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By Tyler Diamond

Today I awoke to a chicken biscuit and then got on the bus and took off to Tupelo, Mississppi and the birth home of Elvis Presley. He lived here until he was 13 and moved to Memphis. We got to see the shot gun shack where he was born. It was interesting to see such humble beginnings.

We had lunch and then made our way to Memphis. Our first stop was the legendary Sun Studios where Elvis, Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis were discovered and created rock and roll. The tour was awesome and I especially liked seeing the old guitars. I, and some of my friends, were actually able to play our guitars on the spot where Elvis recorded “That’s All Right Mama!”

After Sun Studios we drove to the Mississippi River and played in a park along side the river. We also saw the famous pyramid of Memphis.

Our next stop was the Rock and Soul Museum where I learned so much about the different influences throughout the evolution of rock and roll from musician to  musician. I also learned more about the influence this music had on social issues.

We then had free time to explore Beale Street. I did some shopping and also went to the Gibson Guitar Factory and was in guitar heaven. We also had some very good bbq on Beale Street!

The night ended with us going to Alfred’s Blues Club where the whole group go to dance together to the classic rock and roll and blues music that was created in Memphis. Some of us were even able to get on stage and play some songs. It was an  incredible night and a great way for the group to bond and celebrate our journey.

Here are links to videos of Etgar 36 teens making their Beale Street debut at
Alfred’s Club:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUkVINK5EW0

(Brett H, Matt G, Tyler D, Benjamin S)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3XdmHGHnCA

(Andrew F, Tyler D, Cole M)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ScF5V838IOg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChSE6G7qiQo

From the moment I got the itinerary for the summer, I knew that the day in Mississippi and Tennessee would be one I would never forget.

After a 2.5 hour ride from Birmingham, Billy spoke into the loudspeaker on the bus and said, “Etgar 36, welcome to Tupelo, Mississippi – the birthplace of the King of Rock and Roll.” Then Elvis tunes came through the speakers. I sat singing with my friends and could barely wait any longer for the day to begin.

We arrived at Elvis’ birth home and spirits were high – especially amongst music enthusiasts such as me and my seat buddy, Sam Forman. We walked around Elvis’ birth home and sat in his white painted swing on the porch, saw his childhood church and even an old outhouse. Of course, most of us hit the gift shop to TCB (in Elvis’ honor – “take care of business”).

After lunch we were back on the road for the hour and a half ride to Memphis and the ability to add the Tennessee sticker to our window map. I fell fast asleep until Billy came on the loudspeaker and welcomed us to Memphis. He then played all types of music that was made in, or inspired by, Memphis. I must admit that lip-syncing has become my new hobby on the bus. Our first stop was at the legendary Sun Studios, where we saw such original and incredible things. I am still marveling over what I saw. Elvis’ original social security card was there! I even got to stand in the exact spot where Elvis stood to record the music that has influenced the world today. Hearing the snippets of music by the different artists reminded me of the play I saw and loved in Chicago called “The Million Dollar Quartet.” If it is possible, my appreciation for music increased as the day went on. We then had some free time to go explore Beale Street. This street seemed to me to be the essence of Memphis—live music, interesting stores, and food. I loved it and got some fun things in a few eclectic stores.

Gibson guitar factory

Our next stop was at the Smithsonian Rock and Soul Museum, where I had an unexpected surprise. Billy took me inside and introduced me to his friend and our tour guide who was originally from my hometown of Chicago and a huge Blackhawks fan, so we got to talk about hockey and celebrate their championship season.

After watching a movie about the connection between rock music and the Civil Rights movement, we explored the rooms of clothes, artifacts, and jukeboxes using MP3 players to get the history. I took great interest in the small section on the counter culture – a part of history I really enjoy.

Etgar 36 2010 Staff

Yes the day continued. I had a nice time at dinner where we ate at a place called “Hueys.” It was so different because people have been able to cover the walls with graffiti over the years, and the ceiling was covered with toothpicks that were shot up there through straws.

To end this exciting, inspiring, informative, music-filled day, we went to Alfred’s Blues Club located right on Beale Street. We danced to a live band and even some of our fellow Etgar 36 friends were able to get up on stage and sing and play guitar with the band. The night was both fun and different for me as I have never been in the South, let alone a blues club!

