Tennessee
Signature City Nashville
Program No. 23622RJ
Explore some of the musical highlights of Nashville, from Studio B and the Country Music Hall of Fame to the Grand Ole Opry, as you learn about the history of the “Nashville sound.”
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6 days
5 nights
10 meals
5B 2L 3D
1
Check-in, Registration, Orientation, Welcome Dinner
Nashville, TN
3
Johnny Cash, Behind The Scenes Grand Ole Opry & Show
Nashville, TN
5
The Parthenon, Belle Meade Plantation, TN State Musuem
Nashville, TN
At a Glance
Nashville didn’t earn the nickname “Music City, U.S.A.” for nothing. All it takes is a stroll down Honky Tonk Row or a visit to the Grand Ole Opry to understand the impact this city has had on American music. Visit Studio B where Elvis mastered more than 200 songs. Stand in the wings where greats like Hank Williams and Louis Armstrong waited to go on stage. Learn about the musical contributions of black Americans, and see costumes and instruments used by some of country music’s greatest stars. Plus, you’ll have lots of free time to explore the many other facets of this iconic American city on your own.
Activity Level
Keep the Pace
Walking up to 1.5-2 miles at moderate pace. Standing for on-site lectures on field trips. Frequent getting on/off coach. Stairs only in some historic buildings and homes.
Independent City Discoveries
Learn with a Group Leader and enjoy educational programming while also getting substantial independent time to explore on your own. Most Independent City Discoveries include lectures, self-guided excursions and passes for public transit and museums.
Best of all, you’ll…
- Go backstage and onstage at the Grand Ole Opry and at Ryman Auditorium — the former home of the Opry — for live music.
- Step inside Studio B and the Country Music Hall of Fame to learn about the history of this utterly American genre.
- Explore the National Museum of African American Music to learn more about these influential genres.
General Notes
This is a Road Scholar INDEPENDENT program. It is designed for participants who want high-level Road Scholar instruction, a few group activities, and who are capable and comfortable setting out on their own for a significant part of the day/night. There will be several hours each day of educational content. Most meals will be on your own (excluded from the program cost) to have what you like, and there will be substantial free time for personal independent exploration. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.
Featured Expert
All trip experts
Lisa Horngren
A lifelong fan of Johnny Cash, Lisa Horngren studied his records, biographies, articles regarding his life and career, and was a member of The Johnny Cash Fan Club. Closer musical ties began while playing and recording with Tommy Cash and Joanne Cash (Johnny’s brother and sister) as well as longtime members of Johnny Cash’s band with whom Lisa performed and toured. In addition to her strong ties to the early years of country music, Lisa plays basses, guitars, mandolin, banjo, autoharp, fiddle, and Swedish nyckelharpa.
Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.
Peggy Benton
View biography
Peggy has traveled extensively in the United States, Caribbean, and Eastern and Western Europe. She has been the owner, operator and USCG Licensed Captain of a 48' sailboat, chartered a yacht out of St. Thomas and Tortola and taught sailing and snorkeling. She has held leadership positions that include president of the St. Thomas-St. John Chamber of Commerce, president of the St. Thomas-St. John Navy League and vice president of the Rotary Club of St. Thomas. She currently resides in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Lisa Horngren
View biography
A lifelong fan of Johnny Cash, Lisa Horngren studied his records, biographies, articles regarding his life and career, and was a member of The Johnny Cash Fan Club. Closer musical ties began while playing and recording with Tommy Cash and Joanne Cash (Johnny’s brother and sister) as well as longtime members of Johnny Cash’s band with whom Lisa performed and toured. In addition to her strong ties to the early years of country music, Lisa plays basses, guitars, mandolin, banjo, autoharp, fiddle, and Swedish nyckelharpa.
Suggested Reading List
(3 books)
Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop
You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
Signature City Nashville
Program Number: 23622
The African-American History of Nashville, Tennessee, 1780-1930: Elites and Dilemmas (Black Community Studies)
Bobby L. Lovett presents a complex analysis of black experience in Nashville during the years between 1780 and 1930, exploring the impact of civil rights, education, politics, religion, business, and neighborhood development on a particular African-American community. This study of black Nashville examines lives lived within a web of shifting alliances and interests—the choices made, the difficulties overcome.
Fifteen years in the making, illustrated with maps and photographs, this work is the first detailed study of any of Tennessee’s major urban black communities. Lovett here collects, organizes, and interprets a large, rich body of data, making this material newly accessible to all interested in the black urban experience.
Nashville Songwriter: The Inside Stories Behind Country Music’s Greatest Hits
Nashville Songwriter gives readers the first completely authorized collection of the true stories that inspired hits by the biggest multi-platinum country superstars of the last half century—recounted by the songwriters themselves. Award-winning music biographer Jake Brown gives readers an unprecedented, intimate glimpse inside the world of country music songwriting.
Featuring exclusive commentary from country superstars and chapter-length interviews with today’s biggest hit-writers on Music Row.
Nashville Sound: An Illustrated Timeline
The Nashville Sound is a sound heard all around the world. It is not just the sound of country music; music from Nashville includes Big Band, rhythm and blues, gospel, Christian, jazz and classical. Nashville music goes back a long way and embraces artists and songs that have no borders. Music City U.S.A. isn't just a catchy slogan, it is an accurate description of the sounds of Nashville from Davy Crockett's fiddle to the Fisk Jubilee Singers to rock classics from Roy Orbison and the Everly Brothers to the Nashville Sound of Jim Reeves and Eddy Arnold and beyond. The Nashville Sound is a rainbow of music. Nashville Sound: An Illustrated Timeline explores Nashville's rich history in music that encompasses not only country music but also gospel music, contemporary Christian music, rhythm and blues, rock n roll and classical music. Nashville is a musical gold mine and this book follows the development of music and the music industry in Nashville from the nineteenth century until today.