Rockwood Booking's Music Business Coaching Course
2025-03-18 14:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York)
Date: Tuesday, March 18, 2025
Time: 2 – 4 p.m. ET
Location: Birthplace of Country Music Museum
RSVP HERE
Workforce Solutions at Northeast State is set to host Rockwood Booking‘s Music Business Coaching program at the museum. Led by Brian Swenk, course breaks down strategies for sustainable success and guides artists through a workflow of brand refinement and gig readiness. Post-coaching, attendees will be better positioned to navigate the industry in pursuit of their musical goals—whether that is acquiring a full-time booking agent, booking tours and festivals, or simply playing more shows in your local area.
Topics covered in the Workflow include branding, professional websites, marketing, music conferences, booking gigs, contracts, gig strategy, and growing an audience.
The event is free an open to the public; please RSVP if you plan to attend.

Ellen Elmes: Introduction to the Exhibit for Educators
2025-03-20 16:00 - 17:00 | Birthplace of Country Music Museum, 101 Country Music Way, Bristol, VA, 24201, United States
Date: Thursday, March 20, 2025
Time: 4 p.m. EST
Location: Birthplace of Country Music Museum, Special Exhibits Gallery
Cost: Free and open to educators
RSVP HERE
The exhibit is open March 8–September 30, 2025, this special exhibit features the works of artist Ellen Elmes, including her acrylic and watercolor works and examples of large-scale murals. Teachers are invited to a special Introduction to the Exhibit for Educators on Thursday, March 20, at 4 p.m.
Artist Ellen Elmes moved to Appalachia over five decades ago, intrigued by the beauty of people and place. She continues to admire the close-knit kinship of families and neighbors, and the reliance of mountaineers on hard work, community, nature, and the grace of God to build a life, and every day she finds wonder in the ethereal beauty of misty mountains, the rhythms of changing seasons, and the expanse of the night sky unobscured by city lights. Many of these elements became the substance of her art.
Ellen Elmes: The Art of Music and Mountains features her creativity across a variety of mediums and themes, from traditional instruments, musicians, and songs to the grandiosity and minutiae of nature. The core of this exhibition – a series of acrylic on canvas, large-scale paintings entitled “Tribute to the Stanley Brothers” and inspired by their songs – is an example of a body of work that awakened in the artist a deeper understanding of the roots, stories, and expression embodied in old-time and traditional songs of the mountains.
Artwork will include examples of acrylic, watercolor, and murals. Objects related to the Stanley Brothers will be on display, including several on loan from the Ralph Stanley Museum in Clintwood, VA. The “Tribute to the Stanley Brothers” series is on loan from the Clintwood Community Hall.

Berea College Folk-Roots Ensemble
2025-03-22 11:30 - 12:15
Date: Saturday, March 22, 2025
Time: 11:30 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. ET
Location: Birthplace of Country Music Museum, Performance Theater
FREE CONCERT!
Kentucky’s Berea College Folk-Roots Ensemble will be visiting the museum on March 22 to provide a workshop for the JAM Kids program that morning from 11-11:30 a.m. and then give a public performance in the Performance Theater from 11:30-12:15. This performance will be free and open to the public.
The Berea College Folk-Roots Ensemble plays Appalachian music in all its forms and branches out into other kinds of folk and roots music from there. Founded in 2012, the group has played
at numerous campus functions including the Celebration of Traditional Music and has performed with the Chieftains, sung backup for Janis Ian, opened for Vince Gill, Guy Davis, and
Tom Paxton, and toured the Southeastern U.S. including concerts in Asheville, Black Mountain, Nashville, Knoxville, and Baltimore, and at the John C. Campbell School and the Floyd County
Store. They also played on the nationally broadcast “Listen: A Musical Celebration of Christmas at Berea College” on CBS TV.
Follow the Berea College Folk-Roots Ensemble on Facebook!

Monthly Bluegrass Jam
2025-03-22 14:00 - 17:00, 2025-05-24 14:00 - 17:00 | Birthplace of Country Music Museum, 101 Country Music Way, Bristol, VA, 24201, United States
The Birthplace of Country Music Museum, in partnership with the East Tennessee Bluegrass Association, hosts a monthly gathering of local musicians for a bluegrass jam session. The jam events are intended to provide a space for local musicians to gather and pick, collaborate, share their experiences, and—most importantly—to have fun. The jams are acoustic and only feature traditional bluegrass instruments: acoustic guitar, upright bass, fiddle, mandolin, banjo, and dobro.
The jams are free and open to the public. All ages and skill levels are welcome. Those just interested in joining as a spectator are welcome at no charge.
Bluegrass Jams will be held every fourth Saturday of the month from 2-5 p.m., serving as a great warm-up for Saturday night gigs. Musicians are asked to bring their own instruments.
The sessions will be held in the Learning Center at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum.
For more information call 423-573-1927.

Sold Out: 1927 Concert Series with Special Guest Shinyribs
2025-04-05 18:00 - 21:00 | Birthplace of Country Music Museum, 101 Country Music Way, Bristol, VA, 24201, United States
The Birthplace of Country Music proudly presents the intimate 1927 Concert Series experience featuring live music by Sam Grisman Project.
Date: Saturday, April 5, 2025
Time: 6 p.m. ET
Location: Performance Theater, Birthplace of Country Music Museum
Tickets: $100
SOLD OUT

The 1927 Concert Series is an intimate concert experience set in the “acoustically perfect” performance theater at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum. It’s more than a night of music, it’s a very personal event with some of the most renowned roots music artists performing today. Guests are asked to arrive promptly at 6:00 p.m. to enjoy heavy hors d’oeuvres and an open bar before the show (ages 21+ with valid ID), food and drinks included with ticket.
Members of the Birthplace of Country Music’s 1927 Society are given access to exclusive ticket pre-sales to the 1927 Concert Series before they go on sale to the public. To learn more about becoming a member of the 1927 Society and all its advantages, click here.
About Shinyribs
Shinyribs defies genres as a sonic melting pot of Texas Blues, New Orleans R&B funk, horn-driven Memphis Soul, country twang, border music, big band swing, and roots-rock. The Austin-based nine-piece (sometimes 10-piece) supergroup is led by Kevin Russell, the charismatic frontman with colorful suits and extravagant shoes who continuously swaps out an electric guitar for a ukulele and never falls short of creating a cinematic experience with on-stage antics that often include him donning a light-up cloak or leading a conga line through the crowd.
Shinyribs was named Best Austin Band at the Austin Chronicle’s Austin Music Awards (2017, 2018), awarded Album of the Year for I Got Your Medicine (2017), and Best 2020- Themed Song for “Stay Home” (2020). Russell’s Shinyribs have recorded seven previous albums: 2010’s Well After Awhile; Gulf Coast Museum (2013); Okra Candy (2015); 2017’s award-winning I Got Your Medicine; a compilation of holiday standards and new compositions The Kringle Tingle (2018); and the group’s latest soulful release, Fog & Bling (2019); and Late Night TV Gold, (2021).

