, 101 Country Music Way\, Bristol\, VA 24201  \nCost: Free but please RSVP HERE \nJoin us on Tuesday\, October 10\, 7:00pm for our next Speaker Sessions as we explore balladry and murder ballads as part of “spooky season.” Eighth-generation ballad singer Donna Ray Norton will explore the history of murder ballads in story and song\, and share examples of ballads that have flipped the narrative of female victim to protagonist. \nThis program is offered in-person at the museum and virtually via YouTube (rather than our usual Zoom). When RSVPing at the link above\, please indicate how you will be attending\, and if you will be joining us virtually\, the YouTube link will be sent to you on the Monday prior to the event. \nThis program is complementary programming to the Birthplace of Country Music Museum’s I’ve Endured: Women in Old-Time Music exhibit\, on display through December 31\, 2023. This exhibit has been funded in part by grants from Virginia Humanities\, the Massengill-DeFriece Foundation\, and the IBMA Foundation\, along with local women-led business sponsorship from Friends of Southwest Virginia\, The Crooked Road\, Artemis Consulting Services\, LLC\, Bristol Ballet\, Suzi Griffin (Studio 6)\, Kim Sproles (KS Promotions)\, and Kayla Stevenson (Matte Nail Bar). East Tennessee Foundation Arts Fund provided grant funding for related public programming\, and the Virginia Tourism Corporation provided grant funding for the exhibit’s website. \nAbout Donna Ray Norton \nWhen Donna Ray Norton thinks about Appalachian music\, she says\, “I think about home.” Home for Donna Ray is Revere\, also known as Sodom Laurel\, in Madison County. It’s hard to imagine a deeper musical heritage than Norton’s. She is an eighth- generation ballad singer\, the granddaughter of fiddler Byard Ray and Morris Norton\, who played the banjo and mouth bow\, daughter of singer Lena Jean Ray\, and cousin to Sheila Adams and many other prominent Madison County musicians. \nLike her forbearers\, Donna Ray grew up hearing her family’s music and stories in her home; but it did not always appeal to her. It was just one of those things that you grew accustomed to\, and you learned from hearing them. When she was seventeen\, however\, a senior project in high school was what really got me interested in my heritage. Researching the tradition of ballads led to learning them—from her mother\, from Adams\, Marilyn McMinn McReadie\, and Bobby McMillon—and then to performing. \nNorton is now a highly regarded member of the younger generation of Madison County ballad singers and storytellers. She was featured in the documentary Madison County Project\, which won the 2005 Audience Choice Award at the Asheville Film Festival. She has performed at the Mountain Dance and Folk Festival\, the Bascom Lamar Lunsford Festival\, Mars Hill University Heritage Day\, and at many other venues in western North Carolina every year since she began her musical journey. In 2005\, she was honored with the Bascom Lamar Lunsford Youth Award for Balladry. In 2006\, Donna Ray performed with the North Carolina Symphony Orchestra in their Blue Skies/Red Earth concert series in Raleigh. She also toured western North Carolina with the Symphony concert at the end of May 2007 and received The Key to the City of Hickory for her contributions to musical heritage. In September 2007 Donna Ray performed at the Berkeley Old Time Music Festival in Berkeley California and was scheduled for a return performance there in September of 2019! She has been performing across North Carolina at several different venues\, including a show at the NC Museum of History. She performed at the 50th annual Smithsonian Folklife Festival in Washington D.C. in July of 2017 with her cousins\, Sheila Kay Adams and Melanie Rice Penland. She and Melanie performed in Washington at the Folklore Society of Greater Washington’s Getaway in October of 2018. She has been a part of many different performances celebrating the 100-year anniversary of Cecil Sharp traveling through the Appalachian Mountains and collecting a ton of old ballads from people in Virginia\, West Virginia\, Kentucky\, Tennessee\, and North Carolina. These shows were in Blowing Rock and Mars Hill\, NC and at The Birthplace of Country Music Museum in Bristol. Most recently Donna Ray has added hosting events to her long list of accomplishments. She\, alongside her cousin Sheila Kay Adams\, hosts a monthly Ballad Swap at the