Smithsonian Exhibition Explores Roots Music Traditions   The DeSoto County Museum in cooperation with Mississippi Humanities Council will explore this and other aspects of America’s roots music as it hosts the local showing of New Harmonies: Celebrating American Roots Music, a Smithsonian Institution traveling exhibition. New Harmonies will be on view beginning December 17th, 2011 and continuing through January 26th, 2012. When you stop and listen, you quickly realize that music is all around us -- at a local festival, at a dance hall on a Saturday night, or on your radio or your .mp3 player. Whether you’re hearing blues, country western, folk, or gospel, American roots music reveals the American story – peoples reshaping themselves in a new and changing world. As Americans from a variety of heritages shared cultural influences, musicians found new ways to play unique sounds learned from new neighbors on traditional instruments. The inevitable intermingling of musical influences created exciting new sounds – new American music.     Special Events For New Harmonies   Dec 16th:  7p.m. Grand opening featuring the Hernando High School Madrigal Singers Dec 17th:  10:00a.m. Public opening of New Harmonies January 14th:  1p.m. The Life and Times of Robert Wilkins, Sr.  This lecture will be given by his daughter, Lane Wilkins.  Her grandfather is one of the most influential blue performers from DeSoto County and is featured with a Blues marker on the Mississippi Blues Trail.  He is also featured in the DeSoto County Museum’s new blues exhibit.  Miss Wilkins has written a biography about her grandfather and growing up in his home. January 21st:  Sacred Spaces  The performance of DeSoto County Sacred Harp Singers  11:00a.m  Dr. David Steele from Ole Miss will also speak during the performance about the history of this type of traditional shape-note singing. January 5, 12 , 19  7p.m.-9p.m.  Bluegrass at the cabin.  Live bluegrass will be performed and the museum will be open extra hours so guests can enjoy our weekly bluegrass performances while viewing New Harmonies. New Harmonies: Celebrating American Roots Music has been made possible locally by the DeSoto County Museum and by the Mississippi Humanities Council. New Harmonies: Celebrating American Roots Music is part of Museum on Main Street, a collaboration between the Smithsonian Institution and State Humanities Councils nationwide. Support for Museum on Main Street has been provided by the United States Congress.