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Much Ado About Music Museums

As the GRAMMY Museum turns 5, music museums proliferate

GRAMMYs/Dec 3, 2014 - 05:06 am

(Editor's Note: On Dec. 6 the GRAMMY Museum will celebrate its five-year anniversary by offering free admission to the Museum all day. For more information on the GRAMMY Museum and its programs, visit www.grammymuseum.orgfollow the Museum on Twitter @TheGRAMMYMuseum and "like" the GRAMMY Museum on Facebook.)

If GRAMMY Museum Executive Director Bob Santelli has his way, America will one day have as many music museums as art museums — maybe more. And as the GRAMMY Museum in downtown Los Angeles celebrates its fifth anniversary on Dec. 6, Santelli is working toward making that dream a reality. On June 11 ground was broken for GRAMMY Museum Mississippi, the first full-fledged satellite GRAMMY Museum, across from Delta State University in Cleveland, Miss. The 20,000-plus-square-foot Museum is expected to open in summer 2015.

"When that Museum opens it will be the most technologically rich music museum on the planet," Santelli says.

The Mississippi version will examine blues, country, gospel, rock, hip-hop, and every other genre with a foothold in the region that calls itself — justifiably, according to Santelli — "The Birthplace of American Music." Not to be outdone, Memphis, Tenn., touts itself as both the "Home of the Blues" and "Birthplace of Rock 'n' Roll," while Eastern Tennessee claims to be the "Cradle of Country Music" and Nashville is known as "Music City."

And these cities are not just saying it, they're proving it.

In celebration of its 40th anniversary, on Oct. 26 The Recording Academy Memphis Chapter and the Stax Museum launched And The GRAMMY Goes To Memphis, a new exhibit on display through October 2014. The exhibit features 19 gramophone statuettes from various local GRAMMY winners dating back to 1966 and the first GRAMMY won by a Memphis-based act, gospel greats the Blackwood Brothers.

As more regions turn to tourism for economic development and custodians of musical legacies seek to preserve, share and capitalize on their heritage, music museums, archives, halls of fame, music trails, and other similar attractions are proliferating around the country.

The forthcoming GRAMMY Museum Mississippi site will be housed only 45 minutes away from Clarksdale, home of the Delta Blues Museum and the crossroads where, as legend has it, blues pioneer Robert Johnson sold his soul to the devil in exchange for his playing prowess. Even closer is the B.B. King Museum and Delta Interpretive Center in Indianola.

Memphis, two hours north of Cleveland, Miss., on Route 61 ("the blues highway"), contains some of the nation's most popular musical attractions, including Sun Studio, where Elvis Presley cut his first tracks; Presley's beloved Graceland mansion; the Stax Museum of American Soul Music; and the Smithsonian-affiliated Memphis Rock 'n' Soul Museum on Beale Street, itself a famed attraction. Tourists seeking a full understanding of their cultural impact are advised to first visit the National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel (where Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated). Memphis music historian Robert Gordon, author of Respect Yourself: Stax Records & The Soul Explosion, says they're all vital.

"Each one tells different parts of the story," he says. "I don't feel like they overlap; their approaches are different."

The Sun Studio tour, for example, occurs in a nondescript, tile-floored room. Presley, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash, and the still-killer Jerry Lee Lewis — called the Million Dollar Quartet — feel almost as if they're standing in that room once skilled narrators bring their stories to life with anecdotes and audio clips.

"The ones that work best are the ones that tell stories," Gordon says.

Perspective is also important.

"In the Stax Museum, for example, there's a narrative thread about racism in Memphis," he adds. "In the B.B. King Museum, there's a story about social changes in the Delta, the way farms changed and the way society changed. The people who do it best are the ones who understand that small stories can be a microcosm for a national story, if it's in the right context. … A good museum gives you a new way to look at its subject."

The Blue Ridge Music Center in Galax, Va., achieves that with its Roots of American Music exhibit, the brainchild of National Heritage Fellow Joe Wilson, chairman of the National Council for the Traditional Arts.

