Move the National Museum of African American Music to the top of your priority list if you are visiting Nashville, live in Nashville, or plan to come in the future. As a local, I was completely blown away. Imagine everything you can do with technology today and turn it into a museum experience and you have the NMAAM. First, it sits in Nashville's new 5th + Broadway complex which gives you tons of options for food, shopping, and convenient parking.
Once inside the museum, you're greeted one on one with someone to get you signed up for your RF technology band that will build your experience throughout the museum. Everyone starts in the Roots Theater with a 5-7 minute orientation video. Once out, you're released into a universe of Black heritage music. In the grand hall, huge interactive tables with high definition audio headphones give you a great overview of the music within the galleries. In the Gospel area, Wade Into The Water, you can join the Gospel choir on green screen and sing live with them. The outcome is high quality and hilarious.
In the Urban Renewal section, you can compose your own music in several sound booths. Whether its percussion, bass, or DJing your own free style wrap, you can record it all and save it to your RF reader with the swipe of your wristband. In all room you'll find smart, interactive tables that allow you choose an artist and network with their influencers and their music. To see how Sonny Terry connects to Aretha Franklin to Janet Jackson to Nicki Minaj is a pretty amazing musical journey for not only the adults, but also the kids. My kids spent sold blocks connecting the musicians in the "Seven Degrees of Kevin Bacon" type digital experience.
Another highlight is in the dancing through the decades interactive wall art that starts you with great disco and carries you through the decades with Michael Jackson and Beyoncé. Again, in the RF experience, it allows you to swipe your band and save your memories of your horrible dancing.
You'll find seven different galleries with scores of experiences and memorabilia. One of the great finds is a 1957 Billie Holiday contract where she worked everyday for hours in a music venue for a few dollars. It's impossible to see it all in an hour, so budget two or three hours to truly soak it all in.
Once you exit the galleries, the gift shop is as equally amazing. Uniquely curated items you'll find nowhere else in gorgeous displays of antique cars and more are all over the place. Go ahead a buy a membership. It's completely worth it. I beg you. If you live in Nashville, please go as soon as possible. If you're coming soon to visit, make this in your top three must-dos!!