1998
A non-profit organization, later to be named Soulsville, begins acquiring land on and around the original site of Stax Records (which bears only a historical marker declaring its worldwide significance) to build the Stax Museum of American Soul Music and Stax Music Academy.
February 2000
A "Stax tent revival" takes place at LeMoyne-Owen College when Soulsville holds a major press conference to announce that the project will move ahead.
June 2000
The first program of the Stax Music Academy, the SNAP! Summer Music Camp is held at nearby Stafford Elementary School for 75 neighborhood boys and girls. Participants include Stax legends Rufus and Carla Thomas.
April 2001
Members of the Soulsville Board and staff, joined by numerous former Stax artists, hold a massive public "Ground Shakin' Ground Breakin'" at the site to inaugurate construction for the project.
July 2002
Construction is finalized and doors open to the Stax Music Academy’s permanent facility neighboring the Stax Museum. The Academy is a jewel of the community—a two-story, 27,000 square foot, state-of-the-art urban learning center designed to enrich the lives of several hundred youth every year through music and mentoring.
September 2002
Several ensembles of the Stax Music Academy come together as the Sounds of Soulsville, a program designed to serve teens after-school and on the weekends during the school year.
Summer 2004
The Stax Music Academy is honored to welcome the participation of Stax legend Mavis Staples during the SNAP! Summer Music Camp and Grand Finale performance at the Orpheum Theatre. Ms. Staples is one of many renowned musicians and artists to give their time and talents to working with the students of the Stax Music Academy.
July 2005
As an outgrowth of Soulsville’s mission to continue serving at-risk youth in its community, The Soulsville Charter School opens within the Stax Music Academy building. It begins with one class of sixty 6th-graders, and features a curriculum heavily focused on rigorous academics.
March 2006
In an effort to target adolescents who are out of school during spring break, the Stax Music Academy launches SoulSchool: Spring Break, an intensive three-day series of master classes and workshops. Renowned composer, keyboardist, and producer Philippe Saisse joins us as the program’s first leader.
June 2006
The first Summer Soul Tour, presented by FedEx, takes a group of 14 exceptionally dedicated and hard-working students on a two-week cultural excursion through Italy and England. They perform at the Poretta Soul Festival, where they are met by rapturous crowds of soul music fans.
September 2006
Internationally renowned gospel and jazz saxophonist Kirk Whalum joins Soulsville as the Stax Music Academy’s first official Artist-in-Residence. Nearly 100 students register for the four ensembles that comprise our SNAP! AfterSchool program (formerly known as Sounds of Soulsville.)