Nashville’s Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum has scheduled several exciting Gretsch events June to coincide with the Summer NAMM Show, including sessions hosted by Cheap Trick’s Tom Petersson, singer-songwriter Lindsay Ell, musician and author Andy Babiuk and Gretsch’s very own Joe Carducci and Fred Gretsch.
These events also help support the Bachman-Gretsch exhibit, which runs through July 17.
Check out a rundown of events below:
Monday, June 20 – Sunday, June 26
10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
Creative Zone—Embellished Instruments: Gretsch Style
Gretsch guitars have unique shapes, designs, and sounds. Young designers will learn about guitar design by looking at guitars in the new exhibit American Sound and Beauty: Guitars from the Bachman-Gretsch Collection. They will apply what they learned to make personalized guitar designs using the Gretsch instruments as inspiration. All ages. Taylor Swift Education Center. Presented in support of the exhibit American Sound and Beauty: Guitars from the Bachman-Gretsch Collection. Included with museum admission. Free to museum members. Children and up to two accompanying adults may attend the program and tour the museum at a discounted rate.
Thursday, June 23 2:00 p.m.–3:00 p.m.
Gretsch Bass Demonstration: Tom Petersson
Tom Petersson is a professional singer, songwriter, and bass player who has spent most of his life playing rock music. For over 35 years, Petersson has played bass for the recently inducted Rock and Roll Hall of Fame band Cheap Trick, and he has written a few of their biggest hits, including “Can’t Stop Falling into Love.” An avid guitar collector, Petersson will highlight some of his favorite guitars including the 12-string Gretsch White Falcon bass he helped design. Presented in support of the exhibition American Sound and Beauty: Guitars from the Bachman-Gretsch Collection, this bass demonstration will be streamed live at countrymusichalloffame.org/streaming. Included with museum admission. Free to museum members.
Friday, June 24 2:00 p.m.–3:00 p.m.
The Gretsch Fred and Joe Show: The Story of the Gretsch Guitar
Fred Gretsch, President of the Gretsch Company, and Joe Carducci, Gretsch Guitars Product Marketing Specialist, host this multimedia presentation tracing the history of the innovative guitar maker. The company was founded in 1883 when Gretsch started making musical instruments in Brooklyn. In 1985, Fred Gretsch, great-grandson of the founder, bought back the family business from the Baldwin Piano Company, relaunching the brand and ushering in an era of high quality and unique design. This program will discuss the musicians who’ve woven the Gretsch sound into the fabric of modern pop culture by playing the guitars on classic hits, and it will look closely at the instruments on display in American Sound and Beauty: Guitars from the Bachman-Gretsch Collection. Joe Hudson, 2015 “Thumbpicker of the Year” co-winner, will perform. The event will be streamed live at countrymusichalloffame.org/streaming. Included with museum admission. Free to museum members. Limited seating. Program pass required.
Saturday, June 25 11:30 a.m.–12:15 p.m.
Songwriter Session: Lindsay Ell
Lindsay Ell began playing guitar and writing songs as a child, in Calgary. At age 13, she was discovered by Randy Bachman, who pushed her to learn new guitar styles as well as co-wrote and produced her first record. Ell moved to Nashville in 2013 and signed with Stoney Creek Records. She wrote her singles “By the Way” and “Trippin’ on Us,” as well as several songs with Bobby Bones and the Raging Idiots, including “We Can’t Stand Each Other” (featuring Carrie Underwood) and “Netflix Love Song.” Presented in support of the exhibition American Sound and Beauty: Guitars from the Bachman-Gretsch Collection, this session will be streamed live at countrymusichalloffame.org/streaming. Included with museum admission. Free to museum members. Limited seating. Program pass required.
Saturday, June 25 1:30 p.m.–2:30 p.m.
Beatles Gear: The Gretsch Invasion with Andy Babiuk
When the Beatles appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1964, George Harrison played a Gretsch Chet Atkins Country Gentleman model, Aspiring guitarists across the United States immediately clamored to get one, sparking a boom in production for the guitar maker. In Beatles Gear: All the Fab Four’s Instruments from Stage to Studio, Andy Babiuk explores the story of the legendary band, as told through the equipment they used. This program will focus on the Beatles’ fondness for Gretsch instruments and the subsequent impact their embrace had on the company. Babiuk is a musician, writer, producer, founding member of the Chesterfield Kings, and owner of a boutique music shop. He is a staff consultant to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and consultant to major auction houses in London and New York. Presented in support of the exhibition American Sound and Beauty: Guitars from the Bachman-Gretsch Collection, this session will be streamed live at countrymusichalloffame.org/streaming. Included with museum admission. Free to museum members. Limited seating. Program pass required.