Telling "the story of American music in the mountains," the exhibit illuminates how the African banjo and European fiddle came to exemplify Americana. The center is situated on Virginia's Crooked Road Music Trail, which also includes the Carter Family Fold and Memorial Music Center in Hiltons, where the first family of country music lived and played. Saturday nights in the large wooden barn, grandparents pass down Appalachian flat-foot or clog-dancing steps to gangly tweens, cleats clicking to old-time rhythms delivered by resolutely non-electrified players. The Fold was also the last place Cash, husband of June Carter, played before his death. 

As a tribute to the late Man in Black, on May 30 the Johnny Cash Museum, created by his friend Bill Miller, opened its doors in Nashville. Also in Music City, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum recently completed renovations that doubled its size to 250,000 square feet, and this past summer the first-ever physical Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame gallery debuted at the newly constructed Music City Center. Cash's daughter, GRAMMY winner Rosanne Cash, calls the Johnny Cash Museum "meticulously curated."

"The family items included are appropriate to my dad's legacy," she adds. "There is nothing in there that made me feel uncomfortable, or I felt was gratuitous. The respect the museum has for my dad is palpable."

Though compact, the museum offers a fascinating, multifaceted look at the country icon's life.

Bluegrass banjo great Earl Scruggs will receive similar treatment with the Jan. 11, 2014, opening of the Earl Scruggs Center: Music & Stories From The American South in the former Shelby County, N.C., courthouse, the latest link in the state's Blue Ridge Music Trails.

Wayne Martin, executive director of the North Carolina Arts Council, says the trails provide "multiple entry points into the more grassroots, or authentic, culture of the region." Though not all North Carolina music originated in the mountains, Martin says, "It's the term that captures the spirit of that community-based string-band music."

The Stax Museum, Detroit's Motown Museum, Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland, Ohio, and Seattle's Experience Music Project might all be considered what Santelli calls "pilgrimage sites" — memorabilia-filled destinations fans feel compelled to visit at least once in their lives.

Smaller, less theme-specific landmarks such as the GRAMMY Museum, he says, need to focus as much on educational and entertainment programming as they do exhibits. In addition to more than two dozen exhibits exploring everything from rock, hip-hop and country to classical, Latin, R&B, and jazz, the Museum's education staff uses music as a gateway to learning by providing hands-on experiences that allow students to deepen their understanding of music, culture and history.

"With music education leaving schools, the music museum now has added responsibility," Santelli notes. "Why not have a music museum in every American city? There's plenty of music to celebrate and explore."

(Austin, Texas-based writer/editor Lynne Margolis contributes regularly to print, broadcast and online media including American Songwriter and Lone Star Music magazines. Outlets also have included the Christian Science MonitorPaste, Rollingstone.com, and NPR. A contributing editor to the encyclopedia, The Ties That Bind: Bruce Springsteen From A To E To Z, Margolis also writes bios for new and established artists.)

The GRAMMY Hall Of Fame Returns To Celebrate 50th Anniversary: Inaugural Gala & Concert Taking Place May 21 In Los Angeles
The GRAMMY Hall Of Fame returns to celebrate its 50th anniversary with an inaugural gala and concert taking place Tuesday, May 21, at the NOVO Theater in Los Angeles

Image courtesy of the GRAMMY Museum

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The GRAMMY Hall Of Fame Returns To Celebrate 50th Anniversary: Inaugural Gala & Concert Taking Place May 21 In Los Angeles

Following a two-year hiatus, the GRAMMY Hall Of Fame returns to celebrate its 50th anniversary with an inaugural gala and concert on Tuesday, May 21, at the NOVO Theater in Los Angeles. Ten recordings will be newly inducted into the Hall this year.

