Us Embassy In Georgia
The Visa Waiver Program allows citizens of participating countries* to travel to the United States without a visa for stays of 90 days or less, when they meet all requirements.
U.S. Citizens with emergencies, please call 227-7000
Outside of Office Hours, contact: 032 227-7000
Outside of Georgia: 227-7000
Learn more about quality higher-education opportunities in the U.S. that you will not find anywhere else in the world.
By Noelani Kirschner| Sherry L. Brukbacher
The history of Black American music in the United States spans four centuries, and now theres a museum to honor that legacy.
The National Museum of African American Music , which opened January 30 in Nashville, Tennessee, calls itself the only museum dedicated to preserving and celebrating the many music genres created, influenced and inspired by African Americans.
Divided into six sections covering four centuries, the museum educates visitors about the history and influence of Black American music in the United States, all of which can be traced to the hymns and songs enslaved Africans sang in the 1600s.
NMAAM highlights the more than 50 genres created or influenced by Black Americans, focusing specifically on spirituals, blues, jazz, gospel, rhythm and blues , and hip-hop throughout its six galleries.
And as the museum declares, Black music is Americas music.
Highlights Of The Nmaam
Youll start your experience in the Roots Theater to see a film that sets up the museum experience for you. Its equally educational and emotional.
One of my favorite parts of the museum experience is that they give you an arm band with a swipe card on it when you check in. Then when youre listening to any music at any of the interactive tables in the main entryway or side rooms, you can scan it to your band and when you leave they will email you a playlist with all of your music.
Rivers of Rhythm Pathways: This is the main hallway thats filled with the interactive tables. It cycles through a projection show that covers all of the genres and time periods that youll find in each gallery. You could stand or sit here and just listen to music for hours.
From the Rivers of Rhythm Pathways, these galleries fan out:
Wade in the Water: The African American Religious Experience, Early 1600s to Present
Crossroads: The Great Migration and the Emergence of the Blues, Early 1900s
A Love Supreme: The Harlem Renaissance and the Emergence of Jazz
One Nation Under a Groove: Civil Rights Movement, 1940s to Present
The Message: Urban Renewal, 1970s to Present
An interesting thing I learned: The rock n roll genre was really rhythm and blues marketed to white people.
Get An Introduction To The Blues
Emancipation didnt bring liberation for African Americans living in the south, and many of the formerly enslaved still found themselves chained to the land and exploited for their labor. The music never stopped, though, and the songs of heartbreak and distress that rang out from mouths of sharecroppers and railroad workers alike became the basis for the blues. Later, as Black folk traveled north in search of true freedom, they carried their blues with them, ultimately swapping acoustic guitars for electric and adding piano and other instruments. In the Crossroads gallery, visitors learn the stories of blues pioneers including Robert Johnson and Bessie Smith theyll also see how the music of the Black rural south became the stylistic foundation for country and rock and roll.
Dont Miss: Chicago Public Library Museum Pass
Recommended Reading: Top Museums In San Diego
Experience Concert Footage In The Rivers Of Rhythm
The entire NMAAM exhibit is divided into five musical galleries that represent the larger musical branches from which all American musical genres ultimately sprout. Arranged chronologically, they also reveal the timeline of Black musical exploration and expression. But before you can make your way through these galleries, you must pass over the Rivers of Rhythm. On screens lining the walls of the corridor that provides entry into each of the galleries, concert footage of Prince, James Brown, and others showcases the power of Black music.
Below, an interactive table walks you through the songs that made Blackand Americanhistory one era at a time. Interested in hearing the music that provided the soundtrack to the Black experience of the 1930s and 40s, when segregation still reigned but Black folk were beginning to make a name for themselves in the world of sports and entertainment? Theres a playlist for that, featuring Count Basies King Joe, a tribute to Black boxing champion Joe Louis, sung by college football All-American and former NFL player Paul Robeson.
How Long Should I Plan To Visit The National Museum Of African American Music
The estimated tour time is 90 minutes, but guests are encouraged to take as much time as they need.
The visit starts inside of the Roots Theater where guests watch a short film on the history of African music and its global influence. Once the film is over, attendees are directed to exit to the right to begin their self-directed tour.
The museums exhibits are organized in chronological order starting with the first enslaved Africans being brought to America. Visitor can take in the museum at their own pace through galleries focusing on gospel, blues, jazz, rhythm and blues and lastly hip-hop.
Don’t Miss: The Museum Of Science And History
Learn About Motown Sun And Stax
As World War II gave way to American desegregation, the sounds of Black musical tradition coalesced and evolved once again into rhythm and blues, a slick, commercial sound that would soon take the countryand the worldby storm. And as Black pop music grew in popularity, so, too, did the number of enterprising Black folk who wanted to assume financial and creative control of the new genre. The One Nation Under a Groove gallery reveals the stories of Black-owned Motown and Philadelphia International Records, along with companies like Sun Records and Stax, that were run by white owners looking to capitalize on the hot new sound. It also maps the ways in which R& B itself morphed into sub-genres including disco, house, and, ultimately, hip-hop.