historic Old Marshall Jail Hotel and Zadie’s Restaurant. \nDonna Ray has three albums for sale. Her newest album was produced by Grammy nominated\, highly accomplished old time\, bluegrass\, and swing musician\, Josh Goforth. Josh also provides the musical accompaniment for Donna Ray’s first ever old time song\, featured on this album. A special treat for any listener\, for sure! One of her songs was used by Sarah Council\, an independent choreographer\, in a piece that she created telling the story of her southern roots and personal history\, in New York City. She was featured on an album called “Big Bend Killing\, The Appalachian Ballad Tradition”\, with artists such as Sheila Kay Adams\, Bobby McMillon\, Alice Gerrard\, Amythyst Kiah\, Roy Andrade\, David Holt\, and Roseanne Cash. This album was released in the fall of 2017 and won a Grammy in 2018 for Best Album Compilation! URL:https://birthplaceofcountrymusic.org/event/speaker-sessions-ballad-singer-donna-ray-norton-on-murder-ballads/ LOCATION:Birthplace of Country Music Museum\, 101 Country Music Way\, Bristol\, VA\, 24201\, United States CATEGORIES:Museum,Speaker Series ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://birthplaceofcountrymusic.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/IMG-0219-scaled.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20231006T103000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20231006T113000 DTSTAMP:20240328T043633 CREATED:20230816T150328Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230816T150328Z UID:10029470-1696588200-1696591800@birthplaceofcountrymusic.org SUMMARY:Museum Story Time: Piggies in a Polka by Kathi Appelt DESCRIPTION:Date: Friday\, October 6\, 2023 \nTime: 10:30 a.m. EST \nLocation: The Learning Center\, Birthplace of Country Music Museum \nCost: Free and open to the public \nJoin us in the museum’s Learning Center for our monthly Museum Story Time program. Aimed at toddler-age children and their grown-ups\, we will gather on the first Friday of each month for a music- or Appalachia-related storybook\, a tune or two by WBCM Radio Bristol show host Ella Patrick\, and a related activity or coloring sheet. \nThis month we will be reading Hello Crow written by Jeff Daniel Marion and illustrated by Leslie Bowman. \nAbout Piggies in a Polka \nIt’s time for the annual holler hootenanny\, and these little piggies know how to party! “The drummer piggy hits a groove\,/ he keeps the polka beat./ It’s a hoopy-shoopy rhythm/ and the pigs all stomp their feet\,” writes Appelt (Oh My Baby\, Little One). The star of the barn dance is Porcina\, a Rubenesque chanteuse whose high notes make “all the bachelor piggies sigh.” But the real show is in Pham’s (Before I Was Your Mother) suedelike\, digital illustrations. She crowds the barn floor with ecstatic couples—and an occasional singleton—carried away by the music and merrymaking (in one scene\, a pig can be spotted floating in the punch bowl; throughout\, a duck quacks with abandon). Hues of rose and gold emanate from the footlights and lanterns\, bouncing off the walls and illuminating the angular planes of the pigs’ plump bodies. Investing her porcine participants with an individual personality\, Pham makes the pages pulsate with the heady crush and buzz of a joint that’s jumpin’. Ages 3-7. \nAbout the Author \nKathi Appelt is the author of the Newbery Honoree\, National Book Award finalist\, and bestselling The Underneath as well as the National Book Award finalist The True Blue Scouts of Sugar Man Swamp\, Maybe a Fox (with Alison McGhee)\, Keeper\, and many picture books including Counting Crows and Max Attacks. She has two grown children and lives in College Station\, Texas\, with her husband. URL:https://birthplaceofcountrymusic.org/event/museum-story-time-piggies-in-a-polka/ LOCATION:Birthplace of Country Music Museum\, 101 Country Music Way\, Bristol\, VA\, 24201\, United States CATEGORIES:Museum ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://birthplaceofcountrymusic.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/StoryTime_Piggies_in-a-Polka_Graphic.