Cat Financial Contributes to the National Museum of African American Music

Caterpillar Financial Services Corporation (Cat Financial) is announcing a $1 million donation to the National Museum of African American Music (NMAAM) to support and promote the museum’s focus on education and youth outreach in the Nashville area. The newly built museum is a state-of-the-art gallery designed to engage audiences in hands-on experiences that inform and inspire fans and students. NMAAM’s mission is to educate the world, preserve the legacy, and celebrate the central role African Americans play in creating the American soundtrack.

“This contribution will expose thousands of Nashville youth to the museum,” said Cat Financial President Dave Walton. “Our partnership will foster a greater understanding and appreciation for the influence and impact of African Americans on music and enrich the dialogue between students and the community through unique, culture-driven experiences.”

As part of the contribution, Cat Financial will be a “Soundtrack for All” title sponsor, providing free access to thousands of Metro Nashville school students for field trips to the museum for guided tours and hands-on activities. Through “Soundtrack for All,” NMAAM will target schools where music education and museum access are limited. 

“We are excited to partner with Cat Financial to grow and build on the museum’s mission and educational programs,” said President and CEO of NMAAM H. Beecher Hicks, III. “Cat Financial’s contribution allows us to ensure the museum’s resources and influence continues to have a broader reach in the community and beyond.”

The contribution also promotes the museum’s “From Nothing to Something” (FN2S) online digital platform and “Rivers of Rhythm Institute for Social Education” (RRISE). NMAAM’s FN2S digital content engages students in examining, researching, and analyzing the history of African American musical innovation and its role in shaping American history. The donation also supports the further buildout of the Quaver Music adaption, a web-based animated platform that will help ensure students have access to and are aware of the rich education and cultural content preserved by NMAAM and will help to engage students on multiple levels. RRISE is an annual teacher training workshop that provides educators across the nation with access to curriculum development training and techniques/tactics for teaching African American history through music. Through Cat Financial’s support, the workshop will provide complimentary access to Metro Nashville educators. 

Cat Financial’s contribution will be distributed over the course of 10 years and will include ongoing employee engagement.   

About NMAAM

The National Museum of African American Music is the only museum dedicated solely to educating, preserving, and celebrating the influence African Americans have had on music. Based in Nashville, Tenn., as a part of the Fifth + Broadway development, the Museum shares the story of the American soundtrack by integrating history and interactive technology to bring musical heroes of the past into the present.