Etgar teens make their Beale Street debut on vocals onstage at Alfred's Blues Club	Etgar teens make their Beale Street debut on guitar onstage at Alfred's Blues Club

Upon leaving Alfreds, Beale Street had transformed into a bustling, bright space with people and motorcycles lining the curbs and music pouring out onto the streets and filling the air. I felt very special to experience the transformation and stand in such a unique place with new friends, a packed day that spoke to me so strongly, and more of a trip of a lifetime ahead of me. Tomorrow we are off to Graceland, the Civil Rights Museum, and Little Rock. Today was exactly as I hoped it would be. With love from Memphis!

Today was a day of legends in the living. After making my first waffle in the morning we left the state of Alabama and went to Mississippi. When we pulled into Tupelo, Elvis’ hometown, I didn’t know what to think.  It was as if someone had chosen some shabby shack fitting every Southern stereotype, and set up a museum behind it. I even saw some kids with a big inflatable tube heading to what I assume was a watering hole. They looked like something out of the Forties with their bare feet and highwater khakis. I couldn’t believe this was the home of one of the greatest musicians of all time. None of the area around Elvis’ birth home was very inspiring. It just looked like a run down rural neighborhood. Then I realized that greatness is not an acquired trait but it has to be inherent for someone to see that landscape every day and still have an incredible vision.

outside Elvis' birth home in Tupelo

Tupelo

After lunch in Tupelo, we headed to a musical mecca, Memphis. Our first stop was the rock and roll monument, Sun Studios. I stood where so many achieved greatness. We learned from the tour guide the legacy of Sam Phillips, the founder of Sun Records, as well as his prodigies: Elvis, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, etc.

on a tour of Sun Studios

the microphone used by Elvis

in the recording studio

After reading and learning about the cultural history of the area, we got to experience it as we headed to Beale Street for our free time. The sights and smells were great but it seems that, like everything in Memphis, it is the sound that drives the city. The Blues music that wafted out of every run down restaurant with flashy signs that seemed twice as valuable as the actual building, told the story of the area and people that struck a chord (no pun intended) in a blues lover like me. If eyes are the windows to the soul, I feel that music is the highway to the heart. I have never been able to understand the pure emotion I get from listening to music, especially live, but it is always exhilarating to feel that emotion coursing through me like electricity. I felt that electricity walking on Beale Street.  I felt it at the Smithsonian Rock and Soul museum that we visited and I definitely felt it at night when we got to go to Alfred’s Blues Bar to listen to live rock and roll on the street that helped shape the creation of that art form.  Memphis became a place that I wont forget!

Rock and Soul Museum	dancing at a blues club on Beale Street	Nathan playing onstage
singing along with the live music

After waking up on time, we ate a great breakfast and loaded the bus to head over to Elvis Presley’s birth home in Tupelo, Mississippi. We got to see the house he grew up in as well as visit the amazing Elvis gift shop next door.

We then all gathered at a nearby picnic bench area where Billy shared all of his incredible knowledge of Rock and Roll music and how it originated. After singing along to “Walking In Memphis” we had our delicious Subway sandwich lunches. Twenty minutes later, we were on our way to Sun Studios where we got a fascinating tour of the studio. We learned about all of the musical legends affiliated with the studio such as Elvis, Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis and the history of the studio. We even got to stand and take pictures in the exact spot that many famous musicians recorded their hit songs.

We then went to Beale Street and got free time to explore and shop. After this we went to the Smithsonian Rock and Soul Museum where we learned even more about how rock and roll was created and its place in the Civil Rights struggle.

After that we walked to Huey’s where we ate an extraordinary Memphis dinner. To end the musical day we went to a park off of Beale Street where we were able to dance the night away to a live Blues band. We all had a great time!

Singing along with “Mustang Sally”

Today we started by leaving Birmingham and traveling to Tupelo… the birth home of Elvis Presley. We walked around his shotgun shack house and read about his elementary school years. Billy also led a discussion with us on the history of rock and roll and the importance of this music in bringing the black and white cultures together.

We then continued up the road to Memphis. We began at Sun Studios, where such legends as Elvis, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and BB King got their starts and created rock and roll.

We then had some free time to explore Beale Street, the city’s main entertainment district. This was followed by a visit to the Smithsonian Rock and Soul Museum which explained the significance of Rock and Roll to our culture.

After dinner we finished the night at Rum Boogie Café where we heard a legendary live Blues band and had a great time dancing the night away to the music we had been studying all day.