Courier October Courier | Page 30

Move to the music The birthplace of hip-hop New York City performers and musicians have made significant contributions to just about every conceivable genre of music, and the city’s hip-hop MCs are major fig- ures among its recent musical innovators. On Hush Hip Hop Tours, groups can see the neighborhoods and places where the genre was created, developed and grew to Hush’s Birthplace of Hip Hop tour reassembled Mississippi Delta church that dates to 1906. They can see a replica of Studio A, the movie theater turned stu- dio where Stax artists recorded, and see period gear. And they can bust a move on a dance floor in front of a projection of a vintage episode of “Soul Train.” For more rock, Blues and soul attrac- tions in Memphis, reach out to Colleen Palmertree of the Memphis CVB at [email protected] or go to memphistravel.com. To learn more about Graceland, contact Shirley Davis Conner at [email protected] or visit graceland.com. become a major force in popular culture. The company offers bus and walking tours lasting three or four hours and can also include dance instruction and the opportunity to interact with guides and locals who are well-acquainted with the city’s hip-hop culture. During Hush’s Birthplace of Hip Hop tour, groups ride from Midtown Manhattan, through Harlem and to the Bronx. Along the way, they see the site of the first-ever hip-hop party, other important venues, music video loca- tions and murals dedicated to musical legends. Tour guides will freestyle, and guests have the chance to watch a dance session and try their own moves. The Dancer’s Delight tour is designed to appeal to body movers of all abilities. Tour guides also serve as dance instructors, and they show groups Central Park, Rock Steady Park and the dance studios that elevated hip-hop movements from the streets to the stage and screen. There also are opportunities for each group member to jump into the center of a dance circle and put what they’ve learned to use. For more information about New York City attractions and tour ideas, reach out to Reagan Stulbaum of NYC & Company at [email protected] or visit nycgo.com. vv OUTLAWS AND ARMADILLOS EXHIBIT OPENS MAY 2018 The Outlaw phenomenon greatly enlarged country music’s audience in the 1970s. Led by pacesetters such as Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Kris Kristofferson, and Bobby Bare, artists in Nashville and Austin demanded the creative freedom to make their own country music, different from the pop-oriented sound that prevailed at the time. The major exhibition at the Country Music Hall of Fame ® and Museum, Outlaws and Armadillos, examines the 1970s cultures of corporate-leaning Nashville and fiercely independent Austin, and the complicated, surprising relationships between the two. BOOK YOUR GROUP’S TOUR TODAY #PressPlayRecord • #CMHOF50 • @CountryMusicHOF • Nashville, Tennessee CountryMusicHallofFame.org/Groups 28 October 2017