NASHVILLE, Tenn. April 13, 2020 – This week, the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum brings its weekly Songwriter Sessions and its flagship education program, Words & Music, to Instagram Live.
“Music is a powerful gift that unites us, stimulates creativity and provides relief while we stay home and implement social distancing,” said Lisa Purcell, the museum’s senior vice president, education, development and community engagement. “This is why the museum will take our most popular songwriting programs live online and invite the world to participate with us.”
Starting Tuesday, April 14, the museum will host weekly Songwriter Sessions, in which audiences interact with the talents behind country music’s biggest hits. Viewers will be encouraged to pose questions via Instagram. The Songwriter Sessions, presented by SunTrust, will start at 8 p.m. CDT. Abi Tapia, the museum's director of public programs, will host. The artists will perform while sheltered in place. The initial lineup is below.
April 14
Laura Veltz, whose compositions include “Bones” (Maren Morris), “Speechless” (Dan + Shay) and “What If I Never Get Over You” (Lady Antebellum).
April 21
Luke Laird, whose compositions include “Hard to Forget” (Sam Hunt), “American Kids” (Kenny Chesney) and “Space Cowboy” (Kacey Musgraves).
April 28
Caitlyn Smith, whose compositions include “Like I’m Gonna Lose You” (Meghan Trainor featuring John Legend), “You Can’t Make Old Friends” (Country Music Hall of Fame members Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers) and her own single “Long Time Coming.”
May 5
Eric Paslay, whose compositions include “Barefoot Blue Jean Night” (Jake Owen), “Even If It Breaks Your Heart” (Eli Young Band) and his own hit “Friday Night.”
May 12
Brandy Clark, whose compositions include her singles "Bigger Boat," which features Randy Newman, "Hold My Hand" and "Who You Thought I Was."
May 19
Charlie Worsham, whose compositions include “Love You To The Moon” (Kip Moore) and his own singles “Mississippi In July” and “Old Time's Sake.”
Words & Music at Home, an extension of the education program Words & Music, begins at 2 p.m. Thursday, April 16. Singer, songwriter and Sony/RCA recording artist Tenille Townes will perform and participate in a conversation about songwriting with host Adam Ollendorff, the museum's outreach, and music programs manager.
As with the original Words & Music, Words & Music at Home provides a variety of resources that offer insights into writing lyrics. The virtual program, for aspiring songwriters of all ages, includes:
- Words & Music at Home: A Step-by-Step Guide to Writing Your Own Song Lyrics, available at any time on the museum’s website
- A live, weekly series, Words & Music at Home, featuring top professional songwriters, on Thursdays at 2 p.m. CDT on the museum's Instagram feed
Viewers can visit the museum’s website for more information and are encouraged to share their lyrics and completed songs on social media, using #WordsandMusicatHome.
In addition to these new Instagram Live programs, country music fans can explore past museum programs on our website, where they can hear interviews, great music, and insightful commentary.
About the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum:
The Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum collects, preserves and interprets country music and its history for the education and entertainment of diverse audiences. In exhibits, publications and educational programs, the museum explores the cultural importance and enduring beauty of the art form. The museum is operated by the Country Music Foundation, a not-for-profit 501 (c)(3) educational organization chartered by the state of Tennessee in 1964. The museum is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, and for the last five consecutive years has welcomed over one million patrons each year, placing it among the 10 most-visited history museums in the U.S. The Country Music Foundation operates Historic RCA Studio B®, Hatch Show Print® poster shop, CMF Records, the Frist Library and Archive and CMF Press. Museum programs are supported by Metropolitan Nashville Arts Commission, Tennessee Arts Commission and the National Endowment for the Arts.
More information about the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum is available at www.CountryMusicHallofFame.org or by calling (615) 416-2001.
About Words & Music at Home
Words & Music at Home is a branch of the museum’s flagship education program, Words & Music, which is made possible by the Country Music Association Endowment for Words & Music and is funded in part by Chet Atkins Music Education Fund of The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee; CMA; CMA Foundation; Dollar General Literacy Foundation; Sally Friedman; HCA Foundation; Jackson National Life Insurance Company; The Memorial Foundation; Metropolitan Nashville Arts Commission; Nashville Predators Foundation; PNC Grow Up Great; The Shehab Family; T&T Family Foundation; Tennessee Arts Commission; and Wells Fargo.