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230930T183000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230930T210000 DTSTAMP:20240328T043633 CREATED:20230817T201841Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230928T140921Z UID:10029476-1696098600-1696107600@birthplaceofcountrymusic.org SUMMARY:Community Square Dance: A Partnership with Bristol Ballet with Caller Becky Hill DESCRIPTION:Date: Saturday\, September 30\, 2023 \nTime: 6:30 p.m. Eastern \nLocation: Bristol Ballet\, 330 Buford St\, Bristol\, VA 24201 (Please park at the back of the building and go in the entrance framed by columns) \nCost: Free but any donations at the door will support the museum and Bristol Ballet. Please RSVP here \nCome do-si-do and promenade with us! \nJoin the Birthplace of Country Music and Bristol Ballet for a community square dance on Saturday\, September 30. Caller Becky Hill will lead a short introduction to dance steps\, followed by a full square dance with a lively string band led by Gina and Jason Dilg. \nThis event is open to all ages and no experience or partner is required; we recommend sturdy shoes so you can dance all night! Space is limited so sign up to participate soon! \nThis program is complementary programming to the Birthplace of Country Music Museum’s I’ve Endured: Women in Old-Time Music exhibit\, on display through December 31\, 2023. This exhibit has been funded in part by grants from Virginia Humanities\, the Massengill-DeFriece Foundation\, and the IBMA Foundation\, along with local women-led business sponsorship from Friends of Southwest Virginia\, The Crooked Road\, Artemis Consulting Services\, LLC\, Bristol Ballet\, Suzi Griffin (Studio 6)\, Kim Sproles (KS Promotions)\, and Kayla Stevenson (Matte Nail Bar). East Tennessee Foundation Arts Fund provided grant funding for related public programming\, and the Virginia Tourism Corporation provided grant funding for the exhibit’s website. URL:https://birthplaceofcountrymusic.org/event/community-square-dance-a-partnership-with-bristol-ballet-with-caller-becky-hill/ CATEGORIES:Museum ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://birthplaceofcountrymusic.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Square-dance-collage.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230929T183000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230929T200000 DTSTAMP:20240328T043633 CREATED:20230817T193559Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230817T193559Z UID:10029475-1696012200-1696017600@birthplaceofcountrymusic.org SUMMARY:Film Screening: Reel 'Em\, Boys\, Reel 'Em w/ Filmmaker Q&A DESCRIPTION:Date: Friday\, September 29\, 2023 \nTime: 6:30 p.m. Eastern \nLocation: Birthplace of Country Music Museum Performance Theater  \nCost: Free and open to the public but please register HERE \nJoin us on Friday\, September 29\, 6:30 p.m. for a screening of the documentary Reel ‘Em\, Boys\, Reel ‘Em followed by a live Q&A with filmmaker Becky Hill. \nReel ‘Em\, Boys\, Reel ‘Em features West Virginia traditional square dancing and step dancing and follows the Mountain Dance Trail as it winds across the Mountain State. Interviews with callers\, musicians\, dancers\, and dance historians\, along with current square dance footage and archival footage from Augusta Heritage Center are combined to create a film that celebrates the importance of old-time music and dance. Centuries old dance customs are discussed and revealed in the traditions as they exist today. This film documents the exceptional endurance of traditional dance in West Virginia. \nThe screening will be followed by a Q&A with filmmaker Becky Hill. \nThis program is complementary programming to the Birthplace of Country Music Museum’s I’ve Endured: Women in Old-Time Music exhibit\, on display through December 31\, 2023. This exhibit has been funded in part by grants from Virginia Humanities\, the Massengill-DeFriece Foundation\, and the IBMA Foundation\, along with local women-led business sponsorship from Friends of Southwest Virginia\, The Crooked Road\, Artemis Consulting Services\, LLC\, Bristol Ballet\, Suzi Griffin (Studio 6)\, Kim Sproles (KS Promotions)\, and Kayla Stevenson (Matte Nail Bar). East Tennessee Foundation Arts Fund provided grant funding for related public programming\, and the Virginia Tourism Corporation provided grant funding for the exhibit’s website. \nAbout Becky Hill \nB​ecky Hill is a percussive dancer\, square dance caller\, choreographer\, community organizer\, and educator. \nShe grew up in Michigan\, spent extensive time in West Virginia and now resides in Brentwood\, Maryland. Becky has worked with Footworks Percussive Dance Ensemble\, Good Foot Dance Company and Rhythm in Shoes\, and has studied with an array of percussive dance luminaries. \nIn 