While things are slowly starting to reopen, it will be a long time before we can all go see a concert. To offer music to families, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville has been offering virtual family programs on Wednesday mornings.
Participants join museum educators for family fun with art, music, storytelling and history programs at 11:00 a.m. on FieldTripZoom. Check out more about their upcoming August programs that are free with registration.
Virtual Family Programming from the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville
Family Programs:
The museum’s family programs on Wednesday mornings include art projects, songwriting instruction and instrument workshops. The programs are free. Registration is required by 10 a.m. CT the morning of the program. Upcoming programs:
(Aug. 5) Online Family Program: Songwriting 101: Kacey Musgraves Style
Nashville songwriter Harlan Howard described country music as “three chords and the truth,” and many songwriters use humor to address some of life’s most difficult truths. Join a museum educator on Zoom to write a song as a group in this introductory workshop. Music professional Adam Ollendorff will teach the fundamentals of songwriting, including form, theme, and rhyme scheme. Via chat, participants will share ideas and write an original song inspired by Kacey Musgraves’s light-hearted “Family Is Family,” which she wrote with Shane McAnally and Josh Osborne. Ollendorff has toured as a member of Musgraves’s band, and his songs have been recorded by Will Hoge and Keb’ Mo’. Presented in support of the exhibit Kacey Musgraves: All of the Colors.
(Aug. 12) Online Family Program: Introduction To GarageBand: Kacey Musgraves Style
Smartphones, tablets, and recording software have given millions of people the power to record and produce music. In this introductory class, musician and educator Adam Ollendorff will teach participants the basics of GarageBand music production software, including how to create a drum loop, add guitar and keyboard sounds, and record voices. Ollendorff has played on recordings by Kacey Musgraves and Carrie Underwood. Presented in support of the exhibit Kacey Musgraves: All of the Colors. Recommended for ages seven and up, but all are welcome. Guardian is required to be present for children under thirteen.
(Aug. 19) Online Family Program: Shel Silverstein’s Playful Poetry
Shel Silverstein is most famous for writing and illustrating children’s books, but did you know he also wrote songs that were recorded by many outlaw country musicians? Join a museum educator on Zoom to explore the exhibit Outlaws and Armadillos: Country’s Roaring ’70s and listen to poems from Silverstein’s collection A Light in the Attic. Inspired by his whimsical writing, draw an illustration along with visual artist Britt McDermott and learn to write a poem in Silverstein’s style. Recommended for ages four to eleven, but all are welcome. Guardian is required to be present for children under thirteen.
(Aug. 26) Online Family Program: DeFord Bailey DIY Harmonicas
Create your own harmonica from craft sticks and rubber bands, inspired by country music’s first Black American star, DeFord Bailey, and the science of sound waves. A popular early star on the Grand Ole Opry, Bailey played the harmonica in an innovative style that was influenced by sounds around him, such as chugging trains and barking hounds. What sounds will you make on your new harmonica? Led by a museum educator on Zoom. Recommended for ages six and up, but all are welcome. Guardian is required to be present for children under thirteen.
Songwriter Sessions:
During Songwriter Sessions, audiences interact with the talents behind country music’s biggest hits. The Songwriter Sessions are presented by SunTrust and hosted by Abi Tapia, the museum’s director of public programs, and Peter Cooper, Senior Director, Producer and Writer. These programs have been online since April and have featured songwriters including Brandi Clark, Dierks Bentley and Country Music Hall of Fame member Don Schlitz. Upcoming artists include:
(Aug. 4) Cam
Cam’s first record, Untamed, included her self-penned singles “Diane,” “Mayday,” and “My Mistake,” as well as the 2015 platinum-selling hit “Burning House.” The song was nominated for Song of the Year at the Country Music Association Awards and Academy of Country Music Awards, as well as Best Country Solo Performance at the Grammy Awards. In 2019, Cam collaborated with electronic music artist Diplo to sing and write “So Long.” This year, she released the singles “Classic,” “Redwood,” and “Till There’s Nothing Left” from her forthcoming album. Her songs have been recorded by Sam Smith and Miley Cyrus. Presented by SunTrust. Instagram Live @officialcmhof.
(Aug. 11) Ray Fulcher
Ray Fulcher co-wrote sixteen songs on Luke Combs’s albums This One’s For You and What You See Is What You Get, including the hits “Does to Me,” “Even Though I’m Leavin’,” “Lovin’ On You,” and “When It Rains It Pours.” In 2019, Fulcher released his own EP, Somebody Like Me. He has opened for Combs, Morgan Wallen, and Matt Stell. Presented by SunTrust. Instagram Live @officialcmhof.
Other virtual offerings:
Country music fans can also explore past programs on the museum’s website, where they can hear interviews, great music and insightful commentary. Each week, the museum spotlights pieces pulled from its archives that illustrate a theme meant to show music’s expansive, universal power.
Visitors to the website may also bring the history and magic of the museum home, while exploring at-home resources to use as a family on the Fun at Home page. Activities include coloring sheets and writing their own song, designing an album cover, making a Country Music Hall of Fame medallion and exploring an activity guide on the museum’s exhibit Outlaws and Armadillos: Country’s Roaring 70s.
In addition to these live programs, country music fans can explore past programs on the museum’s website, where they can hear interviews, great music and insightful commentary. Visitors to the website may also bring the history and magic of the museum home, while exploring at-home resources to use as a family on the Fun at Home page.