You May Like: Buffalo Bill Museum Cody Wy
A New Museum In Nashville Chronicles 400 Years Of Black Music
The culmination of two decades of planning, the National Museum of African American Music opened its doors last month
Daily Correspondent
Much of the story of the United States can be told through black music, from the instruments brought to the country by enslaved Africans to the development of jazz and the blues in the Jim Crow era and the rock and hip-hop artists who continue to shape culture today. Now, a new cultural institution is dedicated to telling that 400-year story: the National Museum of African American Music, which opened in Nashville, Tennessee, on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Most music museums deal with a label, a genre or an artist, H. Beecher Hicks III, the museums president and CEO, tells the Associated Press Kristin M. Hall. So its one thing to say that Im a hip hop fan or Im a blues fan, but why? What was going on in our country and our lived experience and our political environment that made that music so moving, so inspirational, such the soundtrack for that part of our lives?
Exhibitions will draw on a collection of 1,600 artifacts, including one of Ella Fitzgeralds Grammy Awards and a guitar owned by B.B. King. Visitors can also take part in interactive activities like learning dance moves from a virtual instructor, singing Oh Happy Day with a gospel choir and making hip-hop beats. Guests receive wristbands that allow them to record and take home their creations.
Recommended Reading: Lucille Ball Museum Jamestown Ny
National Museum Of African American Music Nashville Admission Ticket
- Instant confirmation
- For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.
- For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.
- Admission to the National Museum of African American Music in Nashville
- Entry/Admission – National Museum of African American Music
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Wheelchair accessible
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 15 travelers
- Admission to the National Museum of African American Music in Nashville
- Entry/Admission – National Museum of African American Music
- Returns to original departure point
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Wheelchair accessible
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 15 travelers
- Regular temperature checks for staff
- Regularly sanitized high-traffic areas
- Hand sanitizer available to travelers and staff
- Regular temperature checks for staff
- Regularly sanitized high-traffic areas
- Hand sanitizer available to travelers and staff
- Contactless payment for gratuities and add-ons
- Face masks required for guides in public areas
- Gear/equipment sanitized between use
- Face masks required for travelers in public areas
- Social distancing enforced throughout experience
- Face masks provided for travelers
Fine Tuning: A Masterclass Series
The Fine Tuning Masterclass Series is an opportunity for aspiring adult vocalists and musicians to learn from professionals who have excelled in their genre in the music industry. Class attendees will experience a blend of instructional, contextual and theory-based practices designed to help them hone their individual skills and styles as well as how to monetize their talents.
Recommended Reading: Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Museum Tickets
Shop Tickets And Tours
Visitors Wristbands At The National Museum Of African American Music
Upon presenting yourself at the reception desk of the museum, you will be given a wristband. This wristband is linked to the email address that you provided when you purchased your ticket, which will also be confirmed before your tour starts.
The museum staff will instruct you on how to use your wristband if you need help, but its straightforward. Your wristband can be used throughout the museums exhibits to save part of your museum experience. Just wave the wristband in front of the sensor on the display to save an artists playlist or your own prowess as a dancer or singer. Whatever is saved to the wristband, will be available for 60 days after the date of the museum visit.
Read Also: Nc Museum Of Art Exhibits
Tips For Visiting The Nmaam
The museum is open Wednesday through Monday from 9AM-5PM.
Admission is $24.95/adult, $13.50/youth , $18.75/senior, 6 and under are free.
Entry is timed with start times every 30 minutes into the theater and 90 minutes suggested to spend inside.
My biggest tip is to pace yourself. We spent about the suggested 90 minutes inside and I definitely didnt get to read and look at everything. If theres a certain genre that interests you more than others, make sure to prioritize your time and energy to see that room.
Find more info about visiting the National Museum of African American Music here.
National Museum Of African American Music
| Established | |
|---|---|
| Curator | Dina Bennett |
The National Museum of African American Music is a museum in Nashville, Tennessee. The museum showcases the musical genres inspired, created, or influenced by African-Americans. Its location at Fifth + Broadway in Downtown Nashville, as opposed to historically-Black Jefferson Street, has been controversial.