2013\, she was involved in Wheatland Music Organization’s Carry It On… Project where she was commissioned to choreograph two works under the mentorship of Sharon Leahy in honor of the festival’s 40th anniversary. In 2014 and 2106\, she was awarded a West Virginia Division of Culture and History Professional Development Grant to further her study of percussive dance. Becky served as the Artist in Residence at Davis & Elkins College from 2013 – 2015 where she coordinated The Mountain Dance Trail of Augusta Heritage Center and co-directed the Appalachian Ensemble. She became the Events Coordinator for Augusta Heritage Center from 2015 – 2019 organizing their summer intensives. Together with noted folklorist Gerry Milnes\, she produced a documentary film on West Virginia dance traditions\, Reel ‘Em\, Boys\, Reel ‘Em. Becky has organized Helvetia Hoot\, formally known as Dare to be Square West Virginia since 2013. She is currently a Programming Manager for the National Council for the Traditional Arts.\n​\nBecky directed her first evening length music and dance work inspired by Appalachia\, Shift\, with an all-star cast Nashville. Shift debuted November 2017 and it expanded for the 2018 Wheatland Music Festival. In 2018 she was selected a fellow for OneBeat\, a U.S. State Department Cultural Diplomacy Program and conducted an artist residency at Basin Arts.  She completed her  M.F.A in dance at University of Maryland\, College Park in May 2022. She was an Artist-in-Residence at Strathmore in 2021\,  John C.Campbell Folk School in 2022\, Hambidge Center for the Creative Arts & Sciences in 2023 and Loghaven in 2023.  She is  involved with Dance Exchange’s Dance On Creative Aging Program\, and can be found performing with T-Mart Rounders\, calling square dances\, and teaching dance throughout the country. \nAs an avid organizer and teacher\, Becky’s work is deeply rooted in the connections between music and community. She believes there is always more to learn and is dedicated to creating  innovative choreography rooted in Appalachian music and dance. URL:https://birthplaceofcountrymusic.org/event/film-screening-reel-em-boys-reel-em-w-filmmaker-qa/ LOCATION:Birthplace of Country Music Museum\, 101 Country Music Way\, Bristol\, VA\, 24201\, United States CATEGORIES:Museum ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://birthplaceofcountrymusic.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Reel-Em-Boys-screening-event-collage.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230906 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230911 DTSTAMP:20240328T043633 CREATED:20230627T135223Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230825T165112Z UID:10029437-1693958400-1694390399@birthplaceofcountrymusic.org SUMMARY:VMFA on the Road Artmobile at Birthplace of Country Music Museum DESCRIPTION:Event:  Virginia Museum of Fine Arts on the Road Artmobile at the Museum! \nAbout: The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts is bringing traveling art exhibitions and educational offerings to audiences across the state with VMFA on the Road: An Artmobile for the 21st century! This state-of-the-art mobile museum and education studio will be at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum and open to school groups\, drop-in visitors\, and Bristol Rhythm festivalgoers for several days in September. \nDates: Wednesday\, September 6–Sunday\, September 10\, 2023 \nWednesday\, September 6–Thursday\, September 7 (for school visits and drop-in visitors) \nFriday\, September 8–Sunday\, September 10 (for drop-in visitors and Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion festivalgoers) \nLocation: Parked on Country Music Way in front of the museum \nExhibit Description: This year’s VMFA on the Road exhibition is titled Revealing and Obscuring Identity: Portraits from the Permanent Collection. It examines the complex role of portraiture across cultures and time periods. Beginning with the Japanese artist Kitagawa Utamaro\, and concluding with American artist Gordon Stettinius\, the exhibit explores how artists have used portraiture as a means to both reveal and obscure their sitter’s identity. Traditionally\, portraiture has been used to highlight the sitter’s wealth\, power\, beauty\, virtue\, and intelligence and has been reserved for the elite of society. Several of the works in this exhibition maintain this tradition while others employ it as means