Community Square Dance: A Partnership with Bristol Ballet
2025-04-05 19:00 - 21:00 | Bristol Ballet, 330 Buford Street, Bristol, VA, 24201, United States
Date: Saturday, April 5, 2025
Time: 7 p.m. Eastern
Location: Bristol Ballet, 330 Buford St, Bristol, VA 24201 (Please park at the back of the building and go in the entrance framed by columns)
Cost: Free but any donations at the door will support the museum and Bristol Ballet.
RSVP HERE
Come do-si-do and promenade with us!
Join the Birthplace of Country Music and Bristol Ballet for a community square dance on Saturday, April 5. Caller Tyler Hughes will lead a square dance with a lively string band with John Bills.
This event is open to all ages and no experience or partner is required; we recommend sturdy shoes so you can dance all night! Space is limited so sign up to participate soon!

Songwriters Circle Showcase
2025-04-12 14:00 - 16:00 | Birthplace of Country Music Museum, 101 Country Music Way, Bristol, VA, 24201, United States
Date: April 12
Time: 2 p.m. ET
Location: Performance Theatre, Birthplace of Country Music Museum
Cost: Free and open to the public, donations encouraged to benefit the artists and the Birthplace of Country Music Museum
REGISTER TO ATTEND
The Birthplace of Country Music Museum and Songwriters of Highlands Appalachia are proud to announce an exciting new event designed to highlight the talents of songwriters in our region. The inaugural Songwriters Circle Showcase will be held at 2 p.m. ET, April 12, in the performance theater at the museum; it is the first Showcase in a series to be held quarterly each year. The event is free and open to the public; donations are appreciated. All donations will be split between the museum and performing artists.
Daryl Ann Beeghley, Sandra Lambert, David Ledgerwood, Gerald Sheppard, and Darris Stanley will share their original music during April’s Songwriters Showcase.
Daryl Ann Beeghley is a Canadian-born singer/songwriter who has lived all over the U.S., and now resides in Abingdon, Va. She has always loved words and music and wrote her first song at age 17. She relishes the challenge of writing across different styles: Americana, folk, country, devotional, and blues, and appreciates the way music can help us tell our stories. Daryl Ann is an active member of SoHA (Songwriters of Highlands Appalachia).

Sandra Lambert grew up East Tennessee and is now enjoying retirement with her husband Rich. In 2018 during her pre-retirement years, she started learning the mountain dulcimer and wrote her first song. She credits the mountain dulcimer as her gate-way instrument that led her to learning the ukulele, tenor guitar, bowed psaltery and writing more songs. She has more than 50 songs under her belt and learns a little more about the craft of songwriting with each song she writes. She is a member of the Knoxville Area Dulcimer Club, the Songwriters of Highland Appalachia, and helped to start the Boones Creek Dulcimer Clan monthly jam. Occasionally, she and her husband perform as The Butternuts. She likes all kinds of music and enjoys songs that tell a story. A few of her songs are on her YouTube channel and she has plans to get her songs loaded to a streaming platform.

David Ledgerwood was born in 1957 in Bluefield, W.Va. As a child, he quickly found music to be one of his favorite pursuits (shame it wasn’t academics), his father giving him an acoustic guitar when he was nine years old. As a child, the air around him was soaked with diverse and creative music; rock, soul, funk, folk, and he loved it all. He sang myself to sleep many nights, keeping a transistor radio by his pillow. Focusing more on electric guitar in his youth and then on acoustic guitar in his 30s and 40s, he has learned to travel and enjoy “both lanes” of the guitar highway. Now well into his 60s, David shares his love of music with his cherished wife (Ann), performing acoustically as a duet and also in leading the Ledgerwood Blues Band, playing every fourth Friday at Sweetbay Brewing Company in Abingdon, Va. Joining our local Songwriter’s of Highlands Appalachia writers group has encouraged him to develop his songwriting skills and offer a part of who he is to others, packaged in a song….what a great blessing. David and Ann live in Glade Spring along with their pet family, Duke, Dolly, Spanky, Rocky, Stevie Ray, Eddie Van, Ruthie Grace, Bootsy, Franky, and Alfie.

Originally from the Tri-Cities area of Northeast Tennessee, Gerald Sheppard has actively pursued his passion of music since he was a child when he started beating around on the family upright piano at the age of five. As a graduate from East Tennessee State University, he worked in the Engineering Division of a large chemical company for many years before taking early retirement. He has actively played fingerstyle guitar since he was a teen, and has worked as a guitarist, playing “cocktail” guitar music in venues and for special occasions for many years. His instrumental music consists of both popular covers and original compositions. Gerald also enjoyed a successful guitar-building career for twenty-five years. His high-end instruments are world-renowned as some of the finest guitars in the world. In 2005, one of his instruments was used as the cover model for the Grammy-Award-winning CD for Best Instrumental Album, “Henry Mancini: Pink Guitar” (an instrumental guitar tribute to Henry Mancini). Gerald began writing and performing his own lyrical songs in 2018. His interest is primarily in writing ballads and story songs. He currently incorporates them into his performances in local venues where they are well received for their often emotionally touching and heartwarming content. His high-resolution content and music may be enjoyed on his YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/@gdshepp.

Darris Stanley grew up in the coal fields of Southwest Virginia, and currently lives in Northeast Tennessee. He is an artist, musician, songwriter, and poet, as well as a former professional boxer. He has written more than 200 songs, made two studio albums of original music, and was formerly on the label of Houston River records.

The quarterly Songwriters Circle Showcase is an extension of the weekly Songwriters Circle program, organized by Songwriters of Highlands Appalachia, and will consist of artists who participate in the weekly Circle. The Showcase event is structured similarly to “in the round” events, with each songwriter introducing themselves and their song, which will be performed with or without accompaniment. The songwriter will then hold a discussion about the piece–the origins of the song, its structure, and inspiration–and take questions.
Led by Mary Munsey, a local musician, educator and founder of Songwriters of Highlands Appalachia, the weekly Songwriters Circle is open to songwriters of all ages and skill levels. The Circle encourages participants to share songs, brainstorm ideas, and support one another in their creative endeavors. Songwriter Circles are held the second Saturday of each month at the museum, 2-5 p.m. There is no cost to participate.
“The Songwriters Circle aims to foster a collaborative environment for songwriting,” said Munsey. “Importantly, aspiring songwriters do not need to play an instrument to join in the fun.”
The Songwriters Circle not only provides an opportunity for performance and networking, but also emphasizes the importance of clarity and storytelling in songwriting. The group’s mission is to encourage creativity, introduce songwriting shows to regional audiences, and elevate the appreciation of songwriting as a valuable art form.
About Songwriters of Highlands Appalachia

Songwriters of Highlands Appalachia is led by Mary Munsey, a local musician and educator, recently retired from Virginia Highlands Community College. The program offers a great deal of flexibility in its format for attendees, with varied songwriting interests and abilities. Some of the attendees play instruments and some are curious about songwriting and the process. Lyrics can sometimes only pare up with others that play instruments and put music with the words. Some writers don’t sing, but enjoy hearing others perform their songs. Some of the performances can be a cappella. Some members of the group write one to three songs between sessions and some write more. Sometimes as busy as life gets, writers don’t get to write new material between meetings. We don’t pressure anyone to write, and we don’t criticize anyone. We treat each other with respect. We don’t discuss politics, use profanity, or write antagonistic lyrics.

