[1] The Blair String Quartet was established in 1967 by founding members Stephen Clapp, Lee Kull, Sheldon Kurland, and David Vanderkooi, and would go on to be named finalist in the 1986 International Naumburg Competition.

[1] As a feature of its location in Nashville, Blair became the first National Association of Schools of Music accredited institution to offer academic credit for the study of banjo and fiddle.

[1] Through the initiative of Chancellor Alexander Heard in 1981, Vanderbilt began offering undergraduate programs at Blair as part of a wider liberal arts curriculum.

[1] The Blair School of Music Conversation Series was established in 1995, bringing Chet Atkins as its first guest to Vanderbilt for interview style lectures with students.

[1] The same year, the Voice Department established the Mary Cortner Ragland Trust, dedicated to bringing artists of renown to campus for recitals and masterclasses.

[13] Constructed as part of the Blakemore Avenue building expansion in 2001, the Cyrus Daniel Choral Hall is an 80-seat venue equipped with interactive technology, optimized for recitals, masterclasses, rehearsals, workshops and large classes.

[14] Named to honor Anne Potter Wilson by the Vanderbilt Board of Trust in 1987, the 8,000-square-foot (740 m2) library holds 108,000+ books, scores, sound and video recordings, and subscriptions to more than 150 journals.

[17] Previous BMI composers in-residence include Robert Beaser, William Bolcom, George Crumb, Richard Danielpour, Michael Daugherty, Mario Davidovsky, Lukas Foss, John Harbison, Karel Husa, Steven Mackey, Donald Martino, Cindy McTee, Bernard Rands, Christopher Rouse, Joseph Schwantner, Michael Torke, and Joan Tower.