The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum (CMHFM) identifies and preserves the evolving history and traditions of country music and educates its audiences. School programs assist teachers in addressing Tennessee State and national curriculum standards in social studies, music, and English language arts, science, and math. Programs focus on the history and culture behind country music, song lyric writing, costume design, musical instruments, sound recording, and architecture. School visits can be customized and often include a guided exhibit tour, which is interactive, conducted in small groups, and led by a trained volunteer guide, allowing students to make meaningful connections between artifacts, history, and their own lives.
Schools contact schools@countrymusichalloffame.org to schedule a field trip!
Access the Teacher and Student Resource Portal here: https://countrymusichalloffame.org/education/teacher-resource-portal/
Sample Programs Offered
Program Type:
Program Description:
School Group Admission
See Lesson Plan link below for student ticket prices
*School visits must be booked by a teacher. Professional Tour Operators will be directed to the Group Sales Department.
All prices subject to change. Payment can be made in advance or on the day of the visit.
Lesson Plan Example: Download File
Program Type: Arts Appreciation
Program Description:
The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s Guided Highlights tour is a 1 hour interactive tour of the museum. Led by trained volunteer guides, students engage with the history and culture of country music through studying artifacts, including instruments, clothing, song manuscripts, cars, photographs, video, and much more. In this multimedia experience, students will also analyze audio and video recordings, and discuss the ways in which music reflects different people, styles, time periods, and social changes.
Lesson Plan Example: Download File
Program Type: Arts Appreciation
Program Description:
The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s Making Waves at Historic RCA Studio B is a 1 hour and 30 minute program for students in grades 6-12. During the program, students experience a guided tour of a historic recording studio before learning about tracking and engineering. The studio tour illuminates the historical significance of Studio B, which played a major role in establishing Nashville’s identity as a recording center. Dozens of country and pop stars, including Elvis Presley, the Everly Brothers, Dolly Parton, and Roy Orbison, made recordings at the studio in its heyday. Following the tour, a professional engineer introduces students to the many facets of the recording process including acoustical studio design, equipment, and mixing techniques. The program concludes with a hands-on experience as students perform a song and then participate in the mixing of their track to create a completed product that the class takes with them for future classroom use.
Lesson Plan Example: Download File
Program Type: Arts Curriculum
Program Description:
Over ten 45-minute lessons, teachers lead students through the process of writing a song lyric. During these lessons, students learn the structure of a song and complete a variety of writing exercises. As students write and revise their lyrics, learning new writing skills through a step-by-step process, they experiment with traditional song structures and learn the components of effective lyrics. Students visit the Museum for a songwriter workshop after completing these lessons in the classroom, or a professional songwriter conducts a workshop on-site at the school. During this session, the songwriter performs a selection of students’ lyrics set to music.
Lesson Plan Example: Download File
