Museum

Bang a drum, strum an autoharp, and pick a banjo! Our Musical Petting Zoo offers budding musicians a chance to try new and familiar instruments. Instructors will be on site to offer guidance. This program is offered in conjunction with Nashville Public Library's Summer Reading Kick-Off. Nashville Public Library, Main Library. 615 Church Street. All ages.

Experience Hatch Show Print, one of the oldest working letterpress print shops in the United States. Participants will make a limited edition postcard on a vintage letterpress. Fifth-Third Plaza, at the corner of Fifth Avenue North and Church Street. Presented in conjunction with Metro Nashville Arts Commission and 5^th Avenue of the Arts. All ages.

Jeff Taylor plays accordion with the Time Jumpers and has performed or recorded with Elvis Costello, Vince Gill, Grandpa Jones, Martina McBride, Ricky Skaggs, George Strait, The Chieftains, and Jimmy Webb. Guitarist Andy Reiss performs with the Time Jumpers and has performed or recorded with Linda Davis, Reba McEntire, and B.J. Thomas. Made possible by Gibson Guitar Corporation. See Program Pass Guidelines for admission to this program.

The Nashville Chapter of the Audio Engineering Society pays tribute to the city's recording pioneers. "Nashville would never have become a recording center without the engineers," says Country Music Hall of Fame guitarist Harold Bradley. Beginning in the 1950s, recording engineers Selby Coffeen, Carl Jenkins, George Reynolds, Aaron Shelton, Tommy Strong, Bill Vandevort , and Jim Williamson recorded thousands of hits by a wide variety of artists, including Chet Atkins, Joan Baez, Bobby Bare, Johnny Cash, Patsy Cline, The Everly Brothers, Red Foley, Waylon Jennings, Kris Kristofferson, Ernest Tubb, Hank Williams, and countless others. Columbia Records mastering engineer MC Rather literally put his mark on hundreds of albums, including ones by Reba McEntire, Merle Haggard, George Jones, Jerry Lee Lewis, Willie Nelson, Marty Robbins, and Tammy Wynette. This program will honor them by sharing their stories and presenting them with the AES Nashville Lifetime Achievement Award. Free to AES members and their guests. See Program Pass guidelines for admission to this program.

Thompson Square will sign their new book, Are You Gonna Kiss Me or Not, on Tuesday, June 4 at 12:00 p.m. in the Museum Store. Live from the Museum Store is presented by CMT.  Signing passes for this event are no longer available online. You may purchase the book, with accompanying signing pass, beginning on June 4, 2013 at 9:30 a.m. in the Museum Store.

Ashley Monroe will join us for the first of three Museum member-only concerts in the 3^rd annual, Hot Nights at the Hall, series. In addition to enjoying free Museum admission for the entire year, discounts, and more, members also receive exclusive access to all three Hot Nights shows. Enjoy after-hours access to the Museum, food, cash bar, and an autograph signing with Ashley Monroe.  Don't miss it. Become a Museum member now!

Kristen Kelly will perform on the plaza outside of the Country Music Hall of Fame ^® and Museum on Wednesday, June 5 at 3:30 p.m. The performance is free to the public.  Following the plaza performance, Kristen Kelly will sign her poster and EP, Kristen Kelly, at 4:00 p.m. in the Museum Store. Live from the Museum Store is presented by CMT.  Signing passes for this event are no longer available online. You may purchase the CD, with accompanying signing pass, beginning on June 3, 2013 at 9:30 a.m. in the Museum Store.  

Casey James will sign his CD, Casey James, 10:00 a.m. in the Museum Store. Live from the Museum Store is presented by CMT.  Signing passes for this event will be available with the purchase of his CD beginning at 9:30 a.m. CST on June 3, 2013.

Love and Theft will perform on the plaza outside of the Country Music Hall of Fame ^® and Museum on Thursday, June 6 at 3:00 p.m. The performance is free to the public.  Following the plaza performance, Love and Theft will sign their CD, Love and Theft, at 3:30 p.m. in the Museum Store. Live from the Museum Store is presented by CMT.  You may purchase the CD, with accompanying signing pass, beginning on June 3, 2013 at 9:30 a.m. in the Museum Store.

Lee Greenwood will sign his book, Does God Still Bless the USA? or his CD I Want To Be In Your World, on Thursday, June 6 at 11:30 a.m. in the Museum Store. Live from the Museum Store is presented by CMT.  You may purchase the book or CD, with accompanying signing pass, beginning on June 3, 2013 at 9:30 a.m. in the Museum Store.  Presented in support of the Museum's current spotlight exhibit Lee Greenwood: American Patriot.

Tate Stevens will perform on the plaza outside of the Country Music Hall of Fame ^® and Museum on Friday, June 7 at 3:00 p.m. The performance is free to the public.  Following the plaza performance, Tate Stevens will sign his CD, Tate Stevens, at 3:30 p.m. in the Museum Store. Live from the Museum Store is presented by CMT. You may purchase the CD, with accompanying signing pass, beginning on June 3, 2013 at 9:30 a.m. in the Museum Store.

Craig Campbell will perform on the plaza outside of the Country Music Hall of Fame ^® and Museum on Friday, June 7 at 10:30 a.m. The performance is free to the public.  Following the plaza performance, Craig Campbell will sign his CD, Never Regret, at 11:00 a.m. in the Museum Store. Live from the Museum Store is presented by CMT. You may purchase the CD, with accompanying signing pass, beginning on June 3, 2013 at 9:30 a.m. in the Museum Store.

