Words & Music Night Coming To Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum April 30

Young songwriters will fill the Country Music Hall of Fame^® and Museum’s Ford Theater on April 30 during the museum’s annual Words & Music Night. Nashville-area students will perform their original songs accompanied by volunteer professional songwriters during the event, which will be hosted by Grammy Award-winning artist Gretchen Wilson. The program begins at 6 p.m. and is open to performing students and their families.

Words & Music allows students to express themselves creatively and learn the craft of lyric writing. The program also provides a unique curriculum-based teaching tool for educators,” said Ali Tonn, director of education and public programming. “The Words & Music Night recital showcases the breadth, depth and quality of those student compositions. This year songs run the gamut, from a witty tune about running from zombies, to a poignant song about the heroism of President John F. Kennedy. When the students perform their songs on the Ford Theater stage with professional songwriters, it is not only a proud moment for the audience of parents, teachers and museum staff, but also an evening of first-rate entertainment. We look forward to it every year.”

Words & Music Night is the culmination of the yearlong Words & Music school program. Classes participating in the program complete creative writing lessons, developed by the museum, which highlight the lyric-writing process and support education standards in language arts and music. Students write or co-write lyrics in the classroom; the lyrics are then given to professional songwriters, who refine their lyrics and add melodies. Finally, students visit the museum for a tour and a performance of their songs by their participating songwriter.

More than 4,400 2nd through 12th grade students at 46 Tennessee schools wrote songs that were put to music by 36 volunteer professional songwriters throughout the 2012–13 school year.  This is the 34th year that the museum has offered its Words & Music program. The Tuesday night showcase will include performances by students, ranging from 4th  to 12th-graders, from Andrew Jackson Elementary, Battle Ground Academy, Bordeaux Elementary, Ensworth School, Grassland Elementary, Joelton Elementary, McFadden School of Excellence, Meigs Magnet Middle School, Mt. View Elementary, Norman Binkley Elementary, Scales Elementary (Williamson County), Spring Hill High School, Thomas Edison Elementary and Woodland Middle School.