“Everybody is invited to attend….Music is the order of the day.” – Invitation in the Erin Review, July 15, 1882, for a community event in Spring Hill, Houston County.

By Miranda Fraley Rhodes, Ph.D.

Musical traditions have deep roots here. Tennessee has inspired musicians for generations, whether they made music on front porches, at studios, or in arenas. On October 13, 2023, the Tennessee State Museum will reopen the Mike Curb Music Gallery with an updated exhibit titled The Tennessee Playlist: The People, Places, and Roots of Our Music. This exhibit, scheduled to be on display through 2028, explores the diverse sounds of the state and the interplay of tradition and change. Areas of this exhibit will rotate to share new stories that highlight innovation and enduring qualities within styles.

Title wall welcoming visitors in “The Tennessee Playlist” exhibition

The Tennessee Playlist includes 4,000 square feet of physical displays showcasing artifacts related to the state’s musical history and highlighting people who have contributed to the many traditions that have comprised the music of Tennessee. The gallery will also have multiple media interactives to help visitors experience the sounds of the state. New online projects include an interactive map with music stories for each Tennessee county, titled The Tennessee Playlist: 95 Counties of Sound, available on the Museum’s website. Throughout the exhibit’s timeframe the Museum will offer a variety of events and tours. Please see the calendar of events for the latest information.

Online interactive map featured in “The Tennessee Playlist: 95 Counties of Sound”

Musical Roots

People used music to express spiritual beliefs, pass down knowledge, create and sustain communities, and have fun. For many generations, Southeastern Indians inhabited what is now Tennessee. Beginning in the 1700s, Europeans and Africans began coming to this land, bringing their own cultures. As these groups exchanged ideas and experienced conflict, their musical traditions influenced each other. Tennesseans continue to be inspired by these musical roots today. 

When the exhibit opens in Fall 2023, the first area will focus on Southeastern Indian musical traditions in nations like the Cherokees and Choctaws, folk music like ballad singing and string band music, and hymns and spirituals. Visitors will learn about these styles and how contemporary artists and music instrument makers continue these traditions. This exhibit section includes a display of traditional instruments like dulcimers, fiddles, and other items.

Southeastern Indian Music display case in “The Tennessee Playlist” exhibition

Music on the Move

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, urban growth encouraged musical innovation. Seeking economic opportunity, many Tennesseans moved from rural areas to cities and towns, bringing their musical traditions with them. Growing communities offered spaces for creative interaction and inspiration.

The second area will feature exhibits about the Fisk Jubilee Singers, classical music, the blues, gospel music, and the origins of country music. This section reflects Tennessee’s beginnings as an international music center. Artifact highlights of this area include performance costumes worn by Deford Bailey and Maybelle Carter.

The Origins of Country Music display case in “The Tennessee Playlist” exhibition

Technology and the Music Business

Tennessee artists, songwriters, and industry professionals have used technology to share different styles of music with listeners in the state and the world. The third exhibit area explores technologies Tennesseans have utilized to record, share, and listen to music. Initially, this space will feature artifacts like radios, a WSM microphone, recording equipment, and jukeboxes from the Museum’s collection. Over time, a variety of artifacts will be displayed to highlight additional stories. This area also will have information on the importance of music venues, including an original bench from the Ryman Auditorium and a display related to Tootsies Orchid Lounge.

Rudolph Wurlitzer Company Model 800 Jukebox, Tennessee State Museum Collection (88.178.1)

Tennessee’s Music, America’s Music

Exceptional communities of music professionals used technological advances in building international centers for music recording in Nashville and Memphis. These communities have grown, attracting artists from throughout the nation and world. The state’s musical heritage has continued to expand as artists from Mexican American, Kurdish American, and other communities contributed to the ever-changing musical stories of Tennessee.

The final, and largest, exhibit area will showcase how Tennessee music traditions continue to grow and innovate. It will feature rhythm & blues, rockabilly, rock and roll, country music, soul music, hip-hop and southern rap, Mariachi, and Kurdish music. Artifact highlights in this area include performance clothing worn by Johnny Cash, Chet Atkins, and Isaac Hayes, a guitar owned by Dolly Parton, a DJ set up used by DJ Spanish Fly, equipment owned by producer Tay Keith, and a guitar made by master luthier Manuel Delgado.

Nashville display case in “The Tennessee Playlist” exhibition featuring Dolly Parton, Charley Pride, and Chett Atkins

This state is a place where music is valued, and people are encouraged to participate. For example, in Morgan County in 1920, the Rose community hosted “an all day Singing and Instrumental Music at Brewster Town School house the first Sunday in June Come one-come all; bring dinner, song books and music instruments.  Come prepared to help in the music.” 

Tennesseans hope their neighbors will “come prepared to help in the music” and share in our stories. 

Miranda Fraley-Rhodes, Ph.D. is the Assistant Chief Curator of the Tennessee State Museum

Works Cited

Erin Review, July 15, 1882, in Nina Finley, Early Newspapers in Houston County, Erin, TN:  Friends of the Library, Houston County Public Library, [1996], Volume 1, available at the Tennessee State Library and Archives.

The Morgan County Press, May 28, 1920, p.1. Available online at https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/.