Musicians Hall of Fame
With the switch of a button, music can fill your car on a daily basis. The ease with how the world listens to music today makes us forget the intricacies behind every note.
“We take for granted the amount of work that goes into a recording,” said Bennett. “There is a lot of editing and tweaking that goes into each song recording to make it come out perfect. You can learn this behind-the-scenes process of making music at the Musicians Hall of Fame.”
The Musicians Hall of Fame’s new permanent exhibit, the Grammy Gallery, teaches visitors about music recording’s complexities in engaging stations that delve into the art of songwriting, production and engineering. Interactive exhibits also coach visitors on how to sing backup, rap and record.
The exhibit explores the history of the Grammy Awards and those the award has honored over the years. It adds to the Musicians Hall of Fame’s other permanent exhibits, which celebrate musicians of all genres since the beginning of recorded music in America.
Relocated in August 2014, the museum is now on the first floor of the historic Nashville Municipal Auditorium. It displays educational exhibits on a range of musicians, from Hank Williams to the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
The museum also explores cities that shaped the history of recorded music such as Detroit, Memphis and Nashville.
Country Music Hall of Fame
A new 210,000-square-foot expansion at the Country Music Hall of Fame allows visitors to try their own hands at creating a hit song from top to bottom. The interactive gallery includes a 40-foot guitar, a replica tour bus, songwriting stations, a recording booth and other technology-enhanced exhibits.
“You can go to one kiosk and discover what job you’re best suited for in the music industry,” said Bennett. “You can record your own version of a hit song and then mess with the instrumentals or increase the drum sound until it’s the way you want it.”
The expansion also features 100 new artifacts from current country artists, among them Luke Bryan, Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood. The addition especially caters to youth but will impress guests of any age with standout pieces such as Dolly Parton’s handwritten lyrics to “Jolene.”
Running through the end of 2016, the Dylan, Cash and the Nashville Cats exhibit recently opened at the museum to chronicle how Dylan and Cash’s time in Nashville started a wave of musicians flocking to the city. Artifacts such as Dylan’s harmonica and Cash’s handwriting for “Wanted Man” date to the years when Nashville erupted on the music scene.
