Celebrating America’s Soundtrack

American culture birthed a number of music styles that have come to define the country’s sound. From folk to blues to rock and roll, these are the genres that make up what we know as Americana music.

Its namesake organization supports the genre as a non-profit trade organization. Originally started in 1999, the Americana Music Association began as a group of like-minded fans and industry executives that set out to create an infrastructure for musicians who play American roots music, in addition to publishing airplay charts and conducting market research.

The Americana Music Festival began in 2000 and has become a centerpiece event for the genre. The festival runs for five days across a number of venues around Nashville, holding a conference during the day with workshops, panels and networking sessions for people in the music industry. Being Nashville, the city is filled with venues built specifically for roots music, as well as plenty of nightlife for after the concerts.

This year’s festival has a packed lineup including Billy Bragg, Wanda Jackson, Sam Outlaw and more. The keynote speaker will be T Bone Burnett, music producer and touring guitarist for Bob Dylan.