Gallery guide for the self-guided museum visit Welcome to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. This booklet is designed to help you and your students have an educational and enjoyable museum experience. GETTING STARTED The information desk should be your first stop. If you ve already made reservations, the Visitor Services Representative will assist you in paying for and obtaining your tickets. If you have not made reservations, you may purchase tickets at the information desk. Before you enter the exhibit space, you may want to discuss the following with your students: 1. Walk, never run, through the museum. 2. Food and drink are not allowed in the exhibit galleries, in order to protect the artifacts and exhibit materials. We want them to last a long time. 3. If you have questions, please ask the Vi s i t o r Services Representatives stationed on each floor. 4. You and your students should stay together when visiting the museum. It is always helpful to have a meeting place, in case you do get separated, such as the information desk in the Conservatory. 5. It is most helpful to divide students into groups of ten or less with one adult chaperone. 6. Restrooms are located on each floor of the exhibit galleries, and in the lobby. They are marked on the museum map included in this booklet. ABOUT THE ARCHITECTURE The building was designed to remind visitors about country music and its history. The shapes and building materials in the architecture evoke images of musical instruments and rural settings where country music began. Take a few minutes to look around the Curb Conservatory or lobby area. Encourage students to develop their own interpretations of the architecture, and ask them to share their impressions. Below are some architectural features to observe and discuss: The windows on the front of the building resemble piano keys. The giant sweeping arch on the right side of the building suggests a 1950s Cadillac tailfin. Viewed from above, the entire building forms a bass clef. The four disc-shaped tiers on the Rotunda s roof represent the evolution of recording technology: the 78 rpm disc, the vinyl LP, the 45 rpm disc, and the compact disc. The stone bars along the top of the Rotunda s outside wall represent the musical notes in the chorus of the Carter Family song Will the Circle Be Unbroken. The radio tower rising from the Rotunda pays homage to the WSM radio tower, which was instrumental in the growth of country music. The actual WSM tower can still be seen from Interstate 65 at exit 71 (Concord Road). The crab orchard stone (from the East Tennessee hills) located along the Curb Conservatory s floor mimics the bars on a graphic equalizer. The stone on the walls of the Hall of Fame Rotunda and inside the Ford Theater render a reverent, church-like atmosphere. The interiors of the elevators that take visitors to the second and third floor exhibit galleries resemble a barn. The water cascading along the Grand Staircase represents the flow of artistic inspiration. It calls to mind the rivers that have inspired so much of our nation s music and have physically connected musicians in various regions of the country.
A feature of the architecture you may observe inside the exhibit gallery is the large glass wall surrounding the library and archive. The museum contains more than 200,000 recordings, 60,000 photographs, 5,000 films and videotapes, and thousands of posters, books, songbooks, periodicals, and audiotapes. Behind this glass wall, you may see a curator at work, preparing an artifact for exhibit or preserving items from the collection. When you are ready to proceed to the exhibit gallery, move toward the colorful mural at the opposite end of the conservatory. A Visitor Services Representative stationed there will guide you to the elevators. the exhibit Our permanent exhibit (located on the second and third floors of the museum), Sing Me Back Home: A Journey Through Country Music, tells the story of country music from its pre-commercial roots in the nineteenth century through its vibrant life in the twenty-first century. Organized mostly chronologically, the story moves through large themes in country music while each exhibit case has historical objects such as musical instruments, costumes, and records related to that particular theme. Through artifacts, photographs, original recordings, archival video, newly produced films, touchscreen interactive media, and text panels, Sing Me Back Home immerses you in the history and sounds of country music, its meanings, and the lives and voices of many of its honored personalities. If you or your students have questions, see if you can find the answers on the exhibit labels. If you cannot find the answers, please email your questions to the museum at: education@countrymusichalloffame.com SUGGESTED STOPS AND DISCUSSION QUESTIONS The following is a list of suggested stops to guide you through the exhibit galleries. This list is not exhaustive. Each stop provides focus objects and questions for your group to discuss. The additional information connects what students are seeing and hearing to the larger story of country music. You may use all or just a few of the stops. Each stop should take no more than three or four minutes, so you can adjust the suggestions to accommodate your schedule and to cater to the age and interests of your students. stop 1: roots of country Focus Object: Large black-and-white photomural at the beginning of the exhibit (directly in front of you as you exit the elevator). What is the man in the photograph doing? Where do you think he lives? What do you think he might do for a living? Why do you think he plays music? Where do you think he learned the songs he plays? This photo was taken in 1940. Country music began on front porches, in churches, and at community events.
