Time for my Best of the Year picks! First up - Nonfiction.

As a musician, I love musical fiction. Here are some of my faves!

As a child, I categorized people by genres, eras, or media to remember them better. It helped me define how I felt about them and their impact on me. Without this, I would unfortunately forget them as soon as they were out of sight, and that still holds true today!

Long live the car crash hearts.

 “People fear what they don’t understand, hate what they can’t conquer Guess it’s just the theory of man”  

More than 100 youth and adults gathered in June for the first annual Youth Matters Gala & Showcase. 

A Special Message from Wishing Chair Productions

In Music City USA there can never be too much!

It's that time of year again! Time for the best reads ever.

Mr. Morale and The Big Steppers is the long awaited return of Kendrick Lamar. This album discusses what he was dealing with during his absence and the growth that came along with it. 

They dance. We read. Fun for all.

Here is my favorite type of book: the kind where you have to keep stopping to Google things.

Studio NPL Teams with Southern Word to Engage City’s Youth with Creative Workshops

A playlist of early house music available on Hoopla.

See Secor and His Old Crow Bandmates During String City on February 27

During this time of uncertainty, find comfort in your own version of funkytown.

6 great movie soundtracks and scores now streaming on Hoopla.

Dueling guitars? Sophmore slump? Aw, come on guys. We can do better than that!

I feel like I’ve been to church. And I want to go again.

We have lost The Professor. Neil Peart 1952-2020

'Tis the season to bust out some of the best tunes.

My favorite holiday tradition is watching an old Fruity Pebbles commercial in which Barney Rubble, disguised as Santa, tries to steal Fred Flintstone’s cereal. 

September of this year has come and gone, and so has 50 years since the release of the The Beatles' last and arguably most iconic album, Abbey Road. Read a little about the history of the album and about The Beatles in Nashville (separately unfortunately, never together). 

A little love letter from this 90's kid to her favorite CDs.

For two nights in January 1972, Aretha Franklin joined voices with the Southern California Community Choir at the New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Los Angeles. The recording event was filmed and after thirty-plus years of legal wrangling, it is finally available to wow us all.

This summer, some of NPL's awesome bloggers shared reading recommendations for the season for NPL's Unbound magazine. Here's round two! Be on the lookout for the final round in August.

5 must-watch music docs about women who rock.

A mix of sci-fi, fantasy, and horror to accompany you on your Summer Challenge journey.

I came for the book. I stayed for the album.

Just another Manic Monday...in song.

Teen Center staff and patrons geek out over their favorite books, movies, and music during Fandom Fest Month.

An NPL curated 90s teen horror movie soundtrack inspired playlist. 

It's my birthday and I'll write what I want to. Write what I want to...

An NPL curated Bitch Planet inspired playlist. 

Aretha Franklin, who began her singing career at her daddy’s New Bethel Baptist church in Detroit at age 10, died Thursday. She was 76.

Writer, writer. Who's the songwriter?

An NPL curated Summer Challenge inspired playlist from Teen Center staff and interns. 

If you've never heard of Frank Turner, let me introduce you to one of my all-time favorite musicians.

This dude has forgotten more about music then most of us ever knew. And now he's written about it.

He's a drummer! He's a biker! He's both and thanks to NPL you can read all about it.

Chances are good that you’ve heard library music at some point in your life and not known it.

Parent life got you feeling like your Music Festival days are behind you? Bring the kids to any one of our kid-friendly music shows this #NPLsummer 

Have you ever noticed how popular Indiana is in music? No? Well, you’re gonna need some tunes to make your summer road trip fly by!

In celebration of the Library's Summer Challenge theme of "Being a Reading Rockstar," this month's Nashville history post takes a look back at the arts' festival that used to entertain the streets of Nashville long before Lightning 100's "Live on the Green" was around...

What better way to kick off our musical Summer Challenge that with Sebastian Bach?

An NPL curated playlist of songs from funk queen Betty Davis.

There are a bevy of picture book biographies about musicians, artists, and singers from all genres! Add some rock, jazz, folk, swing, blues, and hip hop to your reading this summer for Summer Challenge!

No, his mind is not for rent. To any God or government...

An NPL curated holiday inspired playlist with original art. 

An NPL curated Halloween inspired playlist with liner notes. 

Nashville Public Library is excited to help celebrate the 125th anniversary of Ryman Auditorium and host Ryman Auditorium: Soul of Nashville, a brand new art exhibit exploring the iconic venue’s rich history. The exhibit is on display at NPL’s Main Library downtown from October 21 through February 25. 

Last week, libraries nationwide celebrated Banned Books week. This week, Nashville Public Library uniquely celebrates BAND Books.

Tom Petty, composer of the soundtrack to a generation of baby boomers—and beyond—died yesterday.

The birthday train rolls on and the music theme continues. 

Someone sitting at this keyboard has a birthday in September. So since this month is all about me, I’m going to write about what I love most – music. 

An NPL curated horror inspired playlist with original art. 

Glen Campbell died yesterday. While his death was not unexpected, it does give us pause to look back on his stellar career and graceful goodbye.

Chester, your music was gut-wrenchingly honest and you will be missed.

An NPL curated Star Trek inspired playlist with original art. 

If anyone exemplified southern music at its '70s best, it was Gregg Allman.

An NPL curated Twin Peaks inspired playlist with original art. 

Thirty years after the release of his most famous work, most people still don’t know the name Koji Kondo. This installment of the 33 ⅓ series goes a long way toward correcting that.

An NPL curated spring-themed playlist with original art.

Then you need to check out BoomBox, NPL’s local music streaming service.

If you like Americana music, you need to hear Mandolin Orange ASAP.

Listening to The Bird and the Rifle for the very first time, I spontaneously burst into tears during track six.  That’s some impressive song crafting.  

Shining a light on disco and hip-hop with the Netflix original series The Get Down!

Music has played and continues to play a vital role in civil rights movements, uniting and inspiring activists in their pursuit of justice and freedom.

The NPL BeyHive talks Beyoncé and the #LemonadeSyllabus.