to explore truths about the nature of art\, the way we perceive beauty\, and the way culture influences and reflects personal identity. \nFamily Visit Guide: A Family Visit Guide is available online\, and paper copies will be available at the Artmobile for visitors to use and take with them. \nCOVID Protocols: The VMFA on the Road Artmobile is following these protocols: \n*Not requiring visitors to wear masks on the artmobile \n*Have a maximum of 15-20 persons on board at the same time \n*There’s no time limit on general visits \n*30-minute school tour group visits \n*Hand sanitizer will be available \n****************************************************************************** \nDROP-IN VISITORS \nDrop-in visitors can view the Artmobile for free on Wednesday\, September 6 and Thursday\, September 7\, 2023 at times when school groups are not booked\, see below (BOOKED and OPEN FOR DROP-IN VISITORS times will be marked as such). \nDrop-ins are also welcome Friday\, September 8–Sunday\, September 10 (see open times below) because the Artmobile will be just outside the Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion festival gates\, but entry into the festival footprint requires a BRRR 2023 wristband.  \nTake an art break! Bring your friends\, family\, kids\, grandma\, or whoever you know who would enjoy a wonderful art experience and drop-in on the VMFA on the Road Artmobile. This is a FREE opportunity! \nThe Artmobile will be closed Wednesday and Thursday 11:50am–12:50pm for lunch. \n \n****************************************************************************** \nSchool Information \nSchool groups can visit the Artmobile on Wednesday\, September 6 and Thursday\, September 7\, 2023. This is a FREE visit! \nThe VMFA on the Road Artmobile will be open to middle school\, high school\, and college groups on September 6–7\, 2023. A field trip to the Artmobile exposes students to multiple art mediums and concepts using visual thinking\, sketching\, and writing. Admission is free to the Artmobile. \nSeveral time slots are available for school group visits\, and schools can book multiple/consecutive time slots if needed (please get in touch if you need another time than the ones shown below\, e.g. later in the day): \nWEDNESDAY\, SEPTEMBER 6 \n10:00–10:30am BOOKED \n10:40–11:10am BOOKED \n11:20–11:50am BOOKED \n11:50–12:50pm CLOSED FOR LUNCH \n12:50–1:20pm \n1:30–2:00pm \n2:10–2:40pm \n2:50–3:20pm \n3:30–4:00pm \nTHURSDAY\, SEPTEMBER 7 \n10:00–10:30am BOOKED \n10:40–11:10am BOOKED \n11:20–11:50am BOOKED \n11:50am–12:50pm CLOSED FOR LUNCH \n12:50–1:20pm BOOKED \n1:30–2:00pm \n2:10–2:40pm \n2:50–3:20pm \n3:30–4:00pm BOOKED \nThe Birthplace of Country Music Museum has some funds available to help schools with transportation costs on a first come-first served basis. Please contact ebarker@birthplaceofcountrymusic.org for more information. \nEducators can pick from a variety of learning activities for their student visit\, including Looking to Learn\, Sketching to Learn\, Moving to Learn\, and Writing to Learn. \nA tour of the Artmobile is a 30-minute experience. An optimum visit has 10–12 students (with one adult); larger groups will be divided into groups of 20 (with two adults). Teachers can also add a FREE guided tour of the Birthplace of Country Music Museum’s special exhibit I’ve Endured: Women in Old-Time Music (also a 30-minute experience) to your visit to the Artmobile. This exhibit is a wonderful companion to the Artmobile experience\, giving students and teachers the chance to explore women’s history and stories more deeply. Women have always been central to old-time music – in the home and on the stage\, and as instrumentalists and singers\, preservationists\, activities\, promotors\, and cultural memory keepers. I’ve Endured highlights the many women who have been integral to this music\, exploring the challenges they’ve faced making a career in the field\, the ways they have impacted the genre\, and their vision for the future of old-time. If you would like to also book a tour of the museum’s permanent exhibits\, our usual student group admission applies. \nFor further information about a VMFA on the Road Artmobile experience for your students and to book a tour\, please contact Erika Barker at ebarker@birthplaceofcountrymusic.org\, providing the following information: Date of tour\, preferred time of tour\, name of school\, teacher’s name\, grade level\, and size of