Gallery guide for the self-guided museum visit Examine some of the early instruments people played when they first came to America from Europe and Africa. Walk around the first listening booth to hear different kinds of early music that became part of country music. stop 2: friends and neighbors Focus Object: DeFord Bailey's harmonica and megaphone. What do you think they were used for? How are they different from and similar to the radio? How do you think radio and records changed music and the number of people who could listen to music? Music became increasingly accessible with the distribution of records; listeners had the added luxury of choosing which songs to play. In addition, the production of records signified the beginning of the music industry because it created a tangible product for people to buy and sell. Have you ever heard a harmonica before? How do you think a harmonica is played? Skip the next case. Do you know how a megaphone works? Why would this early radio star use a megaphone? Why don't people need to use megaphones with their instruments today? Deford Bailey was an influential harmonica player in both country music and blues, one of the Grand Ole Opry's most popular early performers, and country's first African-American star. The megaphone he used is narrow at the top, where the harmonica goes, and wide at the bottom. This created a big sound. Today, musicians use electric microphones when they want to be heard. stop 4: back in the saddle Focus Objects: Tex Ritter's saddle, clothing. What do you think is the theme or main idea of this case? How do you know this is a case about cowboys and westerns? What about these objects makes them seem western? Do these costumes look like the outfits we see country music singers wear today? What are the differences? stop 3: revolutions per minute Focus Objects: Phonograph and cylinder player. Have you ever seen these machines before? Where? What do you notice about their shape? Singing cowboys such as Gene Autry, Tex Ritter, and Roy Rogers became popular on radio and record, and in western movies, in the 1930s and 1940s. Inspired by Hollywood s fantasy version of the West, country entertainers and even a few pop
singers adopted cowboy hats, boots, and western fringe for their stage costumes. stop 5: sound booth: blue yodel, Jimmie Rodgers Do you like this music? Why or why not? What instruments do you hear? Does it sound like music you hear on the radio today? How is it similar/different? What makes this song sound country to you? This was one of the first hits in country music in the 1920s. Jimmie Rodgers was considered a superstar, much like Alan Jackson or Shania Twain today. Because of his stardom and pioneering efforts in country music, Jimmie Rodgers is called the Father of Country Music. stop 6: tennessee saturday night Focus Object: Minnie Pearl's Dress. What do you notice about this dress? What do you notice about the color or style of this costume? What does it tell you about the person who wore it? What kind of image was Minnie Pearl trying to convey to her audience? This case focuses on the beginnings of Nashville as a major center for country music. Nashville s Grand Ole Opry began in 1925 and quickly became a magnet for country singers and musicians. The radio show became an even more important showcase in 1939, when the Opry joined the NBC Radio Network, sending out a half-hour segment from coast to coast in prime time every Saturday night. Thanks to the station s powerful signal and the NBC exposure, within a few years Opry stars such as Roy Acuff, Minnie Pearl, and Hank Williams became known across America. stop 7: hollywood barn dance Focus Object: Hank Thompson s boots Do these boots remind you of a nursery rhyme? If so, which one? Why do you think Hank Thompson chose to wear boots like this? Hank Thompson had a hit song called "Humpty Dumpty Heart." He had these boots made by Nudie the Rodeo Tailor. Nashville was hardly the only hotbed for country music in the 1940s. Country music was becoming popular across the nation. During World War II, people from the South and Southwest came to Los Angeles and brought their music with them. Nudie the Rodeo Tailor, who had a shop in North Hollywood, used fringe and rhinestones to create colorful costumes for country entertainers. This style of country costuming replaced the hillbillystyle clothing worn by earlier country performers. stop 8: settin the woods on fire Focus Object: Cindy Walker's Typewriter. Do you know what this is?
