Nolan Stolz set out from his home in Spartanburg, S.C., last July to tour Route 66.
Nine months and 20,000 miles later, he was in Stroud last week, making one of his stops to harvest inspiration for a musical suite he plans to write about The Mother Road for its 100th anniversary.
An associate professor of music at University of South Carolina Upstate, Stolz wrote a suite for the 100th anniversary of the Lincoln Highway, which ran from New York to San Francisco.
“I wanted to write another big orchestral piece inspired by an historic highway,” he said. “And Route 66 was the obvious choice.
“It’s the most famous highway in the world, really, and with it turning 100 in 2026, I wanted to write a Route 66 suite.”
Stolz has toured the highway to visit sites and locations, such as Mud College between Davenport and Stroud and to attend a movie at the H&S Theater in Chandler.
He takes photos, videos and notes, which he will take back to his studio for inspiration when begins composing the suite.
“Right now, I am just document what I see and what I find interesting,”he said. “ I see what it looks now, imagine what it used to be like.
“Each movement of the suite will be on a different aspect of Route 66 that I find interesting. The final movement I’m going to title “The Show Must Go On.” and it will be inspired by old theaters.”
He said the opening movement will be “AD 1926,” inspired by how he thinks buildings and the highway would have looked like when it opened.
Stolz said he plans to begin composing in August and hopes to have the suite finished for orchestras to play during the highway’s centennial.
“It’s very difficult to get into a creative groove while traveling like this,” he said. “Although things are inspiring, I really need to focus. When I am composing, I like to com pose all day, 15 hours at a time.”
Stolz said those who would like to hear the suite should follow orchestras’ schedules in the spring of 2026 to see which will play it.