group. \nBookings must be made by September 1\, 2023. \n \n****************************************************************************** \nBristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion Information \nFestivalgoers can visit the Artmobile on Friday\, September 8– Sunday\, September 10\, 2023 \nThe VMFA on the Road Artmobile will be free and open to festivalgoers on September 8—10\, 2023\, just one more way to make your Bristol Rhythm experience even more special! A fun arts & crafts table will also be set up outside the Artmobile for anyone who needs a creativity break! \nThe Artmobile will be open at the following times: \nFriday\, September\, 8: 1:00–7:00pm \nSaturday\, September 9: 9:00am–6:00pm (closed 1:00–2:00pm for lunch) \nSunday\, September 10: 10:00am–5:00pm (closed 1:00–2:00pm for lunch) URL:https://birthplaceofcountrymusic.org/event/vmfa-on-the-road-artmobile-at-birthplace-of-country-music-museum-2/ LOCATION:Birthplace of Country Music Museum\, 101 Country Music Way\, Bristol\, VA\, 24201\, United States CATEGORIES:Festival,Museum ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://birthplaceofcountrymusic.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/VMFA_OTR_PostCard_BRRR_Front.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230901T103000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230901T113000 DTSTAMP:20240328T043633 CREATED:20230816T142820Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230816T145938Z UID:10029469-1693564200-1693567800@birthplaceofcountrymusic.org SUMMARY:Museum Story Time: Lorraine\, The Girl Who Sang the Storm Away by Ketch Secor DESCRIPTION:Date: Friday\, September 1\, 2023 \nTime: 10:30 a.m. EST \nLocation: The Learning Center\, Birthplace of Country Music Museum \nCost: Free and open to the public \nJoin us in the museum’s Learning Center for our monthly Museum Story Time program. Aimed at toddler-age children and their grown-ups\, we will gather on the first Friday of each month for a music- or Appalachia-related storybook\, a tune or two by WBCM Radio Bristol show host Ella Patrick\, and a related activity or coloring sheet. \nThis month we will be reading Hello Crow written by Jeff Daniel Marion and illustrated by Leslie Bowman. \nAbout Lorraine\, The Girl Who Sang The Storm Away \nOld Crow Medicine Show founder and Grammy award-winning musician Ketch Secor teams up with Ashley Bryan Award-winning illustrator Higgins Bond to create this sweeping\, epic Americana story about the power of music and family. \n“Who needs a whistle or some shiny thing \nwhen you’ve got a voice and a song that can sing!” \nLorraine and her Pa Paw spend their days celebrating life with the music of the Tennessee hills. With Pa Paw’s harmonica and Lorraine’s pennywhistle\, the pair can face just about anything. But when a fearsome storm rolls in and their instruments are nowhere to be found\, can Lorraine find the music inside herself to get them through? \nAbout the Author \nKetch Secor is the founder of the band Old Crow Medicine Show. He won a Grammy for his involvement in the concert film\, “Big Easy Express.” Old Crow Medicine Show has sold over 700\,000 albums. Ketch lives in Nashville\, Tennessee. Learn more at crowmedicine.com. \n“Lorraine was inspired by the Appalachian people I met when I lived in eastern Tennessee during the infancy of my band\, Old Crow Medicine Show. The folktales they told stayed with me for years until I finally wrote my own.” \nAbout the Illustrator \nHiggins Bond received the 2009 Ashley Bryan Award for outstanding contribution to children’s literature. She lives in Nashville\, Tennessee. Visit her at higginsbond.com. \nHiggins was drawn to Lorraine’s story because of the devotion between the girl and her grandfather and the magic of the sounds they create. “To feel the healing power of music is something everyone can identify with.” URL:https://birthplaceofcountrymusic.org/event/museum-story-time-lorraine-the-girl-who-sang-the-storm-away-by-ketch-secor/ LOCATION:Birthplace of Country Music Museum\, 101 Country Music Way\, Bristol\, VA\, 24201\, United States CATEGORIES:Museum ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://birthplaceofcountrymusic.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Lorraine.