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
In this thirty-year-old program, students write or co-write a song. The Words & Music Teacher's guide assists teachers in guiding students through the lyric-writing process. Completed lessons are followed by a class visit to the museum, where a professional songwriter demonstrates the process of adding melodies to 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.
Click here to view images and lyrics from our Words & Music program.
| 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. A teacher guide accompanies this program. Made possible by the Curb Family Foundation and through a partnership with Belmont University.
| 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
Students have an opportunity to learn about the banjo, fiddle, guitar, and mandolin; their history, design and the sound they create. A teacher's 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 instruments in the museum's collection and distinctive artists who played them.
| 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 December 1, 2008 to December 19, 2008)
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 are 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 | Performance, 30 minutes; Tour, 1 hour 30 minutes |
| 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 challenge you to think about music in ways.
| 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 |
Family Tradition Tour
During a guided tour of Family Tradition: The Williams Family Legacy, Co-Presented by SunTrust and Ford Motor Company, students examine photographs, video footage, stage costumes, interactive touch-screens, and music listening stations to understand better the personal history of the Williams family and their enduring impact on American music. A teacher's guide accompanies this program and includes pre- and post-visit activities.
| Tour Details | |
|---|---|
| Tour Length | 2 hours |
| Grades | 3 through 12 |
| Maximum Number of Students | 70 |
| Curricular Connections | Language Arts, Music, Social Studies |
Cool Costumes
In this program, students focus on stage costumes in the exhibit. By looking at costume styles and their design details, students learn about different eras in American and country music history. Afterward, students listen to a country song, identify its main idea, discuss its imagery, then create costume designs inspired by the song.
| Tour Details | |
|---|---|
| Tour Length | 2 hours and 15 minutes |
| Grades | K through 4 |
| Maximum Number of Students | 60 |
| Curricular Connections | Language Arts, Social Studies, Visual Art |
Special Exhibits:
Family Tradition: The Williams Family 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.