You have so much music in your DNA that your blood work looks like a concerto. In fact, you’ve been known to hum in your sleep. Once you’re ready to pen the next great anthem, Memphis is an excellent place to gain inspiration. The roots of music are subterranean here, giving even the deepest of oaks along Beale Street a run for their money. Music in Memphis is what you might call a “big deal.” Here are just four places to get inspired to write a hit song in The River City:
1. Sun Studio
One of the most meaningful places to get inspiration to write a song is the legendary Sun Studio. This building is teeming with the stuff music folklore is made of. Elvis laid down some of his early tracks here (back when it was Memphis Recording Service), and stars like Johnny Cash and Roy Orbison also recorded songs at this location. Take a guided tour of the studio, soak in some of the music notes lingering in the air, and spend some time checking out the memorabilia. Once you’ve penned your own big hit, you may just become one of the artists to record here. The studio is still in operation, after all, and it will always remain the birth place of rock and roll.
Flights.com Tip: Check out this video from TN Vacation about the journey to write a song in Memphis:
2. Elvis’s Old Apartment
If The King is your musical spirit animal, you can draw yourself closer to Elvis by touring or even staying in one of his childhood homes. Apartment 328 where Mr. Presley lived with his family as a young man is in a complex called Lauderdale Courts that now bears the moniker Uptown Square. The space has been preserved in 1950’s theme. Imagine young Elvis with a guitar in his lap, humming what may have been the beginnings of “Hound Dog.” How can you not be inspired to unleash your own wild creativity here?
3. Stax Museum of American Soul Music
Still wondering how to get inspiration to write a song? There is perhaps no better place to nail down the chorus on your new R&B hit (and perfect your Mashed Potato moves) than this treasure trove of soul. Satellite Records, founded in 1957, later evolved into Stax Studios. It was in this hallowed studio space that stars like Otis Redding were discovered. Take the museum tour through exhibits like an authentic Mississippi Delta church, replicas of the original studio space, and a wall of Stax’s hit records. You’ll be feeling ready to produce your own smash hit in no time.
4. Stereo Alley
Back in the 1960’s, the city of Memphis named a small alleyway near 2nd Street “Stereo Alley” during a beautification effort as a wink to the city’s music tradition. A radio station would play songs in the space via their speaker system, giving the alley’s name real meaning. While the days of finding the alley thick with music are gone, the “Stereo Alley” sign remains. This quirky Memphis landmark may just provide the solitude you need to finish writing your own tune.
What are you waiting for? It’s time to grab a pen and some creativity and head to Memphis. If this music-rich city doesn’t inspire your next melody, nothing will.