GRAMMYs/Mar 5, 2024 - 02:00 pm

Following a two-year hiatus, the GRAMMY Museum and Recording Academy are reinstating the GRAMMY Hall Of Fame on its 50th anniversary. The momentous event will be celebrated with an inaugural gala and concert on Tuesday, May 21, at the NOVO Theater in Los Angeles; tickets and performers for the event will be announced at a later date. As part of the return, 10 recordings, including four albums and six singles, will be newly inducted into the GRAMMY Hall Of Fame later this year.

The GRAMMY Hall Of Fame was established by the Recording Academy's National Trustees in 1973 to honor recordings of lasting qualitative or historical significance that are at least 25 years old. Inductees are selected annually by a special member committee of eminent and knowledgeable professionals from all branches of the recording arts with final ratification by the Recording Academy's National Board of Trustees. There are currently 1,152 inducted recordings in the GRAMMY Hall Of Fame. View the full list GRAMMY Hall Of Fame past inductees.

This year, the GRAMMY Museum’s GRAMMY Hall Of Fame Gala will be the first of what will become an annual event, and includes a red carpet and VIP reception on the newly opened Ray Charles Terrace at the GRAMMY Museum, followed by a one-of-a-kind concert at the NOVO Theater in Downtown Los Angeles.

The inaugural gala and concert is produced by longtime executive producer of the GRAMMY Awards, Ken Ehrlich, along with Chantel Sausedo and Ron Basile and will feature musical direction by globally renowned producer and keyboardist Greg Phillinganes. For sponsorship opportunities, reach out to halloffame@grammymuseum.org.

Keep watching this space for more exciting news about the GRAMMY Hall Of Fame!

2024 GRAMMYs: See The Full Winners & Nominees List

The GRAMMY Museum Celebrates Black History Month 2024 With A Series Of Special Programs And Events

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The GRAMMY Museum Celebrates Black History Month 2024 With A Series Of Special Programs And Events

Throughout February, the GRAMMY Museum will celebrate the profound legacy and impact of Black music with workshops, screenings, and intimate conversations.

GRAMMYs/Feb 9, 2024 - 08:31 pm

The celebration isn't over after the 2024 GRAMMYs. In recognition of Black History Month, the GRAMMY Museum proudly honors the indelible impact of Black music on America and the fabric of global pop culture. 

This programming is a testament to the rich heritage and profound influence of Black artists, whose creativity and resilience have shaped the foundation of American music. Through a series of thoughtfully curated events — including educational workshops, family programs, special screenings, and intimate conversations — the Museum aims to illuminate the vibrant legacy and ongoing evolution of Black music. 

From a workshop on the rhythmic storytelling of hip-hop following its 50th anniversary and the soulful echoes of Bill Withers' classics, to the groundbreaking contributions of James Brown and the visionary reimagination of "The Wiz," these GRAMMY Museum programs encapsulate the enduring legacy and dynamic future of Black music.

The GRAMMY Museum invites audiences to delve into the stories, sounds, and souls that have woven Black music into the tapestry of our shared human experience. Through this journey, the Museum and the Recording Academy honor the artists, visionaries, and pioneers whose talents have forever altered the landscape of music and culture. 

Read on for additional information on the GRAMMY Museum's month-long tribute that explores, appreciates and celebrates the invaluable contributions of Black music to our world.

Thurs., Feb. 8

History of Hip-Hop Education Workshop

WHAT: In celebration of the 50 years of hip-hop, this workshop examines the unique evolution of Hip Hop from its origin to where the genre is today. Highlighting the golden age of Hip Hop, this lesson will provide students with a greater understanding of the struggles and triumphs of the genre.

WHEN: 11 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. 

REGISTER: Click here.

Sat., Feb. 10

Family Time: Grandma’s Hands

WHAT: Join us for a very special family program celebrating the recently released children’s book Grandma’s Hands based on one of Bill Withers’ most beloved songs. Bill’s wife, Marcia, and daughter, Kori, will participate in a book reading, conversation, audience Q&A, and performance, followed by a book signing. The program is free (4 tickets per household.)

WHEN: 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. 

REGISTER: Click here.

