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Programs and Tours for Students

The Museum offers many options for school groups to customize students' experiences. In addition to the programs and tours below, educators are welcome to lead students independently through the exhibits. A self-guided tour booklet for teachers will be sent with the confirmation letter of groups touring independently and is also available at the museum’s information desk.

To reserve any of the following programs or tours or for more information, call 800-852-6437 or 615-416-2001 or email us at education@countrymusichalloffame.com.

Guided Highlights Tour

During an interactive tour of the exhibits, students learn about the history of country music. Integrating the museum's architectural details, music, films, visual art and historic artifacts, the exhibits provide students with a multi-layered learning experience.

During the tour, students have opportunities to listen to recordings and to learn how the different people, styles and influences have affected the music. Students also learn about the growth and development of Nashville as a music industry center.

Tour Details
Tour Length 1 hour 30 minutes
Grades K through 12
Maximum Number of Students 70
Curricular Connections Language Arts, Music, Social Studies, Visual Arts

Words & Music

The Words & Music program offers students a unique opportunity to develop their creative writing and music skills by composing a song with a professional songwriter. The Words & Music Teacher's Lesson Kit assists teachers in guiding students through the process of writing song lyrics in the classroom. The completed lessons are followed by a class visit to the museum, where a professional songwriter demonstrates the process of adding melodies to lyrics. This demonstration incorporates songs that have been created from the students' original lyrics.

The Words & Music lessons take approximately four to six class periods of one hour each to complete. Student lyrics must be submitted two weeks prior to the class visit to the museum. Use of the Words & Music Teacher's Lesson Kit requires the completion of a loan agreement form, which is sent to the educator with the reservation confirmation. Program includes Guided Highlights Tour.

Program Details
Program Length 2 hours 30 minutes
Grades 4 through 12
Maximum Number of Students 70
Curricular Connections Language Arts, Music, Social Studies

Making Waves at Studio B Workshop

(Available Monday and Wednesday mornings)

This program is conducted at Historic RCA Studio B, located on Music Row. Students learn about Studio B's historical significance, studio design, and the three basic phases of recording - tracking, mixing, and mastering. Students explore the various roles involved in these processes and learn about the science of sound as they participate in the mixing of a recording.

Groups check in at the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum before proceeding to Studio B but do not tour the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum as part of this program. A teacher may choose to have a representative check-in the group in at the Museum while students go directly to Historic RCA Studio B. 

Program Details
Program Length 2 hours
Grades 6 through 12
Maximum Number of Students 30
Curricular Connections Language Arts, Music, Science, Social Studies

Shapes, Sound Holes, and Strings

This new program gives students an opportunity to learn about some musical instruments in country music: their history, design, and the sound they create. A teacher guide accompanies this program and includes pre- and post-visit activities. A traveling trunk containing the featured instruments can be checked out at the museum for classroom use. Classroom lessons are followed by a tour of the museum, focusing on distinctive instruments in the museum's collection.

Program Details
Program Length 1 hour 30 minutes
Grades K through 6
Maximum Number of Students 80
Curricular Connections Language Arts, Math, Music, Science, Social Studies, Visual Art

Deck the Hall Performance and Tour

(Available November 19, 2007, to December 21, 2007)

Celebrate the holiday season by bringing a student band, orchestra, or chorus to perform at the museum during our holiday celebration.  Performances should last thirty minutes or less and do not have to be holiday themed.  Single instrument accompaniment, recorded tracks, or a cappella performance is suggested for choirs.

Students are invited to tour the museum for free before or after their performance.  Guided tours are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Program Details
Program Length 30 minute performance; 1 hour 30 minute tour
Grades K through 12
Maximum Number of Students Choir (60), Band (30)
Curricular Connections  Music, Social Studies

Is it a Fiddle or a Violin?

(Available the following Wednesdays, 2008-2009 School Year: Sept. 10, Sept. 17, Oct. 15, Nov. 5, Nov. 19, Dec. 3, Jan. 7, Feb. 4, Feb. 25, April 8, April 29, May 13, May 27. Homeschoolers Only: March 18)

In Texas it's a fiddle. In Boston it's a violin. In Nashville it depends. This one-of-a-kind, toe-tapping partnership - which could only happen in Music City, USA - joins the resources of the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum with those of the Nashville Symphony. From tours to musical performances - classical to country music - Is It a Fiddle or a Violin? will challange you to think about music in ways you never have before.

Program Details
Program Length 2 hours and 30 minutes
Grades K through 6
Maximum Number of Students 80
Curricular Connections  Language Arts, Music, Social Studies

Special Exhibits:

Family Tradition: The Hank Williams Legacy, Co-Presented by SunTrust and Ford Motor Company (March 2008-December 2009)

This feature exhibition will focus on country music's most iconic family, its personal history, and the enduring artistic impact of Hank Williams and his son, Hank Williams Jr. A teacher guide and workship will be available in fall of 2008.

Kitty Wells: Queen of Country Music, Presented by Great American Country Television Network (August 2008-June 2009)

This special exhibition will offer an in-depth examination of pioneering vocalist Kitty Wells’s life and musical career, drawing on the museum’s rich collection of artifacts, vintage film footage, photos, costumes, sheet music, concert posters, sound recordings, musical instruments, and personal mementos to tell the story.