Students will examine the personal and broader political circumstances in which country stars Marty Stuart, Emmylou Harris, and Reba McEntire rose to fame during the 1970s, 80s, and 90s. At the same time as the United States was coming out of the Vietnam War and later the Cold War, country music and music technology more broadly  were changing. Newer musical influences out of California mixed with traditional southern roots and pushed country music’s boundaries. In this activity, students will encounter the genre's ongoing tension between old and new, and learn from working musicians about the struggle to stay true to one’s roots while simultaneously forging a new path.

Some historical overview of this period, included in the support materials, provides additional context about the period to offer perspective about these artists’ circumstances.