The focus is not on the beauty of the voice or skill of the instrumentation, but the clearness of the pronunciation and the effect of the song. We work on making sure the audience can hear every word. We are not professional musicians but we are creators of musical stories and that is the beauty of it. The sessions are open to anyone visiting the museum. Genres are not specified. Songs can be instrumental, folk, country, bluegrass, Americana, blues, humorous, jazz, R&B, electronic, and even pop, to name a few. Writers are allowed to bring CDs for sale and to accept tips after performances.
For more information about the Songwriters Showcase and Songwriters Circle programs, visit the Events page at BirthplaceOfCountryMusic.org. For more information on Songwriters of Highlands Appalachia, HighlandsAppalachia.org.

Earth Day 2025: Bristol Rhythm Green Team Plogging Downtown!
2025-04-19 09:00 - 12:30 | Axe and Ale House, 155 Moore Street, Bristol, VA, 24201, United States
Celebrate Mother Earth with the Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion’s Green Team plogging event!

Date: Saturday, April 19, 2025
Time: 9 a.m. EDT
Location: Axe and Ale House, 155 Moore Street, Bristol, VA 24201 (use Moore Street entrance please)
Cost: Free to participate (beverages and food not included)
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER
Plogging is a community and environmentally focused way to exercise where you pick up trash as you walk/run. This event gives us the opportunity to call attention to the importance of recycling, disposing of trash responsibly, and keeping our Historic Downtown clean.

What to expect:
Meet us at Axe and Ale House at 9 a.m. on Saturday, April 19. Participants will have two walk/run routes to choose from, each starting in Historic Downtown Bristol, and then branching out to nearby neighborhoods in Tennessee and Virginia.
The Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion Green Team will be there to talk about volunteer opportunities at Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion music festival coming up September 19-21 in Historic Downtown Bristol. And Bristol’s own Mountain Sports Ltd. will be on site with various running-related products available for purchase.
Axe and Ale House will have food and drinks to purchase so you can hang out while enjoying some time with old and new friends after helping make Bristol a greener place to live!
After the plogging session, we will hold a raffle with several cool prizes to be won, including Teva shoes, and the person who brings back the most trash (by weight) will win a trophy AND a weekend pass to Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion!!!
Itinerary:
9-9:30 a.m.
Arrive at Axe and Ale House to get your route maps for plogging, pick up trash bags, and get a trash picker (first-come, first-served).
9:30-10:30 a.m.
5K plog, walk or run. Pick up trash along your route.
11-11:30 a.m.
Raffle and prizes awarded.
11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Food and drinks available for purchase.
Image: Plogging volunteers pose with the trash pick-up results from a past event (left); winners of the BRRR wristband grand prize for the most trash gathered (right). Our first event in 2022 resulted in almost 150 pounds of trash picked up over one hour; our second event 2024 brought in 283 pounds!

Monthly Bluegrass Jam - April Date Cancelled
2025-04-26 14:00 - 17:00 | Birthplace of Country Music Museum, 101 Country Music Way, Bristol, VA, 24201, United States
Due to unforeseen circumstances, the Bluegrass Jam will not be held the month of April.
The Birthplace of Country Music Museum, in partnership with the East Tennessee Bluegrass Association, hosts a monthly gathering of local musicians for a bluegrass jam session. The jam events are intended to provide a space for local musicians to gather and pick, collaborate, share their experiences, and—most importantly—to have fun. The jams are acoustic and only feature traditional bluegrass instruments: acoustic guitar, upright bass, fiddle, mandolin, banjo, and dobro.
The jams are free and open to the public. All ages and skill levels are welcome. Those just interested in joining as a spectator are welcome at no charge.
Bluegrass Jams will be held every fourth Saturday of the month from 2-5 p.m., serving as a great warm-up for Saturday night gigs. Musicians are asked to bring their own instruments.
The sessions will be held in the Learning Center at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum.
For more information call 423-573-1927.

Stanley Brothers Transcription Disc Listening Party
2025-05-01 18:30 - 20:00 | Birthplace of Country Music Museum, 101 Country Music Way, Bristol, VA, 24201, United States
Join us on Thursday, May 1 at 6:30 p.m. for a Listening Party, a chance to hear a restored 1940–1950s radio transcription disc of The Stanley Brothers & the Clinch Mountain Boys on Farm and Fun Time. Participants will be able to see (but not touch!) the disc, learn about the disc and its preservation from the museum’s curatorial team, hear about the history of Farm and Fun Time from Radio Bristol Program Director Kris Truelsen, and listen to several of the tracks that were restored digitally over a year-long process.
Date: Thursday, May 1, 2025
Time: 6:30 p.m.
Location: Birthplace of Country Music Museum
Cost: Free and open to the public, but RSVPs are requested

REGISTER TO ATTEND HERE
This event is complementary programming to the Ellen Elmes: The Art of Music & Mountains exhibit on display at the museum through September 30. Special thanks to the United Company Foundation for their support of programming related to this exhibit.
About the Farm and Fun Time Disc
Early in 2017, Glen Harlow donated a Farm and Fun Time radio transcription disc containing live tracks that have not been heard in over 60 years. The fact that an original live recording of the Stanley Brothers with the Clinch Mountain Boys from Farm and Fun Time exists at all is pretty amazing, because the discs used to record radio broadcasts in the mid-20th century are highly unstable and prone to degradation, delamination, and breakage. This disc was no different – it was fragile, damaged, and unplayable. Until recently, recordings on degraded lacquer discs like this one were usually lost forever. Enter the Virginia Association of Museums Top 10 Most Endangered Objects initiative and the Northeast Document Conservation Center – through grant support and technical expertise, we can now access the songs on this broken disc! You can read all about the disc and this preservation process HERE and HERE.

Music and Art Workshop for Adults
2025-05-03 13:00 - 15:00 | Birthplace of Country Music Museum, 101 Country Music Way, Bristol, VA, 24201, United States
Join Ellen Elmes for an Art & Music workshop on Saturday, May 3, 1-3 p.m. for adult artists or artists-to-be! With this program, you’ll get the chance to nourish your artistic side through hands-on art exercises and live music. Ellen will guide participants in the creative process using a variety of materials to explore line, shape, color, and texture, which can be tapped into and inspired by music – singer-songwriter Ella Patrick will play a tune or two while the art is being made. The cost of this program includes the necessary art supplies.
Date: Saturday, May 3
Time: 1-3 p.m.
Location: Birthplace of Country Music Museum Learning Center
Cost: $20+tax (includes art supplies)
Class Size: Limited to 16 participants

REGISTER TO ATTEND HERE
This event is complementary programming to the Ellen Elmes: The Art of Music & Mountains exhibit on display at the museum through September 30. Special thanks to the United Company Foundation for their support of programming related to this exhibit.

