Sigma Alpha Iota

P A N P I P E S Summer 2021 17 17 MUSEUMS arts, and math related content, the tenets of S.T.E.A.M. education. Lessons for its six galleries include pre-and post- learning targets connected to the curriculum which will help guide teachers in preparing their students for in-person or virtual tours guided by museum docents. e Rivers of Rhythm curriculum includes engaging videos, artwork, thematic lesson plans with supplemental power point presentations, assessments, and national standards aligned to each lesson. Teachers can follow a sequential unit organized by a theme or choose specific lessons that can be embedded where appropriate within their existing curriculum or project-based units. ese resources will be conveniently located on a digital portal for teachers to use in their classrooms, virtually, or as downloadable PDF files as a guide to prepare students for field trips to the museum as soon as it is safe for large groups to attend within Centers for Disease Control guidelines. "I feel so honored to have played a part in the historic opening of NMAAM this past January. is is such a monumental moment for Nashville and the nation. We are the only museum in the United States dedicated to the rich musical history of African Americans. rough our robust education programming, I help to create opportunities and pathways that spark discovery and exploration for our young people. is is my passion, and I find so much joy in working for this amazing institution." — Tamar Smithers, Director of Education and Public Programs e National Museum of African American Music and the Country Music Association (CMA) Foundation recently announced a partnership that will bring the museum's collaborative project, Music Legends & Heroes, to select high schools within Metro Nashville Public Schools. e goal is to provide artists and industry mentors who will engage students in learning about the impact of African Americans on music and songwriting. is initiative will culminate with a songwriting contest for participants to write a song with their class based on Black history and Black musicians, artists, and/or activists. e program is expected to reach more than 200 students across Nashville. is partnership has the potential for providing a pathway for high school students to further build upon their songwriting skills in college and/or career readiness skills that will aid in possible transition for entry level work in the music industry upon graduation. With the historic Music Row district less than a few miles west of the museum and the historic Ryman Auditorium and Country Music Hall of Fame Museum within walking distance, the possibilities of honing these skills as potential songwriters and musicians of color locally and nationally is unlimited. e mentors in this collaborative initiative understand the need to diversify Music City in all its music portals to even greater levels of visibility and impact. ese are just a few of the many ways in which the museum is already expanding its impact locally and nationally. As a permanent fixture in the heart of downtown Nashville, the new National Museum of African American Music has made its mark and is now a permanent fixture where the various musical genres and historic artifacts displayed in this state-of-the art repository have come full circle for the young and the old to bear witness, wonder, celebrate, groove, cry, and rejoice as a nation. Everyone now has access to celebrate Black culture through primary sources and to become educated and be well informed. Ironically, the musical history of African Americans in America began with the Negro Spiritual, which was later concertized, first by the world-renowned Fisk Jubilee Singers® of Nashville, TN, and then shared abroad. Out of the genius and creative minds who produced this original music, we now can see how music connects us all. e spirit of this museum reflects and connects our humanity in ways that only music can do. e experiences contained in this space breaks down barriers of misunderstanding across color lines, genres, races, and creeds and unites our hearts into one collective rhythm of life. Current and future generations will surely enjoy what they experience now and for years to come. Nita Modley Smith is a Gamma Rho initiate and current member of the Nashville Alumnae Chapter. Nita is a 29-year veteran music educator with Metro Nashville Public Schools. She volunteers on the education committee of NMAAM and is an award-winning Blue-Ribbon Teacher, Country Music Association Music Teacher of Excellence, CMA Music Educator Mentor, Music and the Brain Piano Grant awardee, and the recipient of the 2020 Carol Crittenden Arts Advocate of the Year Award. Melissa, Robert, and Nita Smith at the free photo Melissa, Robert, and Nita Smith at the free photo booth in the lobby of the museum. booth in the lobby of the museum. Photos: NMAAM/353 Media

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