Saturday, July 11, at 10:30 a.m., your Tennessee State Museum will present a special Storytime featuring authors Rachel Rodriguez and Kayley Nell Walker. They will read their new children’s book, “Music City Museums.” Have you ever wondered about the museums that call Nashville home? This fun new book takes readers on a grand adventure through the museums of Music City, including the Tennessee State Museum. Following the story, families can purchase copies of the book in the Museum Store, and the authors will be available for a book signing.
Rachel Rodriguez is a singer, songwriter, teaching artist, mentor, wife, and mother. She grew up in Michigan, belting out traditional mariachi and country music in her father’s band. After years of singing alongside her father, she decided it was time to branch out and find her own voice, which brought her to Nashville, Tennessee. In everything she does, Rachel strives to build community and celebrate her Latino culture. She is the creator and founder of Songs for My Little Amigos, a bilingual music and movement program for children. She partners with arts organizations to bring her culturally rich programming into schools, libraries, and other community spaces in Nashville and beyond. She’s received awards for her community involvement, entrepreneurship in music, and educational contributions.
Kayley Nell Walker is a singer-songwriter and music educator from Dallas, Texas. She earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Radio, Television, and Film from the University of North Texas. Since moving to Nashville in 2018, Kayley has performed her original music on NBC’s Today Show, as well as at the Bluebird Cafe and Tootsie’s Birthday Bash stage. She has led programming with nonprofits such as Cook Children’s Medical Center, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, Music for Seniors, and the Sing Me a Story Foundation. Kayley has been fortunate to receive several accolades, including a nomination for an Independent Music Award in New York City for her EP Wanderlust and a Nashville Songwriters Association International Top 40 selection. She is excited to encourage literacy among the youth of Nashville with this book and many more to come.
Mark Your Calendars now for these three upcoming programs:
Saturday, August 8, at 10:30 a.m. TN Writers | TN Stories: Timothy D. Johnson, “Robert Neyland: The West Point Engineer Who Built Tennessee Football” (University of Tennessee Press)
Saturday, September 12, 2026 at 10:30 a.m.: Lunch and Learn: “Stories in Stone: African American Contributions to the Construction of the Tennessee State Capitol” by Jeff Sellers, highlighting the contributions of George Dardis, a free African American porter employed at the Capitol during its construction.
Thursday, August 20, 2026, 12 Noon – 1 p.m. Joe Pagetta, “The Apostle of Tennessee: The Indefatigable Life and Ministry of Father Aloysius Orengo” (Vanderbilt University Press), in conversation with Katie Peterson.
You can watch your choice from dozens and dozens of videos of past presentations free anytime on the TSM website. And if you miss any of the four mentioned in this article, check back to see if / when they become available in the near future. Watch anytime at: https://tnmuseum.org/videos
