9 Festivals and Revivals: Gathering to Keep the Music Alive

From fiddle conventions in the 1800s to the folk revival of the 1960s and today, music continues to bring people together – young and old, near and far – and often, in the most unexpected of places.

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8 The Unbroken Circle: An Immersion Experience

From the moment you enter our Immersion Theater, you will be surrounded by the musicians, songs, and events that were influenced by the Bristol Sessions. This open space invites you to engage with the music through movement and dance – so let your feet follow the music and get your fellow visitors to join in!

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7 Tradition and Technology: Distributing the Music

Not only did state-of-the-art microphone technology make the Bristol Sessions possible, but it also made them successful. Since then, the ways we record, deliver and listen to music have evolved, and mass media have introduced traditional and country music to viewers and listeners around the world.

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6 Making Music

After journeying through the songs of the Sessions, it’s time to hear how others – including you! – make them their own. Listen to the ways contemporary musicians from Lead Belly to Nirvana have arranged some of these classic songs; give those tunes new sounds at the mixing station; and belt out a song with family, friends, and fellow visitors at the sing-along station.

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5 People, Place, and Music Making: The Roles of Community, Labor & Faith in Appalachia

The experiences of many Bristol Sessions artists shared a common thread: living in Appalachia. Their music reflected strong ties to their community, work, and faith. From songs sung in the church to those formed in the fields, music was woven into the lives of the musicians and their audiences.

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4 Variety and Voice Instruments of the Sessions

The Bristol Sessions brought the recognizable sounds of country music – vocals, guitar, fiddle, banjo, autoharp, and mandolin – to the forefront of the emerging industry, along with a host of other instruments. This gallery highlights the history and the beauty of these instruments, and the film in the Greasy Strings Theater demonstrates instrumental playing techniques that were used on the 1927 recordings.

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3 The Bristol Sessions and Circles of Success

When you leave the orientation film, you’ll learn how the people, technology, and musical influences behind these recordings made a mark on Bristol and the world. Here, you can listen to Jimmie Rodgers’ famous yodel or Sara Carter’s haunting vocals on an interactive touchscreen.

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2 "Bound to Bristol" Orientation Theater

This award-winning film – narrated by John Carter Cash, son of June Carter Cash and Johnny Cash and grandson of Maybelle Carter – explores the making of the 1927 Bristol Sessions. “Bound To Bristol” runs every 20 minutes.

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1 The Local, The National, The Technological

In this area, learn about Bristol and beyond from the 1850s to the 1930s, along with the shift in Appalachia’s traditional way of life.

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