One of the most successful writers in contemporary country music, Brett James has written hits including "Blessed" (Martina McBride); "Cowboy Casanova" and "Jesus, Take the Wheel" (Carrie Underwood); "The Man I Want to Be" (Chris Young); "Out Last Night" (Kenny Chesney); "The Truth" (Jason Aldean); "When the Sun Goes Down" (Kenny Chesney); and "Who I Am" (Jessica Andrews). See Program Pass guidelines for admission to this program.

Katie Cook will sign her books, Little Big Benny: The Boy Who Didn't Know He Was The Universe, Little Big Benny: Double Stick Karma, and Little Big Benny: The Wicked Itch on Sunday, June 9 at 2:00 p.m. in the Museum Store. Live from the Museum Store is presented by CMT.  You may purchase books, with accompanying signing pass, beginning on June 3, 2013 at 9:30 a.m. in the Museum Store.

"Slick" Joe Fick has performed or recorded with Sonny Burgess, James Burton, D.J. Fontana, Wanda Jackson, the Jordanaires, and Boots Randolph. His rockabilly band, the Dempseys, was named Beale Street Entertainers of the Year in 2009. Fick portrayed the role of Elvis's bass player, Bill Black, in the 2006 Johnny Cash biopic, Walk the Line. Made possible by Gibson Guitar Corporation. See Program Pass guidelines for admission to this program.

June 9, 2013
Great songwriters overflow the borders of Nashville, said Music Row producer and songwriter Buddy Cannon, addressing a sold-out crowd at a tribute to the songwriter Hank Cochran at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. "They're everywhere here," Cannon continued. "But there's only one best songwriter, and that was Hank Cochran."

Oklahoma-born Bergen White was raised the son of a Baptist minister, traveling from city to city singing in church choirs until his family settled in Nashville when he was fourteen. His musical career began as a vocalist-working as a solo artist, singing harmony vocals with the Marijohn Singers, adding background vocals in the studio on hits like "Lucille" (Kenny Rogers), and as a member of Ronny and the Daytonas. White's horn arrangement on Tony Joe White's "Polk Salad Annie" caught the ear of Elvis Presley, who asked Bergen to work on his records.  Other notable songs that feature White's arrangements are "Come Monday" (Jimmy Buffett), "The Grand Tour" (George Jones), "Please Remember Me" (Tim McGraw), and "Smoky Mountain Rain" (Ronnie Milsap). While never giving up singing and recording, his credits as an arranger appear on records from artists as diverse as Chet Atkins, Garth Brooks, England Dan and John Ford Coley, Olivia Newton-John, Dolly Parton, Joe Simon, and George Strait. This interview will be illustrated with vintage photos, film footage, and recordings, and will be streamed live at CountryMusicHallofFame.org. After the program, White will sign Hatch Show Print posters, commemorating the day. See Program Pass guidelines for admission to this program.

Tim Buppert wrote "Another Nine Minutes" (Yankee Grey), "She's Sure Taking It Well" (Kevin Sharp), and songs recorded by Continental Divide and Trisha Yearwood. Jerry Vandiver wrote "Always in the Band" (Lonestar); "Athens Grease" (Phil Vassar); and "For a Little While" (Tim McGraw). See Program Pass guidelines for admission to this program

Create a song with veteran songwriters as you learn songwriting fundamentals, including the basics of song form, rhyme scheme, meter, and secrets behind the creative process. Buppert has written songs recorded by Kevin Sharp, Yankee Grey, and Trisha Yearwood. Vandiver has had songs recorded by Lonestar, Tim McGraw, and Phil Vassar. Ages 5-12. Free.

David Coe plays fiddle for Michael Martin Murphey and Nashville-based Irish band the Rogues. Josh Culley will sit in on guitar. The duo will demonstrate old-time Appalachian and Irish fiddle tunes. Made possible by Gibson Guitar Corporation. See Program Pass guidelines about admission to this program.

Many of country music's most impactful artists, from early musical architects to contemporary superstars, will perform together on the Ford Theater stage this summer-in a manner of speaking: The public premiere of String City: Nashville's Tradition of Music and Puppetry, a colorful telling of the history of country music in Nashville, will use numerous marionettes, hand puppets, rod puppets, shadow puppets, and more.

Ross Copperman wrote "Glass" (Thompson Square); "One of the Boys" (Jana Kramer); "Pirate Flag" (Kenny Chesney); "Save Water, Drink Beer" (Chris Young); "Tip It on Back" (Dierks Bentley); and his pop singles "All She Wrote," "As I Choke," and "Holding On and Letting Go." See Program Pass guidelines for admission to this program.

Steel guitarist Smith Curry has performed or recorded with Jason Aldean, Sara Evans, Rascal Flatts, Kid Rock, Randy Travis, and Taylor Swift. Mandolin player and guitarist Bob Grant has played with the Bad Livers and Gail Davies. Made possible by Gibson Guitar Corporation. See Program Pass guidelines for admission to this program.

Jesse Lee wrote and recorded, "It's a Girl Thing" and "Me Again" (a duet with Uncle Kracker), and her songs have been recorded by Lauren Alaina, Bomshel, and Kristy Lee Cook. Tim James wrote "All I Ask for Anymore" (Trace Adkins); "Give It All We Got Tonight" (George Strait); "Love Like Crazy" (Lee Brice); "My List" (Toby Keith); and songs recorded by Rodney Atkins, Darius Rucker, Lee Ann Womack, and Chris Young. See Program Pass guidelines for admission to this program.

Banjo player Charlie Cushman has performed with Jimmy Martin and the Sunny Mountain Boys, Mike Snider, and Mel Tillis. Andy May is a guitar and mandolin player as well as a singer, songwriter, and music educator. He has appeared with Merle Haggard, Brownie McGee & Sonny Terry, Nickel Creek, Mike Seeger, and Pete Seeger.  Made possible by Gibson Guitar Corporation. See Program Pass guidelines about admission to this program.