Grinnellian Adventures: Tennessee
March 19–28, 2027
Dear Grinnell College alumni and friends,
I invite you to join Dr. Mark Laver, Associate Professor of Music, as we put our Boots on the Ground and explore the origins, culture, and influence of country music on this unique, 10-day program in Tennessee, focusing our time in Memphis and Nashville, including one day in Mississippi.
Our country music adventure is filled with special guests such as Landon Fishburne, Nashville-based guitarist and songwriter, who will join us for the entirety of the program, and we have the honor of having Charlie Musselwhite, an American blues harmonica player, join us for an intimate musical session at the B.B. King Museum in Indianola, Mississippi. A music-themed visit to Tennessee wouldn’t be complete without experiencing Beale Street, Sun Studio, Stax Museum of American Soul Music, Country Music Hall of Fame, Historic RCA Studio B, and the Country Music Association. We will also have plenty of opportunities to see live music, gain behind-the-scenes access, and participate in informal talks with industry insiders.
Dr. Laver best sums up the adventure that awaits us: “Country music is one of the most polarizing genres on the U.S. popular music landscape. People either love it or hate it, but seldom are they indifferent to it. We can often learn the most from the music that engenders the most intense emotional and aesthetic responses - not only about the music, but also about social and cultural worlds that emerge around it. Country music teaches us about race, class, gender, sexuality, politics, and authenticity. Plus, it’s a kind of learning that invites us to sing, dance, listen, and generally have a great time as we visit concert halls, juke joints, museums, recording studios, apparel shops, and more!”
Whether you are experiencing country music and Tennessee for the first time or revisiting it with us through a new lens, it is sure to be a special program you won’t want to miss! Space is limited to 20 guests, so please reserve your spot immediately by contacting Eos Study Tours, the specialty tour operator who has worked closely with Professor Laver in designing this program. Email grinnell@studytours.org or call toll-free (800) 856-8951.
Sincerely,
Jayn Bailey Chaney ‘05
Assistant Vice President of Alumni and Donor Relations
Faculty Leader
Mark Laver
Associate Professor of Music at Grinnell College and Director of Jazz Ensemble
Dr. Mark Laver, an Associate Professor of Music at Grinnell College, is a pathbreaking and versatile saxophonist, educator, and scholar. As a jazz musician and creative improviser, Laver has performed with premier international artists including Lee Konitz, Seamus Blake, Kurt Elling, Eddie Prévost, Hugh Fraser, Dong-Won Kim, NEXUS, William Parker, Nicole Mitchell, Walter Thompson, Anat Cohen, Antonio Sanchez, Ellen Fullman, and Phil Nimmons. As a classical saxophonist, he has been a featured soloist with the Kingston Symphony Orchestra, the Guelph Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Conservatory Orchestra, and the Central Iowa Symphony Orchestra. His lengthy discography includes recordings with celebrated Canadian independent acts The Minotaurs, Muskox, The See Through Trio, Steamboat, and Feuermusik, and with his own group, The Earthtones, as well as with U.S. artists including the Iowa band, Pink Neighbor. Laver is also a widely published author. His book, Jazz Sells: Music, Marketing, and Meaning (Routledge 2015), explores the use of jazz music in advertising, and his co-edited collection of essays, Beyond the Classroom: Improvisation and Music Education (Routledge, 2016, with Ajay Heble) offers compelling new perspectives on the revolutionary potential of improvisation pedagogy. His current book project is a biography of iconic Canadian jazz composer, clarinetist, and educator, Phil Nimmons. His work has been featured or profiled in The Washington Post, Salon, Ms. Magazine, Fortune, Times for Higher Education, The Des Moines Register, Yahoo Entertainment, USA Today College, BBC Radio 4, and CNN.com. Laver is an alumnus of the Faculty of Music at the University of Toronto (2011), and of the Banff International Workshop in Jazz and Creative Music (2005).
Special Guide: Landon Fishburne
Landon Fishburne is a Nashville-based guitarist/songwriter originally from Charlottesville, Virginia. Playing violin at an early age, Landon soon became interested in learning the guitar and studied under renowned harp guitarist Stephen Bennett. Landon has been influenced by and has studied a wide range of musical stylings, including blues, jazz, bluegrass, alt-country, classical, Gypsy jazz, folk, chicken pickin’, rhythm and blues, soul, rock n’ roll, Celtic, and slide. Since moving to Nashville, Landon has performed and toured with an assortment of notable national touring acts, including Ashley McBryde, Chris Young, Delta Rae, Hannah Blaylock, Lauren Mascitti, Sunny Sweeney, Three Times a Lady Trio, Brennley Brown, Mary Sarah, Janelle Arthur, Dean Alexander, Courtney Cole, and Nick Hagelin, among others. In addition, Landon has had the privilege of performing with several renowned musical artists through the years, such as Jo Dee Messina, Jamie O’Neal, Ty Herndon, Mike Gordon (Phish), Marc Ford (Black Crowes), Mike Farris, DJ Logic, KT Tunstall, Nick Forster (Hot Rize), and Peter Yarough (Peter, Paul, and Mary). His travels have put him on stages opening for Rascal Flatts, Kenny Chesney, Sam Bush Band, Miranda Lambert, Emmitt-Nershi Band, Tim O’Brien, Gary Allan, and Hank Williams, Jr. Notable performances include appearances at CMA Festival in Nashville, the Grand Ole Opry, Miranda Lambert’s 2015 “Certified Platinum Tour,” Stagecoach Festival, Calgary Folk Festival, TEDx, Country Thunder Festival, The Festie Experience, The Bluebird Cafe, The Station Inn in Nashville, on Food Networks “Emeril Live,” for President Obama at his 2012 campaign rally in Charlottesville, VA, and as part of the nationally broadcast radio show, Etown, recorded at Boulder Theater in Boulder, CO. He will be accompanying our journey under the role “Industry Insider.”
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Itinerary — March 19–28, 2027
Included meals: B= Breakfast • L= Lunch • D= Dinner
Friday, March 19, 2027
Arrive Memphis, Tennessee: Welcome dinner
Arrive at Memphis International Airport (MEM) and make your way to The Central Station Memphis hotel to check-in no later than 5:00 p.m. (check-in begins at 3:00 p.m.). We gather at 6:30 p.m. for a welcome dinner and an introduction to the program. Four nights at the 4-star The Central Station Memphis hotel. (D)
Saturday, March 20
Indianola, Mississippi: B.B. King Museum, live music | Memphis
After breakfast, we drive south to Indianola, Mississippi, part of the Mississippi Delta region known as the “birthplace of American Music,” and visit the B.B. King Museum. We step into their programming studio to learn about their music education work, and experience a special intimate musical session with blues legend Charlie Musselwhite, an American blues harmonica player and bandleader. We will even learn some notes on the harmonica. This evening, we enjoy live music at Ground Zero Blues Club in Clarksdale, MS, a club with “an anything-goes juke vibe.” (The club is co-owned by acclaimed actor Morgan Freeman.) Dinner is on your own at Ground Zero Blues Club before we drive back to Memphis. (B,L)
Sunday, March 21
Memphis, Tennessee: Beale Street, Sun Studio, Edge Motor Museum, Hernando’s Hide-A-Way
This morning, we take a music-themed history tour of Memphis. On our tour, we walk down Beale Street, one of the most iconic streets in America, a designated National Historic Landmark, a music mecca since the 1860s, and a center of African American culture, commerce, Civil Rights, and activism. Next, we step into Sun Studio, known worldwide as “The Birthplace of Rock’n’roll” and the location where musical legends B.B. King, Elvis Presley, and Johnny Cash were discovered. After visiting Edge Motor Museum and seeing the classic cars that shaped the era, we enjoy a late lunch at Hernando’s Hide-A-Way, a historical music landmark where Elvis once played and which Jerry Lee Lewis called his “office,” and a music joint that celebrates rockabilly and honky tonk music. While enjoying lunch, we test our luck with a special game of bingo and listen to live music. Dinner and the evening are on your own. (B,L)
Monday, March 22
Memphis: National Civil Rights Museum, Stax Museum of American Soul Music, Beale Street - Live blues music
After breakfast at the hotel, we visit the National Civil Rights Museum for a self-guided tour of one of the nation’s premier heritage and cultural museums, located at the former Lorraine Motel where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s life was taken, and learn how history connects to social impact and influences society, i.e., music.
After an independent lunch, we visit the Stax Museum of American Soul Music, the first and only museum dedicated to telling the story of soul music, where we have the opportunity to talk with a museum educator. At its height, Stax Records worked with Otis Redding, Sam and Dave, Isaac Hayes, and many other well-known musicians. We end the day with dinner and live blues music on Beale Street. (B,D)
Tuesday, March 23
West Tennessee Delta Heritage Center | Nashville: Johnny Cash Museum (optional), The Listening Room Café
This morning we depart Memphis for Nashville, stopping along the way at the West Tennessee Delta Heritage Center, home to the world’s only Tina Turner Museum, located inside her childhood school. After lunch, we continue to Nashville and check-in to our hotel. You will have the option to relax at the hotel, or visit the Johnny Cash Museum for a self-guided tour of “America’s #1 music museum.” This evening we enjoy dinner and a show at The Listening Room Café, first established in 2006 as a local venue for singer-songwriters to share their stories and perform. Five nights at the 4-star Placemakr hotel. (B,L,D)
Wednesday, March 24
Nashville: mtheory, Ryman Auditorium, Music Row
We begin our day with a behind-the-scenes look at the music industry at mtheory, an artist development, marketing, strategy, and operations infrastructure company. We dive into what managers, labels, and strategists do, including how artists choose their paths. After lunch, we visit Ryman Auditorium, a world-renowned concert hall with deep musical roots, and the former home of the Grand Ole Opry, where we walk the historic halls where legends have performed, including walking across the stage and viewing the dressing rooms. Next, we take a musical and historical tour of Nashville, taking time to explore Music Row, headquarters of America’s country music industry, representing decades of music history and creative energy. This evening we gather for dinner. (B,L,D)
Thursday, March 25
Nashville: Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
Today is dedicated to exploring various parts of the vast Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. First we visit some of the Museum galleries, where the story of country music is told from its 19th century roots to modern times through galleries of instruments, stage wear, and more. Also visit Hatch Show Print, located inside the Hall of Fame and Museum, a working letterpress print shop that has been creating vibrant music posters since 1879, serving as a leading advertising medium for southern entertainment. After lunch, we visit the Museum’s Education Studio for a private, hands-on session where we learn about the songwriting process. Lastly, we tour the Museum’s nearby Historic RCA Studio B, birthplace of the “Nashville Sound,” where greats like Elvis Presley, Dolly Parton, and Waylon Jennings recorded some of their hits. Dinner is on your own this evening. (B,L)
Friday, March 26
Nashville: African American Music Museum, Nearest Green Distillery
After breakfast, we visit the African American Music Museum and learn how African Americans created, influenced, and inspired many music genres, such as country music. After an independent lunch at Nashville’s popular Assembly Food Hall, we look at how whiskey played a role in the music scene with a tour of Nearest Green Distillery, where we learn the story behind Uncle Nearest, the first known African American master distiller. A whiskey tasting is included for those who would like to try an award-winning whiskey. This evening we gather for dinner. (B,D)
Saturday, March 27
Nashville: Country Music Association (CMA), PM at leisure | Farewell dinner
After breakfast, we visit the Country Music Association and learn about their work expanding Country Music around the world. We will have a private talk with a member of the CMA Foundation, which aims to improve and sustain music education programs across the United States. After lunch and the afternoon at leisure, we gather this evening for a celebratory farewell dinner with music. (B,L,D)
Sunday, March 28: Fly home
Make your way to Nashville International Airport (BNA) for flights homeward. (B)
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Pricing
- $8,595 per person - double occupancy (17-20 participants)
- $9,695 per person - double occupancy (12-16 participants)
- $495 single supplement
Single room supplement will be charged when requested or required (limited availability). With fewer than 12 participants, a small group surcharge may be applied.
