Hanging Tree Guitars

BECAUSE THE MUSIC MATTERS

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OUR MISSION


The Music Maker Relief Foundation, a 501c3 non-profit, was founded to preserve the musical traditions of the South by directly supporting the musicians who make it, ensuring their voices will not be silenced by poverty and time.

Music Maker will give future generations access to their heritage through documentation and performance programs that build knowledge and appreciation of America’s musical traditions.

PROGRAMS


EDUCATION

Makes American musical heritage accessible to current and future generations through public exhibitions, youth engagement, and archival preservation.

PERFORMANCE

Supports artistic excellence through professional development, tour booking and management services.

SUSTENANCE

Provides ongoing support to artists living in chronic poverty and emergency grants to artists in crisis

What We’ve Accomplished


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Musician Grants

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Performances

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Songs Released

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Artists Supported

Meet the Music Makers

HEAR THE MUSIC MAKERS

Blue Muse is a musical testament to the 25 year history of the Music Maker Relief Foundation and its partner artists. The album features 21 tracks, most of which were recorded by Music Maker founder Timothy Duffy, that capture the infinite complexity of Traditional American Music

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EXHIBIT PROGRAMS

Music Maker’s exhibition programs educate and engage viewers in the cultural history of America’s music. The blues, gospel and string band traditions of the South have formed a deep aquifer of music that contemporary artists around the world draw from daily. The combination of photography and multi-media materials in each exhibit shine a light on the many unsung heroes that continue to feed these traditions in our nation and asks viewers to reflect on how poverty, geography, and age have limited the exposure of these artists, causing the widespread idea that our musical traditions have “died out”.

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FREEMAN VINES: HANGING TREE GUITARS »

Hanging Tree Guitars | Freeman Vines’ powerful work
HangingTreeGuitars.com

Greenville Museum of Art | Greenville, NC |  July 15, 2020 – March 6, 2021

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TIMOTHY DUFFY: BLUE MUSE »

Blue Muse | Premiered at New Orleans Museum of Art
BlueMuse.net

Danville Museum of Fine Art and History  | June 1, 2021 – August 28, 2021

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OUR LIVING PAST »

Our Living Past | Fine Art Photography OurLivingPast.com

Birthplace of Country Music | Bristol, VA |  April 4, 2021 – September 30, 2021

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WE ARE THE MUSIC MAKERS »

We Are The Music Makers | Celebrating American Culture WeAreTheMusicMakers.org

No current installation dates

Blog

Make It Funky: the Guitar Adventures of Robert Lee Coleman

By Scott Zuppardo When music fans think of Macon, Georgia, they instantly...

[Read More]

Take the Harmonica, Tell the World How You Feel

[caption id="attachment_9307" align="aligncenter" width="1563"] Sugar Harp performing his “down in the gutter,...

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Event Schedule

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SHOP MUSIC MAKER

Etta Baker – Railroad Bill 12” Vinyl

$20.00

Various Artists – Amazing Grace

$12.00

We are the Music Makers! 2-CD Set

$15.00

What is worth keeping is worth passing on,

help preserve American Music

Donate Today