Move to the music
There are several ways to appreciate a city, including learning its history and tasting
its special dishes. But lend an ear to its music, and you’ll appreciate the soul of a city.
Here are four destinations with a musical heritage students will enjoy exploring.
The birthplace of hip-hop
New York City performers and musicians have made significant contributions to
nearly every genre of music, and the city’s hip-hop MCs are major figures among
its recent musical innovators.
On Hush Hip Hop Tours, students can see the neighborhoods and places
where the genre was created, developed and grew to become a major force
in popular culture. The company offers bus and walking tours that can include
dance instruction. The Dancer’s Delight tour features guides who 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.
For more information about New York City attractions and tours, reach out to
Peter Katz of NYC & Company at [email protected] or visit nycgo.com.
Salem’s Most
Visited Museum
Because...
History Matters!
The blues and St. Louis
Two music-focused places in St.
Louis worth visiting are the National
Blues Museum and the Delmar Loop.
At the National Blues Museum,
exhibitions tell the story of the genre’s
legendary performers and draw
connections between the blues and
today’s popular music. Special pricing
and interpreter-guided tours are
National Blues Museum
available for groups of 20 or more.
The Delmar Loop is a six-block
neighborhood packed with restaurants and live music venues, including Blueberry
Hill, where Chuck Berry used to play gigs. The area is also home to the St. Louis
Walk of Fame, which features bronze plaques that bear the names of notable city
natives, such as T Bone Burnett, Tina Turner, Maya Angelou and T.S. Eliot.
To learn more about St. Louis, contact Renee Eichelburger at reichelberger@
explorestlouis.com. For more information on the National Blues Museum, contact
Casey Jolley at [email protected].
The King and his castle
Memphis is the realm of the King, and fans of Elvis Presley—and rock ’n’ roll, soul
and the blues—will find a rich musical heritage in the western Tennessee city.
Presley’s home, Graceland, has several tour options featuring exhibits, museums
and experiences. The Guest House at Graceland is a AAA Four Diamond-rated
hotel adjacent to the mansion. Student groups are eligible for discounted rates,
and performance opportunities are available.
Another part of Memphis’ musical history is featured at the Stax Museum of
American Soul Music. The studio, founded in 1957, cranked out some of soul’s most
recognizable classics. The museum’s collection traces the origins of soul to its
roots in Southern gospel music.
For more details about Memphis, reach out to Colleen Palmertree at
[email protected]. To learn more about Graceland, contact Shirley
Conner at [email protected].
Music City melodies
Three hours east of Memphis is
Nashville, home to songwriters and
performers of all genres.
To experience the Grand Ole
Opry, the longest running radio
show in the U.S., groups can visit
Ryman Auditorium, where the show
originated from 1943 to 1974, and
Songwriting students
then catch a live performance at the
Grand Ole Opry House.
For a deeper dive, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum has exhibits and
listening stations that honor the genre’s most talented musicians. Students can
make music, too, says Dana Romanello, the museum’s sales manager.
“With our newest program, Inside Tracks, students co-write a song with a Nashville
star, and then work with a producer to record the track for their new song,” she says.
Email Romanello at [email protected]. And for more
information on Nashville, contact Laurel Bennett at [email protected].
Open Year Round
19 1 / 2 Washington Square North
Salem, Massachusetts 01970
Take the
or the Salem Ferry. Visit us on
Shop at our museum store onsite & online!
978.744.1692
salemwitchmuseum.com
NTAonline.com
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