Gallery guide for the self-guided museum visit What do you think this object is used for? How is the typewriter different from the computers we use today? Songwriter Cindy Walker used this typewriter to compose numerous hits, including Ernest Tubb s honky-tonk lament Two Glasses, Joe, Eddy Arnold s You Don t Know Me, and Roy Orbison s Dream Baby (How Long Must I Dream). Focus Object: Hank Snow "Golden Rocket" Nudie Suit - (instruct students to look at both the front and the back of the suit). What do you notice about this suit? What can you tell about Hank by looking at his suit? What do you think Hank Snow was trying to tell his audience by wearing this suit? Describe the symbols on this costume. This Hank Snow suit was designed by Nudie the Rodeo Tailor and was inspired by Hank's hit song, "Golden Rocket." As country music developed, new styles emerged. The left side of this case displays artifacts related to honky-tonk music and performers, while the right side focuses on bluegrass. Notice how the titles of Cindy Walker s songs talk about problems that customers in a honky-tonk bar might have. The right side of the case includes objects that belonged to Bill Monroe, the Father of Bluegrass. Monroe named his band the Blue Grass Boys, after his home state of Kentucky. In the 1950s, people started using the term bluegrass to describe the driving stringband music played by Monroe, Flatt & Scruggs, and the Stanley Brothers. stop 9: Sound Booth: "Slowly," Webb pierce Do you like the music? Why or why not? What does it sound like? What instruments do you hear? How is it similar to or different from Jimmie Rodgers s Blue Yodel? Do you hear the pedal steel guitar? Describe how it sounds. This song was the first #1 country song to feature the pedal steel guitar. The style of music is known as honky-tonk. Look at the photo of Bud Isaacs playing the pedal steel guitar. stop 10: Let s have a party! Focus Object: Overhead video of Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, and Wanda Jackson. Does this music sound like the music we have heard already? How is it different? What does it sound like? What is this kind of music called? What do you think about the performers? What instruments do you see? Black rhythm & blues performers and white hillbilly boogie musicians laid the groundwork for rock & roll, which seemed to spring out of nowhere when Elvis Presley hit the scene in the 1950s. During his early career, Elvis toured with country musicians, and his records appeared on the country charts. Country music sales and radio airplay decreased as the popularity of rockabilly and rock & roll increased.
Does it sound like any of the other music we ve heard today? If so, which song? Proceed to the next Sound Booth. stop 11: sound booth: gone, ferlin husky Do you like this song? Why or why not? What do you notice about this music? What instruments do you hear? What instruments don t you hear that were in the other songs? Describe this music. The Nashville Sound was just one kind of country music that was popular in the late 1950s and 1960s. Many country singers and many country fans still preferred hard country songs about hard times and hard choices, played with fiddles and steel guitars. stop 13: Image This section of the exhibit takes a break from the chronological country music story and focuses on image as a theme. Focus Object: Elvis solid gold Cadillac. As rock & roll became more popular, enterprising Nashville producers experimented with a more pop-oriented style, which came to be known as the Nashville Sound. The most successful singers in this style Eddy Arnold, Patsy Cline, Don Gibson, Jim Reeves, and Marty Robbins scored hits that became crossovers, that is, country hits that crossed over to the pop charts and reached wider audiences. Proceed to the next Sound Booth. stop 12: SOUND BOOTH: "CRAZY ARMS," RAY PRICE Do you like this music? Why or why not? What do you notice about this music? How does it sound different from the Nashville Sound? Look outside and inside the car. Describe the details. What makes this car different from others you have seen? What do you think it says about the person who owned the car? What image was Elvis trying to convey to people as he rode around in this car? Focus Object: Webb Pierce s Pontiac. What do you notice about this car that is different from others you have seen? How is it similar to or different from Elvis s car? What image was Webb Pierce trying to convey? What kind of person do you think he was? The image of a person is the way they are seen by others. Many country singers are concerned with the way that they are perceived in the public eye.