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230828T183000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230828T200000 DTSTAMP:20240328T043633 CREATED:20230724T172406Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230724T172406Z UID:10029442-1693247400-1693252800@birthplaceofcountrymusic.org SUMMARY:Film Screening: “I’ve Endured”: The Music and Legacy of Ola Belle Reed DESCRIPTION:Date: Monday\, August 28\, 2023 \nTime: 6:30 p.m. EST \nLocation: Birthplace of Country Music Museum Performance Theater with virtual Q&A to follow \nCost: Free and open to the public but please register HERE \nJoin us on Monday\, August 28\, 6:30 p.m. for a special preview screening of “I’ve Endured”: The Music and Legacy of Ola Belle Reed\, a 45-minute documentary exploring the life and work of nationally recognized bluegrass and old-time musician Ola Bell Campbell Reed (1916-2002). This film was made in conjunction with Ola Belle Reed and the Southern Diaspora\, an exhibit at the University of Maryland Baltimore County that contextualizes Reed’s achievements within a history of migration from rural Appalachia north in the 20th century. Containing interviews\, performances\, and archival footage\, this documentary will provide a deeper understanding of the legacy and impact of Reed\, whose songwriting and performances have been immensely influential on the musicians who knew and followed her. \nThe film screening will be followed by a virtual Q&A with scholar and filmmaker Bill Shewbridge. \nThis program is complementary programming to the Birthplace of Country Music Museum’s I’ve Endured: Women in Old-Time Music exhibit\, on display through December 31\, 2023. This exhibit has been funded in part by grants from Virginia Humanities\, the Massengill-DeFriece Foundation\, and the IBMA Foundation\, along with local women-led business sponsorship from Friends of Southwest Virginia\, The Crooked Road\, Artemis Consulting Services\, LLC\, Bristol Ballet\, Suzi Griffin (Studio 6)\, Kim Sproles (KS Promotions)\, and Kayla Stevenson (Matte Nail Bar). East Tennessee Foundation Arts Fund provided grant funding for related public programming\, and the Virginia Tourism Corporation provided grant funding for the exhibit’s website. \nFor more information about the film\, check out https://www.olabellefilm.org/olabelle/. URL:https://birthplaceofcountrymusic.org/event/film-screening-ive-endured-the-music-and-legacy-of-ola-belle-reed/ LOCATION:Birthplace of Country Music Museum\, 101 Country Music Way\, Bristol\, VA\, 24201\, United States CATEGORIES:Museum ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://birthplaceofcountrymusic.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/OlaBelle_Web-1.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230808T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230808T203000 DTSTAMP:20240328T043633 CREATED:20230721T200719Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230724T174453Z UID:10029441-1691521200-1691526600@birthplaceofcountrymusic.org SUMMARY:Speaker Sessions – Dr. Bryan Pierce on the National Museum of African American Music DESCRIPTION:Date: Tuesday\, August 8\, 2023 \nTime: 7:00 p.m. EST \nLocation: Virtual only \nCost: Free and open to the public\, but please register for the Zoom link HERE. \nJoin us on Tuesday\, August 8\, 7:00 p.m. EST for our next Speaker Sessions with Dr. Bryan Pierce from the National Museum of African American Music (NMAAM) in Nashville\, Tennessee! Dr. Pierce will share insights into the work of NMAAM and explore the histories and stories of Black music and artists in America\, including several that connect to traditional or country music. \nAbout the Speaker \nDr. Bryan Pierce is the curator of the National Museum of African American Music. He previously held the position of Digital Archivist at Philander Smith College in Little Rock\, Arkansas. In both his academic work and as a museum professional\, Bryan has specialized in subterranean African American aesthetics in music and decorative arts. He pursued a PhD from Arkansas State University and throughout his time at ASU\, Bryan worked at the Southern Tenant Farmers Museum. He was also on the exhibition development team for the Boyhood Home of Johnny Cash. After completing his doctorate\, Bryan accepted an Assistant Registrar/ Curator position with the Department of Arkansas Heritage. \nAbout the National Museum of African American Music \nThe National Museum of African American Music is the only museum dedicated to preserving and celebrating the many music genres created\, influenced\, and inspired by African Americans. The museum’s