07/05/2026
For most of American history, church wasn't just where people worshipped.
It was where they learned to sing.
Long before music lessons, radio, or recording studios, churches and singing schools taught ordinary Americans harmony, shaped the sound of gospel music, and influenced everything from country music to rock and roll.
One thing this series changed for me is where I look for important stories.
We tend to assume history happens in famous places or big cities.
But from mountain communities and Delta towns to church fellowship halls, some of the biggest chapters in American culture started in places most people drive right past.
