Lyon County Museum Director Jennifer Andries demonstrates an interactive feature at a new exhibit on music in Lyon County. A touch screen will let visitors play short videos featuring popular bands that performed in Lyon County in the past.

MARSHALL — Music has been part of life in Lyon County communities from the very start, Lyon County Museum director Jennifer Andries said.

“Community bands came about early on,” Andries said. Cities like Marshall, Russell, Tracy, and more all had community bands in their history. “A lot of them started in the late 1800s or early 1900s.”

The legacy of music in Lyon County, from city bands to local rock bands, will be the focus of a new temporary exhibit at the Lyon County Museum. The new exhibit, “Sounds of Lyon County,” will have an opening reception next weekend.

The exhibit, located in the conference room on the museum’s second floor, focuses on the local and regional bands that have performed in area communities over the years. There are also posters and artifacts related to the area ballrooms where people would come to enjoy the music.

Andries said the idea for “Sounds of Lyon County” was a suggestion that came from members of the Lyon County Historical Society.

“We asked our members what temporary exhibits they would like to see,” Andries said. Members were interested in the history of local ballrooms and bands.

“Sounds of Lyon County” features both items from the museum’s collection, and items on loan from individuals and other museums in Lyon County, Andries said.

There are many facets of music in Lyon County communities that are included in the exhibit. There are items and photos representing city bands, as well as bands at local high schools and at Southwest Minnesota State University.

Many of the posters and items on display focus on popular music, like local bands and ballrooms.

“This year, the Lyon County Museum received several Blue Moon Ballroom posters, donated by JoAnn Skorupan,” Andries said. Skorupan is the granddaughter of Pete and Hilda Brantman, who owned the Blue Moon Ballroom in Marshall from 1938 to 1973. The ballroom, located at the Lyon County fairgrounds, hosted performances by some big name bands in its heyday. The ballroom burned down in 1981.

Other items on display, like posters for local bands like the Marvelous Marauders, the Sensational Sleepers and the Cavemen were loaned to the museum by Tony Texley and Gary Peterson, Andries said.

The family of Irv Peterson loaned or donated items related to Peterson Music Co., Irv’s business that was based in Marshall, as well as to bands Irv was involved with, Andries said. Irv Peterson was part of the Sammy Jensen Orchestra, and later went on to lead the band in the 1980s. In 1998, the Sammy Jensen Orchestra was inducted into the Minnesota Music Hall of Fame.

In addition to seeing artifacts and band memorabilia, museum visitors can read more about the history of bands that played in southwest Minnesota, thanks to stories collected by Tom Tourville. Tourville’s writings on different bands will be in binders for visitors to read.

An interactive touch screen in the exhibit will let visitors play short videos featuring music or performance footage of some of the bands. The exhibit will also give visitors a chance to share their own stories and memories, Andries said.

The opening reception for “Sounds of Lyon County” will be from 4-6 p.m. on Nov. 8, and from 2-4 p.m. on Nov. 9. Light refreshments will be served.

Andries said organizers wanted to open the exhibit in November, so people would be able to see it while they were checking out holiday events at the museum. “Sounds of Lyon County” will be open through the winter and spring, she said.