expertly-curated collections share the story of the American soundtrack by integrating history and interactive technology to bring the musical heroes of the past into the present. NMAAM broke ground in early 2017 and officially opened in 2021. Since its opening\, NMAAM has welcomed guests from across the U.S. and is one of Music City’s top must-see tourist destination. URL:https://birthplaceofcountrymusic.org/event/speaker-sessions-bryan-pierce-national-museum-african-american-music/ LOCATION:Birthplace of Country Music Museum\, 101 Country Music Way\, Bristol\, VA\, 24201\, United States CATEGORIES:Museum,Speaker Series ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://birthplaceofcountrymusic.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/SpeakerSession_Web.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230804T103000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230804T113000 DTSTAMP:20240328T043633 CREATED:20230731T165137Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230731T165137Z UID:10029443-1691145000-1691148600@birthplaceofcountrymusic.org SUMMARY:Museum Story Time: Hello\, Crow by Jeff Daniel Marion DESCRIPTION:Date: Friday\, August 4\, 2023 \nTime: 10:30 a.m. EST \nLocation: The Learning Center\, Birthplace of Country Music Museum \nCost: Free and open to the public \nJoin us in the museum’s Learning Center for our monthly Museum Story Time program. Aimed at toddler-age children and their grown-ups\, we will gather on the first Friday of each month for a music- or Appalachia-related storybook\, a tune or two by WBCM Radio Bristol show host Ella Patrick\, and a related activity or coloring sheet. \nThis month we will be reading Hello Crow written by Jeff Daniel Marion and illustrated by Leslie Bowman. \nAbout Hello\, Crow \nThe book tells the reminiscences of a boy about his brief relationship with a crow that lived for a while in the well house on his family’s farm. \nAbout the Author \nEast Tennessee native Jeff Daniel Marion was one of the most significant and beloved voices in Appalachian literature\, creating poetry\, children’s books\, and a variety of other writings. URL:https://birthplaceofcountrymusic.org/event/museum-story-time-hello-crow-by-jeff-daniel-marion/ LOCATION:Birthplace of Country Music Museum\, 101 Country Music Way\, Bristol\, VA\, 24201\, United States CATEGORIES:Museum ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://birthplaceofcountrymusic.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Hello-Crow.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230717T090000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230718T123000 DTSTAMP:20240328T043633 CREATED:20230503T172340Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230706T181304Z UID:10029425-1689584400-1689683400@birthplaceofcountrymusic.org SUMMARY:Teacher In-Service at the Museum DESCRIPTION:Dates: Monday\, July 17\, 2023 (Elementary)\n             Tuesday\, July 18\, 2023 (Middle & High School) \nTime: 9 a.m. – 3:00pm or 2:30pm (see explanation below) \nLocation: Birthplace of Country Music Museum \nCost: FREE \nREGISTER HERE \nThis summer the Birthplace of Country Music Museum (BCMM) is offering free K-12 Teacher In-Service Workshops\, scheduled for Monday\, July 17 (elementary) and Tuesday\, July 18 (middle and high school). These programs will include: \n\nAn introduction to the museum and its educational resources\nA museum tour\nLesson plan activities\nInsights from BCMM’s summer Educator Fellows\nLunch\nDoor prizes\nPresentations by area museums and cultural institutions about their educational resources\nLicensure credit of 5 1/2 or 6 hours\, see below\n\nPlease note that on Monday\, July 17\, we have five (5) organizations joining us\, which means the workshop will last until 3:00pm and yield 6 hours licensure credit\, while the Tuesday\, July 18 workshop will have four (4) organizations\, which means the workshop will last until 2:30pm and yield 5 1/2 hours licensure credit. \nSign up today for a music and history-filled\, distinctively fun\, professional development opportunity to learn more about museum education and resources! URL:https://birthplaceofcountrymusic.org/event/teacher-in-service-at-the-museum/ CATEGORIES:Museum ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://birthplaceofcountrymusic.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Teacher-featured.jpeg END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR