Music Row facts for kids
Music Row is a famous area in Nashville, Tennessee. It's a historic district southwest of downtown. This place is super important for music, especially country music, gospel music, and contemporary Christian music.
Music Row is centered around 16th and 17th Avenues South. These streets are also called Music Square East and Music Square West. Many people think Music Row is the very heart of Nashville's entertainment industry.
In this area, you'll find lots of music businesses. There are offices for record labels, where artists sign deals. You'll also see publishing houses that handle songs, and recording studios where music is made. Plus, there are places for video production and music licensing. Many radio networks and radio stations are here too.
The magazine MusicRow has been reporting on this area for over 30 years. Famous singers have even written songs about Music Row. For example, Lacy J. Dalton had a hit song called "16th Avenue". Also, Dolly Parton sang about the area in her 1973 song "Down on Music Row".
Sometimes, when people say "Music Row," they mean the entire music industry. It's like how "Madison Avenue" can mean the whole advertising world. Today, people are working hard to protect and celebrate Music Row's rich history. A group called the Music Industry Coalition helps with this mission.
Cool Places to See
Music Row has many historic spots. Two very famous ones are RCA's Studio B and Studio A. Hundreds of well-known musicians have recorded their songs in these studios.
You can also find streets named after country music legends. For instance, there are streets honoring Roy Acuff and Chet Atkins.
The first Country Music Hall of Fame used to be on Music Row. It was at the corner of Music Square East and Division Street. It opened in 1967 and stayed there until 2000. Then, the museum moved to a new, modern building in Downtown Nashville.
Along Demonbreun Street, there used to be many small tourist shops. These often had "museums" for different country music stars. Most of these places closed in the late 1990s. Now, this area has new, fancy restaurants and bars. These spots serve both the Downtown and Music Row areas.
Music Row Roundabout
At the meeting point of Demonbreun Street, Division Street, 16th Avenue South, and Music Square East, you'll find the "Music Row Roundabout". This is a circular intersection designed to keep traffic moving smoothly.
Next to the roundabout is Owen Bradley Park. This small park is dedicated to Owen Bradley, a famous songwriter, performer, and music publisher. Inside the park, there's a life-size bronze statue of Bradley sitting behind a piano. In the middle of the roundabout itself, there's a large statue called "Musica".
Nearby Universities
At the other end of Music Row, past Wedgewood Avenue, is the Belmont University campus. Vanderbilt University is also close by. Belmont University is especially important because of its Mike Curb College of Entertainment & Music Business (CEMB). This program is a big part of their commercial music performance division.
- How Nashville Became Music City, U.S.A.: 50 Years of Music Row (2006), Michael Kosser
