Discover the musical heritage of the USA on your performing arts school trip from Nashville to New Orleans!
You’ll start your tour of the Deep South in Nashville. Nicknamed Music City, this is the home of the country music industry. You’ll then head southwards to Memphis, where the blues were born and Elvis rocked.
Continuing to follow the Mississippi River, you’ll eventually end up in New Orleans. Here you’ll find music that has been influenced by European, African and Latin cultures. Especially known for its jazz, which is so ingrained in the city’s culture it’s even performed as part of the traditional funeral service here, New Orleans is also well regarded for its theatre scene, and film and television production, which have earned it the nicknames ‘Broadway South’ and ‘Hollywood South’.
Suggested Itinerary (9 days, 7 nights)
| Day | Morning Summary | Afternoon Summary | Evening Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Flight to Nashville |
Arrive in Nashville Group to be met on arrival and take short city tour as you transfer to your acommodation |
Evening meal at BB King Blues Club restaurant |
| 2 |
Spend the morning at RCA Studio B making your own recordingafter a short tour |
Lunch at the Country Music Hall of Fame, followed by a visit to the museum |
Enjoy dinner and a show at the Grand Ole Opry |
| 3 |
Depart from Nashville after breakfast at your hotel |
Tour of Jack Daniel's Distillery and Memphis city tour |
Evening meal at the Hard Rock Cafe on Beale Street with time to explore |
| 4 |
Visit to Sun Studio where Elvis recorded many of his hit songs |
Lunch at the famous Corky’s BBQ Tour of the Gibson Guitar Factory and visit the Memphis Rock ‘n’ Soul Museum Tour Elvis’ home, Graceland Visit the Civil Rights Museum where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated |
Evening meal at the Majestic Grill restaurant |
| 5 |
Leave the hotel and travel into Mississippi to Natchez |
City tour of Natchez |
Evening meal at Castle Restaurant and Pub |
| 6 |
Travel to New Orleans |
Enjoy a swamp tour and visit to Oak Alley Plantation |
Evening meal at Huck Finn's restaurant |
| 7 |
Visit the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas See the IMAX movie 'Hurricane on the Bayou' |
Lunch at Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville Board the Creole Queen Paddlewheeler Tour of the Old US Mint |
Evening meal at Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. |
| 8 |
Breakfast at the hotel |
Transfer to airport via a short city tour of New Orleans, to see the areas devasted by Hurricane Katrina |
Flight to the UK |
| 9 |
Arrive UK |
||
- 7 nights' half-board accommodation
- Airport transfers in resort
- All flights including tax
- Comprehensive travel and medical insurance
- Detailed information pack
- Entrance fees to attractions as shown in the programme
- Free staff place ratio 1:10
- Itinerary can be done in reverse
- Itinerary planning service
- Overland transportation
- VAT
Curriculum Links
A-Level
- Exploring music genres, styles and eras in greater detail
- Blues, Jazz, Swing and Big Band
- Innovations in music from 1900 - present day
- Instrumental Jazz from 1910 - present day
- Jobs and organisations of the performance industry
- Social, cultural and historical influences on performing arts
- Musical performance
- Producing music using technology
GCSE
- Exploring musical context, language, performance and composition
- Broadening musical horizons
- Roles and responsibilities within the performance industry
- Performing arts within society
Accommodation
Tour Highlights
Visit the Historic RCA Studio B
The only recording studio tour in Nashville, this is an essential inclusion on your itinerary and offers your students the opportunity to explore the birthplace of the ‘Nashville Sound’, which not only made country music popular again, it also established Nashville’s reputation as an important centre for recording music.
Located in the city’s famous Music Row district, you’ll certainly be surrounded by history when you visit the RCA Studio B on your school trip to Nashville – Elvis Presley alone recorded over 200 songs here!
Did you know?
Dolly Parton once crashed her car into the side of the building in a rush to make her first recording session there having just signed to RCA. If you look carefully, you can still see the spot where she hit it.
Visit the Memphis Rock 'n' Soul Museum
Learn about the birth of rock and soul music and discover the stories of the musical pioneers who overcame racial and socio-economic barriers to live their dream!
Start by exploring the rural lifestyle and culture that spawned the musical traditions of the South - blues, country and gospel. These distinct styles eventually came together in Memphis, as people moved to the city from the countryside.
You’ll go on to find out how the music industry boomed in Memphis and how it influenced and was influenced in turn by social and political changes.
Did you know?
The museum is located on Beale Street in downtown Memphis. This street played a pivotal role in the history of the blues. From the 1920s to the 1940s a number of artists performed in venues along the street, helping to develop the Memphis Blues style.
Tour the Sun Studios
Tour the studios where Elvis Presley made his very first recording! In fact, these studios have played a very important role in the beginnings of a number of iconic careers, including those of Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison and Jerry Lee Lewis.
This is also said to be the studio where the very first rock ’n’ roll single was recorded – ‘Rocket 88’ by Jackie Brenton and His Delta Cats.
But the studio will forever be known for its association with Elvis Presley, who walked into the studio at 18 years old having just graduated from high school. And in 1956 it was the setting for an impromptu jam session between Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash and Carl Perkins, later dubbed the ‘Million Dollar Quartet’!
Did you know?
While the studio is a museum during the day, at night it still hosts recording sessions – a number of famous musicians have recorded here in more recent times including Def Leppard, Chris Isaak and U2.