Mon., Feb. 12

Celebrating James Brown: Say It Loud

WHAT: The GRAMMY Museum hosts a special evening on the life and music of the late "Godfather of Soul" James Brown. The program features exclusive clips from A&E's forthcoming documentary James Brown: Say It Loud, produced in association with Polygram Entertainment, Mick Jagger’s Jagged Films and Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson’s Two One Five Entertainment, followed by a conversation with Director Deborah Riley Draper, superstar Producer Jimmy Jam, and some surprises.

WHEN: 7:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.  

REGISTER: Click here.

Sat., Feb. 17

Backstage Pass: "The Wiz"

WHAT: Presented in partnership with the African American Film Critics Association, join us for an afternoon spotlighting the famed Broadway Musical, "The Wiz," with the producers and creative team responsible for the Broadway bound reboot. The program will feature a lively conversation, followed by an audience Q&A in the Museum’s Clive Davis Theater, and will be hosted by AAFCA President, Gil Robertson, and GRAMMY Museum Education & Community Engagement Manager, Schyler O’Neal. The program is free (four tickets per household).

WHEN: 1 p.m.

REGISTER: Click here.

Thurs., Feb. 22

History of Hip-Hop Education Workshop

WHAT: In celebration of the 50 years of hip-hop, this workshop examines the unique evolution of Hip Hop from its origin to where the genre is today. Highlighting the golden age of Hip Hop, this lesson will provide students with a greater understanding of the struggles and triumphs of the genre.

WHEN: 11 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. 

REGISTER: Click here.

Reel To Reel: A Hip Hop Story

WHAT: In conjunction with the GRAMMY Museum's exhibit, Hip-Hop America: The Mixtape Exhibit, the GRAMMY Museum is thrilled to host a special screening of A Hip Hop Story with a post-screening conversation featuring Affion Crockett to follow.

WHEN: 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.  

REGISTER: Click here.

Sun., Feb. 25

Lunar New Year Celebration

WHAT: Join us for a special program celebrating Lunar New Year as we usher in the Year of the Dragon with a performance by the South Coast Chinese Orchestra. The orchestra is from Orange County and uses both traditional Chinese instruments and western string instruments. It is led by Music Director, Jiangli Yu, Conductor, Bin He, and Executive Director, Yulan Chung. The program will take place in the Clive Davis Theater. This program is made possible by the generous support of Preferred Bank. The program is free (four tickets per household).

WHEN: 1:30 p.m.

REGISTER: Click here.

Tues., Feb. 27

A Conversation With Nicole Avant

WHAT: The GRAMMY Museum is thrilled to welcome best-selling author, award-winning film producer, entrepreneur and philanthropist, Ambassador Nicole Avant to the museum’s intimate 200-seat Clive Davis Theater for a conversation moderated by Jimmy Jam about her new memoir Think You’ll Be Happy – Moving Through Grief with Grit, Grace and Gratitude. All ticket buyers will receive a signed copy of the book.

WHEN: 7:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.  

REGISTER: Click here.

GRAMMY.com’s 50th Anniversary Of Hip-Hop Coverage: A Recap

Virginia's Annie Ray To Be Honored With 2024 Music Educator Award
Annie Ray

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Virginia's Annie Ray To Be Honored With 2024 Music Educator Award

Presented by the Recording Academy and the GRAMMY Museum, 2024 Music Educator Award recognizes educators who have made a significant contribution and demonstrate a commitment to music education.

GRAMMYs/Feb 1, 2024 - 02:32 pm

Ahead of the 2024 GRAMMYs, Virginia educator Annie Ray will receive the 2024 Music Educator Award during the Recording Academy's Special Merit Awards Ceremony on Sat, Feb. 3.  

Ray is both the Orchestra Director and Performing Arts Department Chair at Annandale High School in Virginia's Fairfax County Public School (FCPS) system. She advocates for universal access to quality music education, and has developed creative opportunities to make music accessible to students of all demographics. 