Gallery guide for the self-guided museum visit stop 14: precious jewel million records. Students can open the records outlined in yellow on the wall. Focus Objects: Bill Monroe's Gibson F-5 mandolin. What instrument is this (a mandolin)? Have you ever heard how a mandolin sounds when it is played? What kind of sound do you think it makes? What do you notice about the appearance of this mandolin? Why do you think it looks scratched up? This mandolin belonged to Bill Monroe, the Father of Bluegrass. It is one of the finest stringed instruments ever made. Bill Monroe bought this mandolin in the early 1940s and played it until his death in 1996. In 1986, an intruder broke into Monroe s home and smashed his mandolin with a fireplace poker. The instrument was reconstructed from about 150 slivers of broken wood. stop 15: Archive arcade The interactive computer Archive Arcade, on the third floor, allows you to see rare photos, enjoy comedy clips, and hear great music. If the group of students is relatively small, these interactives are a fun and educational stop. Additionally, a program called Styles on Stage is designed especially for children and can be accessed from these computers. stop 16: wall of records Musicians are recognized for their achievements and are awarded a gold record for selling 500,000 albums and a platinum record for selling one Proceed to the second floor. You may use the spiral staircase to the left of the wall of records. If you need an elevator, it is located behind you, to the left of Webb Pierce s Pontiac. SPECIAL EXHIBIT SPACE As an active exhibition and research center, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum is constantly staging new museum displays to highlight the diverse and continually evolving history of country music. Large changing exhibits, which are on display for various durations, are generally located at the beginning of the second floor, immediately after visitors leave the spiral staircase from the third floor. Changing exhibitions have included: Nashville Salutes Texas!: Country Music from the Lone Star State (May 2001-April 2002) Treasures Untold: Unique Collections from Devoted Fans (October 2002-April 2003) I ll Hold You in My Heart: The Eddy Arnold Collection (June 2003-December 2003) Night Train to Nashville: Music City Rhythm & Blues, 1945-1970 (March 2004-December 2005) I Can t Stop Loving You: Ray Charles and Country Music (March 2006-December 2007) Family Tradition: The Williams Family Legacy (March 2008-December 2011)
You may choose to spend time exploring the current special exhibit in this location or continue on with the permanent exhibit tour. Whenever you are ready to leave the special exhibit space, look for a large image of Waylon Jennings and magazine covers featuring Dolly Parton on your right. The next stop resumes the permanent exhibit, Sing Me Back Home. stop 17: when two worlds collide Focus Objects: Dolly Parton's magazine covers and dress. Who is this? What do you know about her? (Students may recognize Dolly as a country singer, but also as a businesswoman and an actress). Which magazines are about country music? (none) What does this say about Dolly s popularity? Country artists such as Dolly Parton and Johnny Cash enjoyed mainstream success and became household names in the 1960s and 1970s. The artists who lasted the longest preserved their country identities and didn t allow themselves to be remade by movies and TV and the pop marketplace. To those who questioned her loyalty to country music during the pop crossover years, Dolly liked to say, I m not leaving country music I m taking it with me! stop 18: POCKET FULL OF GOLD Focus Object: Alan Jackson's radio. What is this? Has anyone ever heard of Alan Jackson s song Chasin That Neon Rainbow? This is the radio that inspired Alan Jackson to write his song that begins, Daddy won a radio / Tuned it to a country show What does it mean for something to be an inspiration? Have you ever been inspired to do or create something? By what or whom? Has anyone in the group written a song or poem? How did you come up with your idea? Country artists in the 1990s sold more records and concert tickets than ever before, largely due to the success of superstars such as Alan Jackson, Garth Brooks, Faith Hill, and George Strait. stop 19: QUOTE Proceed to the quote by Emmylou Harris on the wall at the end of the exhibit. Have a student read the quote out loud. Notice the photograph of the man on his front porch. We also saw this photograph at the beginning of the exhibit. Do you think it s useful to listen to different styles of music? Why? Where can you hear or learn about different styles of music? Why do you think the photograph of the man on his porch is at the end of the exhibit as well as the beginning?
