The Birthplace of Country Music showcases Bristol, Virginia and Bristol, Tennessee’s role in the birth and development of country music through the Birthplace of Country Music Museum, the Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion music festival, WBCM Radio Bristol, and a multitude of community and educational outreach programs. The Museum is an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, and tells the story of the 1927 Bristol Sessions recordings by the Carter Family, Jimmie Rodgers, Ernest V. Stoneman, and others – recordings that were influential in shaping the sounds and practices of early commercial country music. Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion takes place every September and includes over 100 bands on more than 15 stages in Downtown Historic Bristol. Radio Bristol is broadcasted live from the Museum and can be listened to locally and online.