For example, her FCPS Parent Orchestra enables just under 200 caregivers to learn to play their child’s instrument each year. Ray also created the Crescendo Orchestra program to bring the joy of orchestra to high school students with severe developmental or intellectual disabilities. In January 2022,  the program was featured in The Washington Post. 

Based on this work, TEDx reached out and asked Ray to give a talk in April 2022. She has presented at numerous colleges and conferences on the topic and was named the 2023 FCPS Outstanding Secondary Teacher of the Year for her work on equity in education. Ray is also a member of the StringRise professional development team and was a 2023 Wolf Trap Educator Guarantee for the AHS partnership with GRAMMY-nominated artist Christylez Bacon

She currently resides in Arlington, Virginia, with her husband Irving and their girls Eloise and Millie. She is an adventurer at heart, and her biggest bucket list item is to one day win "The Amazing Race."

As the Music Educator Award recipient, Ray will receive a $10,000 honorarium and matching grant for her school's music program. Nine additional finalists will receive a $1,000 honorarium and matching grants. The remaining 15 semifinalists will receive a $500 honorarium with matching school grants.

The nine semifinalists are:

Meg Byrne: Pleasant Valley High School  Bettendorf, Iowa

Ernesta Chicklowski: Roosevelt Elementary   Tampa, Florida

Michael Coelho: Ipswich Middle and High School Ipswich, Massachusetts

Antoine Dolberry: P.S. 103 Hector Fontanez School  Bronx, New York

Jasmine Fripp: KIPP Nashville Collegiate High School   Nashville, Tennessee

J.D. Frizzell: Briarcrest Christian School  Eads, Tennessee

Coty Raven Morris: Portland State University  Portland, Oregon

Kevin Schoenbach: Oswego High School  Oswego, Illinois

Matthew Shephard: Meridian Early College High School  Sanford, Michigan

The award is open to current U.S. music teachers, and anyone can nominate a teacher — students, parents, friends, colleagues, community members, school deans, and administrators. Teachers are also able to nominate themselves, and nominated teachers are notified and invited to fill out an application. Initial nominations were submitted from all 50 states.

Nominations and applications for the 2025 Music Educator Award are now open via grammymusicteacher.com.

The Music Educator Award program, including honorariums, is made possible by the generosity and support of The Chuck Lorre Family Foundation. In addition, the American Choral Directors Association, National Association for Music Education, NAMM Foundation, and National Education Association support this program through outreach to their constituencies.

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GRAMMY Week 2024: At GRAMMY Museum's Student Showcase Finale, High School Students Shred, Sing & Inspire
Honeybee performs at the GRAMMY Museum Student Showcase at the GRAMMY Museum

Photo: Rebecca Sapp/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

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GRAMMY Week 2024: At GRAMMY Museum's Student Showcase Finale, High School Students Shred, Sing & Inspire

An eclectic group of performers took to the Clive Davis Theater stage on Jan. 27, wowing audiences with everything from intimate tales of perseverance to all-out rock and 2024 GRAMMYs-related raps.

GRAMMYs/Jan 29, 2024 - 09:53 pm

High school students from throughout Southern California descended upon the GRAMMY Museum on Jan. 27 for a two-hour musical extravaganza. At the inaugural Student Showcase Finale, an eclectic blend of jazz, rock, pop, dance, soul, hip-hop and R&B acts performed for a jam-packed audience inside the Museum's Clive Davis Theater.

It had already been a full day at the GRAMMY Museum by the time Emcee Schyler O’Neal — whose offstage role is GRAMMY Museum’s Manager of Education and Communication — welcomed attendees for the evening showcase. Beginning at 9 a.m., the students were immersed in activities aimed at offering tools for moving forward in the music industry. The students learned about live production and touring, then worked with the GRAMMY Museum’s production team to learn the soundboard and how to communicate with engineers. Each performer also received live feedback from music industry professionals immediately following their rehearsals. 

