New Harmonies: Celebrating American Roots Music

Thursday 7 April 2011

The Smithsonian's New Harmonies: Celebrating American Roots Music traveling exhibit chronicles the development of America's music. America's story is revealed through our music, which has come from a variety of cultural and ethnic heritages. Rhythms, harmonies, and melodies have blended to form new sounds. It has taken expression in many different types of music including folk, gospel, blues, country western, zydeco, and bluegrass. The variety of instruments used includes guitar, fiddle, banjo, dulcimer, accordion, harmonica, and drums.
The New Harmonies exhibit is part of the Smithsonian's Museum on Main Street series. These are one of a kind cultural projects that serve the residents of America's small towns and rural areas. The events bring opportunities to small museums that would otherwise lack the funding and resources to attract these types of exhibits. They also allow the Smithsonian to share their collections with people who might not otherwise have access to them. Museum on Main Street partners with state humanities councils to bring the exhibits to the local venues. Gaffney is the first of six South Carolina towns that have been chosen to host New Harmonies. Other towns that will host the traveling exhibit are Conway, Allendale, Walhalla, Laurens, and Beaufort.
New Harmonies will open in Gaffney on April 9 and will run through May 29. The Gaffney Visitor Center & Art Gallery, located at 210 Frederick Street will host the exhibit. Photographs, recordings, lyrics, and artist profiles are included in the exhibit. There will be many companion events over the seven weeks such as concerts, workshops, and lectures. Events are free, although some will require advance registration. There will be a Lunch and Learn series that will feature different musical artists who will showcase their particular genre of music. There will be workshops where attendees can create musical instruments such as a Native American flute or a one string banjo. Some of the workshops will be sponsored by the local Cherokee County Alliance of Visual Arts (CAVA). The concerts will feature vocal as well as instrumental music. Some concerts will be held in the auditorium at Limestone College and some will be outdoors at the Michael Gaffney Log Cabin. A full schedule of the Gaffney events is available at the Visitor Center

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