Price Includes
- Grinnell College faculty leader Associate Professor Mark Laver, an expert tour manager, and local guides
- Nine nights’ accommodations in two well-located, 4-star hotels
- Delicious meals: Breakfast daily
- Ground transportation via private, air-conditioned vehicle and public transportation when possible
- Tickets and entrance fees for excursions as listed in the itinerary
- All gratuities for the tour manager, local guides, drivers, and waitstaff for included meals
- Parking fares, highway tolls, and local taxes
- Comprehensive pre-departure information, including a suggested reading/media guide, travel guide, and packing list
Price does not include
Airfare from/to home; airport arrival or departure transfers; passport fees; all airport fees and departure taxes; cost of personal, trip cancellation, and baggage insurance; transportation of excess baggage; baggage handling; meals and alcoholic or other beverages other than those listed; all items of a personal nature such as medical expenses, laundry, taxi, room service, telephone/fax/Wi-Fi charges; optional excursions or deviations from scheduled tour; and other items not listed as included.
Flights and Transfers
Airfare from/to home is not included. Airport arrival transfers from Memphis International Airport (MEM) and for departure from Nashville International Airport (BNA) will be independent to/from our conveniently located hotels. Once you have received your final payment invoice, you should book your flights. If you are considering booking non-refundable airline tickets before this time, please contact the Eos Study Tours office first. Valerie Wilson Travel, Inc. can assist with flight arrangements for this tour. You may contact them directly at 866-200-6172 or email studytours@vwti.com. Alternatively, you are welcome to book your flights independently or through your preferred travel agent. Your flight itinerary must be provided to Eos Study Tours prior to departure. We do not accept any liability for cancellation penalties related to airline tickets.
Additional Notes
Exact tour details may differ slightly from what is listed, depending on recommendations from local guides, as restaurants close, streets are refurbished, etc.
Hotels may change, but will be in the same class as noted.
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FAQ
Who is invited to join this trip?
All Grinnellians are warmly invited! A Grinnellian can be an alum, a family member of an alum, and/or anyone who supports the College. We also welcome your guests - they do not need to be alums.
What can I expect on the trip?
All participants are expected to be physically active and not be an impediment to others on excursions, and to enjoy traveling as part of a group.
All participants will be required to follow safety/sanitization protocols set forth by Sponsors/Operator, local staff, and host state laws. Any participant showing signs of illness will be asked to wear a mask when in close proximity to others. If the tour manager decides that a participant cannot visit a site safely or in a timely manner, their judgment will be final. Where possible, an alternate activity may be suggested; additional costs may apply. If you have any questions about your ability to participate, we suggest that you visit your personal physician with this brochure in hand and discuss whether or not this program is appropriate for you. Complete pre-departure details will be sent to participants.
What are the physical requirements?
Please ensure that your are physically and mentally fit to travel unassisted. This includes being able to:
- Walk two or more miles per day, including on uneven services
- Go up and down steps and inclines
- Stand for periods of time
- Carry personal bags and luggage independently
What weather should I expect during this trip?
In this region in March we can expect mild temperatures with an average daytime temperature from the high 50s to high 60s. There is always a chance for rain so participants should be prepared.
Is travel insurance required?
Travel insurance is optional but recommended as with any travel adventure. You may purchase coverage through the provider of your choice.
May I bring a guest?
Yes! Grinnellians are welcome to bring guests. Your guests does not need to be an alum.
What if I need assistance during the trip?
A Grinnell College staff member will be on the trip to provide support to guests and our faculty leaders. You will always have someone to turn to if you need assistance at any point.
Questions?
Contact Guinevere Natarelli, associate director of alumni and donor relations, at wallacegu@grinnell.edu or call 641-269-4633.
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