Each performer during the Student Showcase Finale performed two songs, and opening act Hedy began the night with high energy. The newly formed jazz-fusion band, named after legendary actress Hedy Lamarr, is fronted by the enchanting Lexie Shehab. The four-piece of HP Emerich (piano), Fenella Nishigawara (bass) and Savannah Tweedt (drums) celebrates women in jazz, and delivered a soulful cover of Esperanza Spaulding’s "Precious."

Next up was Dione, a Mexico-born singer/songwriter who told the audience that her song "Se Deja Sentir" allowed her to connect with her Latin roots. Donning a black cowboy hat and silver cowboy boots with tassels, the powerhouse vocalist brought a unique flair to her performance. One of the highlights of her set was a playful dance routine incorporated into her song during an instrumental break. 

Multi-instrumentalist and singer/songwriter Kieler (pronounced Kyler) Avery followed, sharing that she wrote her song, "Living Room," after a six-month bout of writer’s block. It would seem that the excellent song was definitely worth the wait for Avery, who donned an eye-catching bright green outfit as she strummed on an acoustic guitar. 

Reviving the era of barbershop quartets, Spark, entranced the audience with their color-coordinated black and white outfits and engaging cover of Queen’s "Bohemian Rhapsody." Comprised of best friends Ava Winkle, Prajna Krishnamurthy Adiga, Rheyah Gangadharan and Sanjeevani Kumar, Spark also performed synchronized dance moves.

Multi-instrumentalist Sam Sweeney took the stage next for his first-ever live performance. At once compelling and nonchalant, Sam rapped over a blend of jazz, psychedelia and soul instrumentals, which he also produced. His song "Wall Sketches" featured clever rhymes about the 2024 GRAMMYs and bold commentary about the music industry.

It’s not every day that a singer/songwriter co-writes a song with her mother, but that’s exactly what Kayla Pincus did with her mom, Dorothy, a musician and singer who has toured with Barry White and Barry Manilow. Together, they penned "Everything’s Closed," an emotional song performed beautifully by Kayla and her backing band of Eliya Ben-Ezra (guitar), Max Weiner (bass) and Victor Cyrus-Franklin (drums).

Shaking things up with some blistering, melodic hard rock, the high energy trio Honeybee, raised the roof with their thunderous new song "Crashing Down." Lead singer/guitarist Liam Williams, donned an on-brand t-shirt with graphics of a honeycomb and bees, alongside bassist Theo O’Gara and drummer Vinnie Naccarato.

Multi-instrumentalist/singer/songwriter Iris Le took the stage next for a softer but equally powerful performance. Before launching into a gorgeous, goosebumps-inducing performance of "Could I," Iris bravely shared that they wrote the song during a period in which they were struggling with mental health and self-esteem issues.

Zharia Armel, who has coined herself the "Pop Princess of Compton," promptly took ownership of the stage following Iris Le. Zharia offered a sassy, soulful delivery of her catchy hip-hop, pop and R&B-infused song "Friends" while also moving alongside her energetic backup dancers Asenath Alexander and Zoe Miller. 

Next, singer/songwriter Maya Ixta Delgado told the audience she was proud to be in touch with her cultural heritage and singing "Time," a bilingual English and Spanish song. Maya shared how the song was inspired her elementary school experience in Texas where she was told that she was only permitted to speak in English. She was accompanied for her stirring performance by musicians Daniel Jimenez Alfanador (guitar), and Noah Unterberger (drums). Justin Tinucci (bass) joined in for her second song.

The final performance of the night was Latina punk rock trio What Can I Say, comprised of Krista Warner, Sophia Zavala, and Natalia Luevanos. The group closed the evening with a potent display of Latina girl boss power with their sassy, dynamic song "Jane Bond," which left the audience shaken, not stirred, in the best way possible.

After the performances, GRAMMY in The Schools Director Julie Mutnansky thanked everyone for attending and to express the GRAMMY Museum’s enthusiasm for this new program which allows students to showcase their music. 

GRAMMY Museum Announces 2024 GRAMMY Week Programming Schedule