Songwriters Circle
2025-05-10 14:00 - 17:00, 2025-06-14 14:00 - 17:00, 2025-08-09 14:00 - 17:00, 2025-09-13 14:00 - 17:00, 2025-11-08 14:00 - 17:00, 2025-12-13 14:00 - 17:00 | Birthplace of Country Music Museum, 101 Country Music Way, Bristol, VA, 24201, United States
Dates: Monthly, every 2nd Saturday
February 8, March 8, April 12 (showcase), May 10, June 14, July 12 (showcase), August 9, September 13, October 11 (showcase), November 8, December 13
Time: 2-5 p.m. ET
Location: The Learning Center, Birthplace of Country Music Museum
Cost: Free and open to the public, donations encouraged at quarterly showcases
In partnership with Songwriters of Highlands Appalachia, the Birthplace of Country Music Museum will host a monthly Songwriters Circle every 2nd Saturday, 2-5 p.m. ET, in the Learning Center. Beginners, experienced songwriters, and aspiring songwriters are invited to share songs, brainstorm ideas, and encourage each other to keep writing. There is no fee to participate.
At the end of each session, the group will choose three prompts to inspire ideas for the following month. The prompts may be objects, phrases, feelings, colors, senses, or any other topic. Writers may use those topics to help them write a song or two to share for the following session. Songwriters do not have to play an instrument in order to participate.
Songwriters Circle is an opportunity to perform, workshop, and network with other artists, with an emphasis on clarity and telling a story. The goals of the group are to encourage songwriting, introduce songwriting shows to audiences in the region, and enlighten the public about the craft of songwriting and its value as an art form.
Fans of music and songwriting are welcome to sit in for a listen at no cost.

About Songwriters of Highlands Appalachia

Songwriters of Highlands Appalachia is led by Mary Munsey, a local musician and educator, recently retired from Virginia Highlands Community College. The program offers a great deal of flexibility in its format for attendees, with varied songwriting interests and abilities. Some of the attendees play instruments and some are curious about songwriting and the process. Lyrics can sometimes only pare up with others that play instruments and put music with the words. Some writers don’t sing, but enjoy hearing others perform their songs. Some of the performances can be a cappella. Some members of the group write one to three songs between sessions and some write more. Sometimes as busy as life gets, writers don’t get to write new material between meetings. We don’t pressure anyone to write, and we don’t criticize anyone. We treat each other with respect. We don’t discuss politics, use profanity, or write antagonistic lyrics.

The focus is not on the beauty of the voice or skill of the instrumentation, but the clearness of the pronunciation and the effect of the song. We work on making sure the audience can hear every word. We are not professional musicians but we are creators of musical stories and that is the beauty of it. The sessions are open to anyone visiting the museum. Genres are not specified. Songs can be instrumental, folk, country, bluegrass, Americana, blues, humorous, jazz, R&B, electronic, and even pop, to name a few. Writers are allowed to bring CDs for sale and to accept tips after performances.
As an extension of this program, each quarter we invite songwriters to attend “Writers-in-the-Round” or WITR concerts. WITR consists of three to five writers together in a circle or on stage. Each writer introduces themselves, gives the title of their song, and then sings it with or without accompaniment. Discussion will follow concerning the origins of the song, how they wrote it, and the song’s inspiration, along with any questions from the audience.

To learn more about Songwriters of Highlands Appalachia, visit the website at HighlandsAppalachia.org.

Music and Art Workshop for Kids
2025-06-07 13:00 - 15:00 | Birthplace of Country Music Museum, 101 Country Music Way, Bristol, VA, 24201, United States
Join Ellen Elmes for an Art & Music workshop on Saturday, June 7, 1-3 p.m. for youth artists or artists-to-be! With this program, you’ll get the chance to enjoy your artistic side through hands-on art exercises and live music. Ellen will guide participants in the creative process using a variety of materials to discover the shapes and colors of music – singer-songwriter Ella Patrick will play a tune or two while the art is being made. The cost of this program includes the necessary art supplies.
Date: Saturday, June 7
Time: 1-3 p.m.
Location: Birthplace of Country Music Museum Learning Center
Cost: $25.66 (includes art supplies)
Class Size: Limited to 16 participants
Age Range: 3rd–5th graders, allow as young as 5 years old if accompanied by a parent or guardian

REGISTER TO ATTEND HERE
This event is complementary programming to the Ellen Elmes: The Art of Music & Mountains exhibit on display at the museum through September 30. Special thanks to the United Company Foundation for their support of programming related to this exhibit.

Community Square Dance: A Partnership with Bristol Ballet
2025-06-14 19:00 - 21:00 | Bristol Ballet, 330 Buford Street, Bristol, VA, 24201, United States
Date: Saturday, June 14, 2025
Time: 7 p.m. Eastern
Location: Bristol Ballet, 330 Buford St, Bristol, VA 24201 (Please park at the back of the building and go in the entrance framed by columns)
Cost: Free but any donations at the door will support the museum and Bristol Ballet.
RSVP HERE
Come do-si-do and promenade with us!
Join the Birthplace of Country Music and Bristol Ballet for a community square dance on Saturday, June 14. Caller Tyler Hughes will lead a square dance with a lively string band with John Bills.
This event is open to all ages and no experience or partner is required; we recommend sturdy shoes so you can dance all night! Space is limited so sign up to participate soon!

Songwriters Circle Showcase
2025-07-12 14:00 - 15:30 | Birthplace of Country Music Museum, 101 Country Music Way, Bristol, VA, 24201, United States
Songwriters Barnett Carr, Patrick Alan Green and Peter Gagnon share the spotlight in July’s Songwriter Circle Showcase.
The Birthplace of Country Music Museum and Songwriters of Highlands Appalachia are proud to present an exciting event designed to highlight the art of songwriting and the talented songwriters of our region. The public is invited to attend at no cost, though donations are appreciated.
Held quarterly each year, the Songwriters Circle Showcase features participants of our monthly Songwriters Circle. The Songwriters Circle meets every 2nd Saturday of the month at 2 p.m. ET.
Upcoming Showcase Dates: July 12, October 11
Upcoming Songwriters Circle Dates: August 9, September 13, November 8, December 13
Time: 2 p.m. ET
Location: Birthplace of Country Music Museum performance theater
Cost: Free and open to the public, though donations encouraged
REGISTER TO ATTEND

About the Songwriters
After years of failing to write what Barnett Carr perceived as the “perfect song,” he re-invented himself in the hill country of Texas and began writing from the heart. His album, “Dark Side of the Mountain,” is a concept album about Appalachia and features two GRAMMY winners.
Patrick Alan Green, a singer-songwriter from Bluff City, Tenn., describes his style as “genreless.”The first artist to record at downtown Bristol’s Audioasis, Green began his musical journey later in life. His music, including his latest album “Without A Halo & Wings,” is available on all streaming platforms.
Peter Gagnon, originally from New York, developed a love for the mountains during family vacations and later gravitated toward music, spending 15 years playing bass in his local church’s band. In 2021, he and his wife Barbara moved to Northeast Tennessee where they’ve found a new home among the mountains, its music and welcoming community. Peter regularly performs in local venues and with fellow songwriters from Songwriters of Highlands of Appalachia.

About the Program
The quarterly Songwriters Circle Showcase is an extension of the weekly Songwriters Circle program, organized by Songwriters of Highlands Appalachia, and will consist of artists who participate in the monthly Circle. The Showcase event is structured similarly to “in the round” events, with each songwriter introducing themselves and their song, which will be performed with or without accompaniment. The songwriter will then hold a discussion about the piece–the origins of the song, its structure, and inspiration–and take questions.
Led by Mary Munsey, a local musician, educator and founder of Songwriters of Highlands Appalachia, the monthly Songwriters Circle is open to songwriters of all ages and skill levels. The Circle encourages participants to share songs, brainstorm ideas, and support one another in their creative endeavors. Songwriter Circles are held the second Saturday of each month at the museum, 2-5 p.m. There is no cost to participate.
“The Songwriters Circle aims to foster a collaborative environment for songwriting,” said Munsey. “Importantly, aspiring songwriters do not need to play an instrument to join in the fun.”
The Songwriters Circle not only provides an opportunity for performance and networking, but also emphasizes the importance of clarity and storytelling in songwriting. The group’s mission is to encourage creativity, introduce songwriting shows to regional audiences, and elevate the appreciation of songwriting as a valuable art form.