Gallery guide for the self-guided museum visit Emmylou Harris s quote encourages us to listen to and learn from different styles of music. You may visit your school or local library to check out music CDs. The picture of the man on his porch reminds us to think about the beginnings of country music and about how it has developed over time. stop 20: THE COUNTRY MUSIC HALL OF FAME Rotunda Focus Object(s): The Hall of Fame plaque or plaques (The group may choose to examine a plaque together, or each student may read one on his or her own.) Why is the person in the Hall of Fame? What are some of the different jobs of people in the Hall of Fame? What other Halls of Fame have you heard of? Why do you think we have a Country Music Hall of Fame? Find some of the plaques of people you learned about in the exhibit (for example Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, Elvis Presley, and Jimmie Rodgers). The Country Music Hall of Fame honors individuals who have contributed to the development and success of country music. Singers, songwriters, musicians, record producers, comedians, engineers, and music business people are represented on the plaques. 21: the MURAL: THE SOURCES OF COUNTRY MUSIC What do you see that you also saw in the exhibit or in the architecture of the building? Describe the people, places, activities, and objects in the mural. What is each person doing? Describe the mood, colors, sounds, and movement in the mural. To what part of the mural is your eye first drawn? Why? Look carefully at the colorful painting on the wall. American painter Thomas Hart Benton wanted to show the different people, places, and traditions involved in early country music. He included what he thought were the most important parts of how the music began. He created many other paintings depicting American life before this one, but this was his last. The Hall of Fame Rotunda is the final stop. Feel free to go back and see parts of the museum again. Your tickets are valid all day. If you are ready to go downstairs, you may use the grand staircase. If you need an elevator, one is located in the exhibit near the Emmylou Harris quote. A Visitor Services Representative is stationed nearby if you have any questions. Focus Object: The Sources of Country Music mural. What do you see in the mural?
Thank you for visiting the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. We hope you enjoyed your visit. Please take the time to fill out the attached evaluation. You may leave it at the front desk or mail it to: Please use this space for any comments or suggestions you may have relating to the Gallery Guide: School Programs Coordinator Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum 222 Fifth Avenue South Nashville, TN 37203 education@countrymusichalloffame.com Pre- and Post-Visit Materials: Did you receive the Teacher s Resource Guide before your visit? Yes No Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum School Group Visit Teacher Evaluation Thank you for taking a few minutes to give us feedback and suggestions on our teaching materials. We appreciate your help in making our resources as meaningful and helpful as possible. Did you use any activities in the Teacher s Resource Guide? Yes No If yes, what lessons did you use? Date of your visit: Name of School: Grade Level(s): Gallery Guide For the Self-Guided Museum Visit: Please rate the Gallery Guide on the following: Please rate the Teacher s Resource Guide on the following: Not Valuable 1 2 3 4 5 Valuable Not Valuable 1 2 3 4 5 Valuable Not Enjoyable 1 2 3 4 5 Enjoyable Not Informative 1 2 3 4 5 Informative Not Easy to Use 1 2 3 4 5 Easy to Use Not Enjoyable 1 2 3 4 5 Enjoyable Not Interactive 1 2 3 4 5 Interactive Not Informative 1 2 3 4 5 Informative Unorganized 1 2 3 4 5 Organized
SCHOOL GROUP VISIT TEACHER EVALUATION Please use this space for any comments or suggestions you may have relating to the Teacher s Resource Guide: