They don’t call it “Music City” for nothing. From the Grand Ole Opry to the newly opened convention center, which will be named the Music City Center, there are numerous ways for groups to experience the city’s influential music heritage.
In addition to bringing more convention space to downtown Nashville, the Music City Center (www.nashvillemusiccitycenter.com) will be the new home of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame when it opens in May.
Located in the lobby, the hall will feature songwriting artifacts as well as three 55-inch touch screens that will allow visitors to access information about the history of Nashville songwriting. The names of the hall’s 184 members, who comprise many genres of music, will be engraved in a special outdoor Songwriters Square.
Additionally, says Holly McCall, spokeswoman for the Nashville CVB, the whole design of the building is predicated on Nashville’s history as “Music City.”
“There is a guitar-shaped design element on the roof where the solar panel system will be installed,” she says, explaining that the guitar shape flows all the way down to the first floor. “The walls in the grand ballroom, for instance, are just under the rooftop and are curved in a guitar shape. The wood millwork inside the ballroom should give visitors the feeling they are inside an acoustic guitar.”
Even the carpet was designed with a musical theme, according to McCall.
“When first visiting Nashville, the center’s architects toured a recording studio and based the carpet design on the light patterns created by digital equalizers,” she says.
The Music City Center will also have a 70-plus-piece art collection, and some of it is music-inspired. For instance, McCall says in the 6th Avenue concourse, a large piece called SoundWave looks like the bars of a musical staff with LED lights that are akin to musical notes.
“They go on and off so they will resemble music playing,” she says.
After the meeting, a must-visit musical venue is the Grand Ole Opry (www.opry.com), where groups can enjoy the world’s longest-running radio show in person. The Grand Ole Opry House and Opry Plaza are both available for off-site group events.
From Elvis to Dolly Parton, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum (countrymusichalloffame.org) teaches groups all about singers and songwriters of the popular genre. Event space includes an 11,000-sqaure-foot glass-roofed conservatory, four theaters and a rotunda.
The Ryman Auditorium (www.ryman.com), also known as the “Mother Church of Country Music,” dates to 1892 and is a National Historic Landmark with modern production amenities and a stage that is available for receptions or seated meal functions.
At the Bluebird Cafe (www.bluebirdcafe.com) audience members hear songwriters performing original material in an intimate “in the round” setting. This is a legendary Nashville hot spot that also offers full dinner and cocktail menus.
And located downtown on Lower Broadway Avenue is Honky Tonk Row (www.honkytonkrow.com), home to some of the world-famous Nashville honky tonks where many country music stars began their careers. Top picks include Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge, Robert’s Western World and Legends Corner.