About Songwriters of Highlands Appalachia

Songwriters of Highlands Appalachia is led by Mary Munsey, a local musician and educator, recently retired from Virginia Highlands Community College. The program offers a great deal of flexibility in its format for attendees, with varied songwriting interests and abilities. Some of the attendees play instruments and some are curious about songwriting and the process. Lyrics can sometimes only pare up with others that play instruments and put music with the words. Some writers don’t sing, but enjoy hearing others perform their songs. Some of the performances can be a cappella. Some members of the group write one to three songs between sessions and some write more. Sometimes as busy as life gets, writers don’t get to write new material between meetings. We don’t pressure anyone to write, and we don’t criticize anyone. We treat each other with respect. We don’t discuss politics, use profanity, or write antagonistic lyrics.

The focus is not on the beauty of the voice or skill of the instrumentation, but the clearness of the pronunciation and the effect of the song. We work on making sure the audience can hear every word. We are not professional musicians but we are creators of musical stories and that is the beauty of it. The sessions are open to anyone visiting the museum. Genres are not specified. Songs can be instrumental, folk, country, bluegrass, Americana, blues, humorous, jazz, R&B, electronic, and even pop, to name a few. Writers are allowed to bring CDs for sale and to accept tips after performances.
For more information about the Songwriters Showcase and Songwriters Circle programs, visit the Events page at BirthplaceOfCountryMusic.org. For more information on Songwriters of Highlands Appalachia, HighlandsAppalachia.org.

Art & Music Workshop for Adults
2025-09-06 13:00 - 15:00 | Birthplace of Country Music Museum, 101 Country Music Way, Bristol, VA, 24201, United States
Join Ellen Elmes for an Art & Music workshop for adult artists or artists-to-be! With this program, you’ll get the chance to nourish your artistic side through hands-on art exercises and live music. Ellen will guide participants in the creative process using a variety of materials to explore line, shape, color, and texture, which can be tapped into and inspired by music – singer-songwriter Ella Patrick will play a tune or two while the art is being made. The cost of this program includes the necessary art supplies. Participants are also welcome to visit Ellen Elmes: The Art of Music & Mountains for free before or after this workshop.
Date: Saturday, September 6
Time: 1-3 p.m.
Location: Birthplace of Country Music Museum Learning Center
Cost: $26 (includes related taxes and all art supplies)
Class Size: Limited to 16 participants

REGISTER TO ATTEND HERE
This event is complementary programming to the Ellen Elmes: The Art of Music & Mountains exhibit on display at the museum through September 30. Special thanks to the United Company Foundation for their support of programming related to this exhibit.

Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion
2025-09-19 - 2025-09-21
Dates: September 19-21, 2025
Location: State Street, Historic Downtown Bristol, Tenn.-Va.
BUY WEEKEND PASSES

Celebrate the 24th annual Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion music festival with The Teskey Brothers, Shane Smith & The Saints, Lukas Nelson, Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder, The Band Perry, Joy Oladokun, Steep Canyon Rangers, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, and many, many more!
Visit BristolRhythm.com for full lineup and details.

VMFA on the Road Artmobile at Birthplace of Country Music Museum
2025-09-19 - 2025-09-23 | Birthplace of Country Music Museum, 101 Country Music Way, Bristol, VA, 24201, United States
DATES

For school visits :

Wednesday, September 17–Thursday, September 18

For drop-in visitors and Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion festival goers:

Friday, September 19–Sunday, September 21

Scroll down for schedule
Location: Cumberland Square Park parking lot, corner of Cumberland & Moore Streets
(directly across from the Birthplace of Country Music Museum)
The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts is bringing traveling art exhibitions and educational offerings to audiences across the state with VMFA on the Road: An Artmobile for the 21st century! This state-of-the-art mobile museum and education studio will be at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum and open to school groups, drop-in visitors, and Bristol Rhythm festivalgoers for several days in September.
Exhibit Description: This year’s VMFA on the Road exhibition – Love, Laughter, Tears: An Artist’s Guide to Emotions – examines the complex relationship between art and emotion across various cultures and time periods. Despite their different backgrounds, the wide range of artists and cultures showcased demonstrate the unifying nature of human emotion.
Emotion and expression have always been integral to the creative process of art making. Artists convey emotions through their use of color, shapes, symbolism, and text. Artworks can reflect personal emotions or the wider mood of a culture or historical period, shedding light on significant events and their impact on people. The power of art lies in its ability to communicate these feelings and messages, fostering conversations and understanding among viewers and communities.
In the aftermath of the Covid-19 lockdown and amid growing societal divisions, emotions, empathy, and self-reflection hold great significance. We invite you to consider the emotions you experience throughout the exhibition. How does the artwork influence your emotional state? What can you learn about your reactions? Engaging with these emotions can lead to a deeper understanding of oneself and others, promoting dialogue and connection.
Family Visit Guide: A Family Visit Guide is available online, and paper copies will be available at the Artmobile for visitors to use and take with them.

COVID Protocols: The VMFA on the Road Artmobile is following these protocols:
*Not requiring visitors to wear masks on the artmobile
*Have a maximum of 15-20 persons on board at the same time
*There’s no time limit on general visits
*30-minute school tour group visits
*Hand sanitizer will be available
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DROP-IN VISITORS
Drop-in visitors can view the Artmobile for free on Wednesday, September 17 and Thursday, September 18, 2025 at times when school groups are not booked, see below (BOOKED and OPEN FOR DROP-IN VISITORS times will be marked as such).
Drop-ins are also welcome Friday, September 19–Sunday, September 21 (see open times below) because the Artmobile will be just outside the Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion festival gates, but entry into the festival footprint requires a BRRR 2025 wristband.
Take an art break! Bring your friends, family, kids, grandma, or whoever you know who would enjoy a wonderful art experience and drop-in on the VMFA on the Road Artmobile. This is a FREE opportunity!
The Artmobile will be closed Wednesday and Thursday 11:50am–12:50pm for lunch.

The VMFA on the Road team gives a warm welcome to the new and improved Artmobile. Inside is the exciting new exhibiton, Love, Laughter, Tears: An Artist’s Guide to Emotions. The exhibition includes works from the museum’s permanent collection and the first video installation in an artmobile exhibition: “First Landings,” which was created by Ethan Brown (Pamunkey) and Federico Cuatlacuatl (Nahua, born in Coapan, Cholula, Mexico), and recently debuted to critical acclaim at the Pocahontas Reframed Film Festival at VMFA. Photo by Sandra Sellars © Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
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School Information
School groups can visit the Artmobile on Wednesday, September 17 and Thursday, September 18, 2025. This is a FREE visit!
The VMFA on the Road Artmobile will be open to middle school, high school, and college groups on September 17–18, 2025. A field trip to the Artmobile exposes students to multiple art mediums and concepts using visual thinking, sketching, and writing. Admission is free to the Artmobile.
Several time slots are available for school group visits, and schools can book multiple/consecutive time slots if needed (please get in touch if you need another time than the ones shown below, e.g. later in the day):
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17
10:00–10:30am BOOKED
10:40–11:10am BOOKED
11:20–11:50am BOOKED
11:50–12:50pm CLOSED FOR LUNCH
12:50–1:20pm BOOKED
1:30–2:00pm BOOKED
2:10–2:40pm BOOKED
2:50–3:20pm
3:30–4:00pm
4:45–5:45pm BOOKED
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 18
10:00–10:30am BOOKED
10:40–11:10am BOOKED
11:20–11:50am
11:50am–12:50pm CLOSED FOR LUNCH
12:50–1:20pm BOOKED
1:30–2:00pm
2:10–2:40pm
2:50–3:20pm
3:30–4:00pm
Educators can pick from a variety of learning activities for their student visit. You can access Artmobile educational resources HERE.
A tour of the Artmobile is a 30-minute experience. An optimum visit has 10–12 students (with one adult); larger groups will be divided into groups of 20 (with two adults). Teachers can also add a FREE guided tour of the Birthplace of Country Music Museum’s special exhibit Ellen Elmes: The Art of Music & Mountains (also a 30-minute experience) to your visit to the Artmobile. This exhibit is a wonderful companion to the Artmobile experience, giving students and teachers the chance to learn about the artists who have written the soundtrack of country music. If you would like to also book a tour of the museum’s permanent exhibits, our usual student group admission applies.
For further information about a VMFA on the Road Artmobile experience for your students and to book a tour, please contact Hollie Moody at hmoody@birthplaceofcountrymusic.org, providing the following information: Date of tour, preferred time of tour, name of school, teacher’s name, grade level, and size of group.
Bookings must be made by September 12, 2025.

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Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion Information
Festivalgoers can visit the Artmobile on Friday, September 19– Sunday, September 21, 2024
The VMFA on the Road Artmobile will be free and open to festivalgoers on September 19—21, 2025, just one more way to make your Bristol Rhythm experience even more special! A fun arts & crafts table will also be set up outside the Artmobile for anyone who needs a creativity break!
The Artmobile will be open at the following times:
Friday, September, 19: 1:00–7:00pm
Saturday, September 20: 9:00am–6:00pm (closed 1:00–2:00pm for lunch)
Sunday, September 21: 10:00am–5:00pm (closed 1:00–2:00pm for lunch)

Community Square Dance at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum
2025-10-04 19:00 - 21:00 | Birthplace of Country Music Museum, 101 Country Music Way, Bristol, VA, 24201, United States
Date: Saturday, October 4, 2024
Time: 7 p.m. EST
Location: Special Exhibits Gallery, Birthplace of Country Music Museum
Cost: Free but any donations at the door will support the museum
RSVP HERE
Come do-si-do and promenade with us!
Join the Birthplace of Country Music Museum for a community square dance on Saturday, October 4. Caller Tyler Hughes will lead a short introduction to dance steps, followed by a full square dance with a lively string band lead by John Bills.
This event is open to all ages and no experience or partner is required. To protect the Special Exhibits Gallery floor, no heels please; we recommend sturdy shoes so you can dance all night!
Space is limited so sign up to participate soon!

Songwriters Circle Showcase
2025-10-11 14:00 - 15:30 | Birthplace of Country Music Museum, 101 Country Music Way, Bristol, VA, 24201, United States
Dates: Monthly, every 2nd Saturday
February 8, March 8, April 12 (showcase), May 10, June 14, July 12 (showcase), August 9, September 13, October 11 (showcase), November 8, December 13
Time: 2 p.m. ET
Location: Performance Theatre, Birthplace of Country Music Museum
Cost: Free and open to the public, donations encouraged to benefit the artists and the Birthplace of Country Music Museum
REGISTER TO ATTEND
The Birthplace of Country Music Museum and Songwriters of Highlands Appalachia are proud to announce an exciting event designed to highlight the talents of songwriters in our region. The Songwriters Circle Showcase will be held at 2 p.m. in the performance theater at the museum as a series, held quarterly each year. The event is free and open to the public; donations are appreciated.

The quarterly Songwriters Circle Showcase is an extension of the monthly Songwriters Circle program, organized by Songwriters of Highlands Appalachia, and will consist of artists who participate in the monthly Circle. The Showcase event is structured similarly to “in the round” events, with each songwriter introducing themselves and their song, which will be performed with or without accompaniment. The songwriter will then hold a discussion about the piece–the origins of the song, its structure, and inspiration–and take questions.
About the featured Songwriters on October 11
Jennifer Gillenwater has been writing songs and performing with various bands including Family Ties, Turkey Tracks Trio, Nowhere Valley, the Playwrights, and more recently, Jen & Barb, and the Songwriters of Highlands Appalachian (SOHA) group – in the Tri-Cities area for more than twenty years. Her love of music began early, at the age of 11, when she began playing the flute and singing in the church choir with her sister and father. She picked up guitar in high school and then began writing poetry and snippets of songs. She continued playing flute and guitar into her twenties and thirties but was too busy with her studies and then teaching career to do much. Her instruments began to gather dust in a forgotten closet until she turned forty. Her mother gifted her first dulcimer and she began to learn mountain music, folk, and gospel songs. She began playing with her cousin, Roger Norris, at Flat Springs Baptist Church, in the old Beech Mountain community of Avery County, N.C. They formed “Family Ties,” playing at local festivals and restaurants, as well as churches. She remembers very well when her first song came, as she was hiking on the Appalachian Trail on Iron Mountain in Johnson County, Tenn., and came to a memorial for an old hermit named Nick Grindstaff. The memorial read, “Lived Alone; suffered alone; died alone.” She couldn’t get the words out of her mind as she continued doing her section hike through Tennessee. She read about him in her AT book when she stopped to get water or rest, and before long, she had a complete song! After that, many more songs came, and she was hooked on songwriting. Her husband, Michael, and her moved to Abingdon in 2024, and she was thrilled when she met Mary Munsey and the Songwriters of Highland Appalachia. She is having fun playing at different venues, such as Sweet Bay Brewery, the Appalachian Trail Center in Damascus, local libraries, the Highlands Festival Tunes at Noon, and the Birthplace of Country Music Museum. She continues writing and sometimes enters songwriting competitions, when she’s not hiking or gardening. Her life is full, and she is grateful.
Mary Munsey, from Abingdon is the retired music director at Virginia Highlands Community College (VHCC). Her music career includes teaching, piano accompanying for church and school choirs, bassoonist in symphonies, bass, mandolin and guitar playing in acoustic groups and singing and playing saxophone and keyboard in Tri-Cities area bands. She’s also been writing and performing original music for years locally and nationally including multiple performances at the Bluebird Café in Nashville, Carter Fold, Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion and bluegrass festivals including Ralph Stanley’s Festival in Coeburn, Va. Her song “Nine Days Old” won the 2010 Woody Guthrie International Folk Songwriting Contest and she performed her originals at Woody Fest in Okemah, Okla. on July 15, 2010. She placed second in the IBMA’s (International Bluegrass Music Association) lesson plan contests in Nashville for both 2009 and 2010. She won first place in the Neuse River Songwriting Contest in 2013 with “This Side of the Wall” and performed at the festival near Wilmington N.C. Her song “Eight Lives to Spare” was a winner in the Smoky Mountains Songwriting Competition in 2019 and she placed twice in the Gathering in the Gap festival. Currently, she’s facilitating the regional Songwriters of Highlands Appalachia (SOHA) group which meets monthly at the Southwest Virginia Cultural Center & Marketplace in Abingdon and leads the monthly Songwriters Circle held on the second Saturday at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum in Bristol. She’s also a professional saxophonist currently performing with the Tri-Cities based Samantha Gray & the Jukebox Jam Band which specializes in Soul, R&B, Motown, 80s pop and high energy fun!
Originally from the Tri-Cities area of Northeast Tennessee, Gerald Sheppard has actively pursued his passion of music since he was a child when he started beating around on the family upright piano at the age of five. As a graduate from East Tennessee State University, he worked in the Engineering Division of a large chemical company for many years before taking early retirement. He has actively played fingerstyle guitar since he was a teen, and has worked as a guitarist, playing “cocktail” guitar music in venues and for special occasions for many years. His instrumental music consists of both popular covers and original compositions. Gerald also enjoyed a successful guitar-building career for twenty-five years. His high-end instruments are world-renowned as some of the finest guitars in the world. In 2005, one of his instruments was used as the cover model for the Grammy Award winning CD for Best Instrumental Album, “Henry Mancini: Pink Guitar” (an instrumental guitar tribute to Henry Mancini). Gerald began writing and performing his own lyrical songs in 2018. His interest is primarily in writing ballads and story songs. He currently incorporates them into his performances in local venues where they are well received for their often emotionally touching and heartwarming content. His high-resolution content and music may be enjoyed on his YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@gdshepp

Led by Mary Munsey, a local musician, educator and founder of Songwriters of Highlands Appalachia, the weekly Songwriters Circle is open to songwriters of all ages and skill levels. The Circle encourages participants to share songs, brainstorm ideas, and support one another in their creative endeavors. Songwriter Circles are held the second Saturday of each month at the museum, 2-5 p.m. There is no cost to participate.
“The Songwriters Circle aims to foster a collaborative environment for songwriting,” said Munsey. “Importantly, aspiring songwriters do not need to play an instrument to join in the fun.”
The Songwriters Circle not only provides an opportunity for performance and networking, but also emphasizes the importance of clarity and storytelling in songwriting. The group’s mission is to encourage creativity, introduce songwriting shows to regional audiences, and elevate the appreciation of songwriting as a valuable art form.
About Songwriters of Highlands Appalachia

Songwriters of Highlands Appalachia is led by Mary Munsey, a local musician and educator, recently retired from Virginia Highlands Community College. The program offers a great deal of flexibility in its format for attendees, with varied songwriting interests and abilities. Some of the attendees play instruments and some are curious about songwriting and the process. Lyrics can sometimes only pare up with others that play instruments and put music with the words. Some writers don’t sing, but enjoy hearing others perform their songs. Some of the performances can be a cappella. Some members of the group write one to three songs between sessions and some write more. Sometimes as busy as life gets, writers don’t get to write new material between meetings. We don’t pressure anyone to write, and we don’t criticize anyone. We treat each other with respect. We don’t discuss politics, use profanity, or write antagonistic lyrics.

The focus is not on the beauty of the voice or skill of the instrumentation, but the clearness of the pronunciation and the effect of the song. We work on making sure the audience can hear every word. We are not professional musicians but we are creators of musical stories and that is the beauty of it. The sessions are open to anyone visiting the museum. Genres are not specified. Songs can be instrumental, folk, country, bluegrass, Americana, blues, humorous, jazz, R&B, electronic, and even pop, to name a few. Writers are allowed to bring CDs for sale and to accept tips after performances.
For more information about the Songwriters Showcase and Songwriters Circle programs, visit the Events page at BirthplaceOfCountryMusic.org. For more information on Songwriters of Highlands Appalachia, HighlandsAppalachia.org.

SOLD OUT: 1927 Concert Series with Special Guest Jontavious Willis
2025-11-01 18:00 - 21:00 | Birthplace of Country Music Museum, 101 Country Music Way, Bristol, VA, 24201, United States
The Birthplace of Country Music proudly presents the intimate 1927 Concert Series experience featuring live music by blues phenom Jontavious Willis.
Date: Saturday, November 1, 2025
Time: 6 p.m. ET
Location: Performance Theater, Birthplace of Country Music Museum
Tickets: $119.57
SOLD OUT

The 1927 Concert Series is an intimate concert experience set in the “acoustically perfect” performance theater at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum. It’s more than a night of music, it’s a very personal event with some of the most renowned roots music artists performing today. Guests are asked to arrive promptly at 6 p.m. to enjoy heavy hors d’oeuvres and an open bar before the show (ages 21+ with valid ID), food and drinks included with ticket. Music begins at 7 p.m.
Members of the Birthplace of Country Music’s 1927 Society are given access to exclusive ticket pre-sales to the 1927 Concert Series before they go on sale to the public. To learn more about becoming a member of the 1927 Society and all its advantages, click here.
About Jontavious Willis
Jontavious Willis is resolved in his mission: to reinvigorate today’s blues with the spirit of the past. Inspired by a time when the blues were plentiful and rhythm reigned supreme, Jontavious leverages his unique sound—a synthesis of his Georgia heritage and reverence for traditional blues—to get the world dancing again. A GRAMMY®-nominated musician and songwriter, Jontavious performs original, toe-tapping tunes in the style of ragtime, Delta, Piedmont, Texas, Gospel and country blues. Dynamic vocals, technical prowess, and an abundance of Southern charm keep Jontavious sending jolts of vitality through the blues community.
Jontavious was born and raised in rural Georgia, an environment with deep cultural roots that provides the inspiration he has continuously drawn upon to create his unique sound. He spent much of his childhood singing Gospel music at the Mount Pilgrim Baptist Church with his grandfather, which provided him his first setting to perform for an audience. An early phenom, his passion for the Blues was sparked at age 14 when he came across a YouTube video of Muddy Waters playing “Hoochie Coochie Man.” He achieved widespread acclaim when living legend Taj Mahal invited Jontavious to accompany him onstage in 2015, with Taj describing him as his “Wonderboy, the wonderkind.” Jontavious was invited to open for Taj Mahal and Keb’ Mo’ during their joint TajMo tour in 2018, giving him an opportunity to present his work on a national stage.
Blue Metamorphosis, his acoustic debut album released in 2016, garnered rave reviews in Living Blues and Blues & Rhythm and won the Blues Foundation’s International Blues Challenge 2018 Award for Best Self-Produced CD. His GRAMMY®-nominated sophomore album, Spectacular Class, sees Jontavious survey an array of blues styles with lively ensemble performances.
Now signed to Strolling Bones Records, Willis’ third album, West Georgia Blues, is a testament to his love for songwriting. With solo tracks as well as duo, trio, and full band works, he articulates a totally original take on traditional blues.
Jontavious features prominently in shows and festivals across the world, sharing his unique blend of time-honored yet modern, intellectual yet danceable blues with all.

Love & Murder A Capella: A Nest of Singing Birds Ballad Swap Concert
2025-11-08 19:00 - 20:30
Date: Saturday, November 8, 2025
Time: 7 p.m. ET
Location: Birthplace of Country Music Museum
Cost: $20 (pricing includes tax and fees)
GET TICKETS

Hosted by eighth-generation ballad singer Donna Ray Norton and featuring Sheila Kay Adams, Leila Weinstein, Sarah “Songbird” Burkey, and Darci DeWulf, “Love & Murder A Capella: A Nest of Singing Birds Ballad Swap” celebrates a decades-old oral tradition that has been passed down for generations in southern Appalachia.