Also Check: Houston Air And Space Museum
Circle Nash Pass With Trolley Tour Johnny Cash Museum And Nmaam
- Discover the highlights of Nashville
- Learn more about the history of music
- Enjoy a trolley tour and a tasting at Ole Smoky Moonshine Distillery
- 1-Day Nashville hop-on hop-off trolley tour
- 15 stops on trolley route including Johnny Cash Museum, Country Music Hall of Fame, and Broadway
- Admission to the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum
- Admission to Madame Tussauds Wax Museum in Nashville
- Admission to Johnny Cash Museum or Patsy Cline Museum
- Admission to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
- Sample tasting at Ole Smoky Moonshine Distillery in Nashville
- VIP Opry Mills coupon book voucher
- Admission to the National Museum of African America Music
The #1 Piece Of Advice Before Visiting The National Museum Of African American Music
It is best to purchase your tickets online in advance. That said, arrive about 15 minutes before your scheduled time to get your wristband and enjoy some of the live music in the lobby. Also, self-directed tours of the museum start every half hour and if you arrive late or youll have to wait for the next group.
Note that the museum uses timed tickets to manage capacity and ensure each visitor has an opportunity to get the full experience without overcrowding.
You May Like: Museum Hotel Luxury Cave Hotel Cappadocia
Friend Of The Museum $250
- Includes all GENERAL benefits for Two adults, PLUS:
- Member priority check in
- Discount on select ticketed workshops and events
- Invitation to exhibition opening receptions
- Includes all GENERAL benefits for Two adults, PLUS:
- Member priority check-in
- Invitation to exhibition opening receptions
- White glove viewing experience with the curatorial team
Read Also: Titanic Museum Branson Gift Shop
National Museum Of African American Music Opens In Nashville
The National Museum of African American Music opened its doors to much anticipation in January 2021. The museum is the only museum dedicated to preserving and celebrating the many music genres created, influenced, and inspired by African Americans.
Located in the heart of Nashville, the NMAAM is a perfect fit for Music City. Tennessee was critical during the Great Migration , when approximately six million African Americans left the South to relocate to large cities throughout the northeast, midwest, and western United States. Nashville also holds significance in African American music history as artists like The Fisk Jubilee Singers, Jimi Hendrix, Ray Charles, and Little Richard spent time early in their careers in Nashville. NMAAM is poised to strengthen and diversify the Music City brand with compelling connections to both local and national musical distinctions. Sharing the states spotlight with other Tennessee music institutions like Chattanoogas Bessie Smith Museum, Nashvilles Country Music Hall of Fame, Grand Ole Opry, and Musicians Hall of Fame, Memphis Graceland, Stax Museum of American Soul Music, and Sun Studios, the NMAAM is a welcomed addition.
Initially proposed in 2002, the project evolved over the next decade from a local to a national initiative and refined its purpose from a broad focus on arts, culture, and music in the African American community to exclusively cover music.
You May Like: Museum Of The Bible Admission
Read Also: Museum Of Art And Whimsy
Watch Films In The Roots Theater
The first pages of the story of Black music in America began in Africa, where men and women were captured and brought to the country against their will. They may have come empty-handed, but in their hearts they carried the music and the rhythms of their homeland. The introductory film shown in the Roots Theater depicts this musical journey, highlighting how, once the enslaved disembarked in this new land, African traditions merged with American circumstance to produce new sounds and customs that evolved and transformed, again and again, into the styles and sonics that have shaped our culture. Film subjects range time periods, from Reconstruction, Jim Crow, the Great Migration, World Wars I and II, and the Harmen Renaissance.
What To See And Do
The National African American Museum of Music is home to many artifacts, objects, and memorabilia that illuminate Black music history and culture. Costumes, instruments, recording equipment, photographs, and original artwork are just a few examples of the types of artifacts used to tell the stories of many music genres created, influenced, or popularized by African Americans.
Theres so much to see at NAAMM! The museums permanent collection houses seven main exhibits: Roots Theater, Rivers of Rhythm Pathways, Wade in the Water, Crossroads, A Love Supreme, One Nation Under a Groove, and The Message. These themed collections cover Black music history and interactive film experiences from the early 1600s to the present.
The first exhibit is the Rivers of Rhythm corridor. Considered the spine of the museum, visitors learn about the growth of African American music. From the Golden Age of Gospel to Black influence in ragtime. Visitors can later see the streetwear of influential hip-hop artists and the turntables DJs used to hype up the crowd.
In addition to the museums gallery, the NAAMM hosts several events and programs for the community, including discussions, K-12 workshops, music industry networking events, artist interviews, masterclasses, and a music legends and heroes leadership program for high school students.
You May Like: Musical Instrument Museum Scottsdale Arizona
About: National Museum Of African American Music
Description
The National Museum of African American Music is a gateway to the past that showcases the deep impact African Americans have had on shaping American music. From southern gospel to blues, jazz, R& B, and hip-hop. Across five galleries, you can see each genre against the backdrop of history, and learn how the music was shaped by the currents of time. Expect to see artifacts like instruments, stage costumes, and sheet music. Theres also a film theatre that provides context around the birth of African American music.
Opening hours
