With bags in hand, a fair amount of mall-goers took a break from traditional shopping to learn about music Saturday.

The New Harmonies: Celebrating American Roots Music exhibit is part of the Smithsonian traveling exhibit and is currently taking place in the University Mall until Nov. 10.

The exhibit features live performances, listening stations and historical accounts of many genres of music including bluegrass, folk, country and blues.

An empty woman’s clothing store was transformed into the new home for the exhibit – privacy doors on old dressing rooms were removed to form listening stations complete with a stool and a CD player.

Pictures and historical accounts of some of the most influential musicians such as Woody Guthrie, Bob Dylan and Peter, Paul and Mary are scattered throughout the center of the room. Many of the mall-goers who stopped to take a look were fascinated by ingredients of the exhibits on display or due to their own interest in musical history.

Mohammed Jaafar, a recent graduate of SIU and Paducah native, said he stopped by the exhibit on his way to the health center.

Jaafar said he was intrigued to learn about the origins of the music he studied in his classes and saw the exhibit as being of strong importance.

“Especially with new generations who don’t know how we got to new sounds of new genres of music,” Jaafar said. “It would be nice if they added this information to music classes.”

Kobe Lewis, of Carbondale and fourth grader at Lewis Elementary school, said he stopped at the exhibit on his way to the arcade and was interested in musical instruments such as the guitar and drums.

“You get to play instruments and at the arcade you can’t,” Lewis said.

Robert Bramlett, of Eldorado, said he was drawn into the exhibit by the old records and an old jukebox in the display window.

“Been here quite a few times and never seen this store,” Bramlett said. “So I figured I would come in, check it out, see what they got in there; see what it is all about.”

While the new exhibit gave viewers every possible avenue to hear, read and see the music that bears an influential impact on all modern music, the exhibit also presented a chance to hear the artist’s music with a live performance.

Performer Chris Vallillo, of Macomb, said his job is to go to each of the six stops for the traveling exhibit and perform some of the roots music that is on display.

The live concerts took place on a make-shift stage at the far end of the room surrounded by three wooden benches where crowds enjoy the tunes.

Vallillo said knowing the history of music is essential for everyone.

“It is very important to have a clear understanding of where you come from if you want to understand where you are,” Vallillo said. “Musically, the music they are talking about here, this roots music, is virtually the soundtrack of that melting pot of America that we always talk about.”

Daily Egyptian writer Eugene Clark can be reached at 536-3311 ext. 275 or at [email protected].