Madison County, North Carolina’s rich ballad legacy led English folk song collector Cecil Sharp to describe it as a “nest of singing birds” in 1916. This unique custom, spanning more than nine generations, represents one of the oldest unbroken oral traditions in the United States. Following Hurricane Helene’s devastation of their hometown, the Nest of Singing Birds has been traveling their regular ballad swap at the Old Marshall Jail to raise awareness of the practice’s fragility and the region it depends on.
Featured in:

Rolling Stone Feature on Nest of Singing Birds (March 2025) “The North Carolina collective Nest of Singing Birds have been performing centuries-old mountain songs to raise climate crisis awareness and preserve a cultural tradition”
Donna Ray Norton in Oxford American (Dec 2023) “If Adams is the reigning queen of the Sodom Laurel ballad scene, then Donna Ray Norton is its emboldened lady-in-waiting.”

Special thanks to the United Company Foundation for their support of this program.

Giving Tuesday 2025
2025-12-02 | Birthplace of Country Music Museum, 101 Country Music Way, Bristol, VA, 24201, United States
Dear Friends of the Birthplace of Country Music,
On this Giving Tuesday, people all over the world are coming together to support the causes that matter most to them. Here in Bristol, we’re celebrating a milestone that’s especially close to our hearts: 10 years of Radio Bristol.
Ten years ago, the Birthplace of Country Music flipped the switch on a new way to share our story, and Radio Bristol was created to carry on the music heritage of our city.
Since that first broadcast, Radio Bristol has become more than a radio station. It’s a storyteller, a stage, and a bridge.

It connects listeners near and far to the roots of country music.
It amplifies local and regional artists who might not otherwise be heard.
It invites people into the larger story of the Birthplace of Country Music Museum and the Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion festival.

This year, our Year-End Campaign tells the story of Radio Bristol’s 10th anniversary, shining a light on all that your support makes possible. When you give to BCM, you’re not just powering a radio signal. You’re helping to:

Preserve Bristol’s history through our museum and collections
Share our story with the world every day through Radio Bristol
Celebrate live music and community at Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion

On this Giving Tuesday, we’re asking you to sing with us to keep that circle of music, memory, and community unbroken.
Please take a moment to watch the story unfold.

Your generosity keeps Bristol’s story playing: in the museum, on the streets during the festival, and across the airwaves every single day.
Thank you for being part of this circle.
On this Giving Tuesday, we’re celebrating 10 years of Radio Bristol and the community that keeps Bristol’s story alive.
birthplaceofcountrymusic.org/donate
Your gift powers the museum that preserves our history, the festival that fills our streets with music, and the radio that shares our sound with the world.
🎙️ On Air with the Birthplace of Country Music: Where the Circle Remains Unbroken
Donate today at birthplaceofcountrymusic.org/donate which allows you to make a donation to the Birthplace of Country Music. For more information on the benefits of joining our 1927 Society (annual giving), Unbroken Circle Society (cumulative giving recognition) or Legacy Society (bequests and other forms of planned giving) please visit our Support & Join page.

2026 Tennessee Songwriters Week Qualifying Round at the Museum
2026-01-29 18:00 - 21:00
The Birthplace of Country Music is hosting a qualifying round for Tennessee Songwriters Week in 2026!
Date: Thursday, January 29, 2025
Time: 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. ET
Location: Birthplace of Country Music Museum
Tickets: $15 (For spectators only; no registration fee required for songwriter entries.)

SPECTATOR TICKETS ON SALE NOW CLICK HERE
Congratulations and best of luck to the following 2026 Bristol qualifiers:
Hannah Rae Adams | Bristol, TN
Jake Angeles | Abingdon, VA
Adam Bolt | Abingdon, VA
Cody Glenn Cox | Bristol, VA
Sophie Childress | Big Stone Gap, VA
Cary Corley | Raleigh, NC
Madison Denhardt | Big Stone Gap, VA
Bria Elena | Shamong, NJ
Brent Funkhouser | Reston, VA
Matthew Hurd | Rogersville, TN
Chris LeCroy | Raleigh, NC
Tom Lynn | Morehead, KY
Trace Nixon | Mechanicsville, VA
Tommy Paschal | Greenbrier, TN
Fallyn Grace Presley | Damascus, VA
Roger Ramsey | Meadowview, VA
Joshua Scarberry | Bristol, TN
William Seymour | Roanoke, VA
Jonathan Short | Wise, VA
Manuel Street | Marion, VA
Aspiring singer-songwriters dream of the opportunity to perform at Nashville’s Bluebird Cafe, and for a few lucky artists, that opportunity will arrive during 2026 Tennessee Songwriters Week! Dozens of venues across the state, including the Birthplace of Country Music Museum in Downtown Bristol, Virginia-Tennessee, will host qualifying rounds for singer-songwriters to compete for a place in the spotlight at this historic proving ground for artists – and spectators are invited to be part of the live audience to cheer on contestants. The Bristol competition will also stream live on WBCM Radio Bristol’s Facebook page.
Three (3) songwriters and one (1) alternate will be chosen from the Bristol competition to move forward and compete during Tennessee Songwriters Week Showcase at The Reserve in Kingsport, Tennessee on Monday, February 23, 2026. One songwriter will move forward from each Showcase event across the state of Tennessee to perform at Bluebird Cafe in 2026.
The qualifying round will be held on Thursday, January 29, 2026 at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum. There is no registration fee or purchase necessary to enter. Internet access is required to enter. Any legal resident of the Unites States, including the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, are eligible. Must be 18 years of age or have attained their state of residence’s age of majority. Entrants can be an individual songwriter, duo or trio who has not previously won a Showcase Event. **Please read Tennessee Songwriters Week Official Rules in their entirety to ensure you are qualified to enter.
To enter, songwriters must submit their contact information, song lyrics for the song they plan to perform, and a YouTube link to a video of the song they will perform during the competition. Songwriters will be judged based on their overall performance, originality and connection to the audience. Songs deemed inappropriate or inflammatory will not be considered. Songwriters are only permitted to register with one venue during qualifying rounds. Internet access is required to enter, with no purchase necessary. All entrants of Bristol qualifying round must sign a photo/video release waiver as the event will be streaming live.
**Click here to read Tennessee Songwriters Week Official Rules**
More information on additional qualifying rounds across the state of Tennessee is forthcoming.
Timeline of events for Tennessee Songwriters Week:
December 11. 2025: Songwriter registration opens
January 21, 2026: Deadline for Bristol qualifying round entry
SONGWRITER REGISTRATION FOR THIS VENUE IS CLOSED
January 25 – February 7, 2026: Qualifying Rounds statewide (Birthplace of Country Music Museum qualifying round is Jan. 29)
February 22 – 28, 2026: Showcase Events statewide
March 29, 2026: Finale at The Bluebird Cafe for one winner from each showcase event
Made possible by The Tennessee Dept. of Tourist Development, The Bluebird Cafe, Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) and Taylor Guitars; committed to making sure songwriters can share their original work on stage with other writers.
