by Cherie Yurco
When the Musical Instrument Museum (MIM) opens April 24th in Phoenix, Arizona, it will be the first truly global instrument museum in the world, boasting exhibits of instruments from every country and telling the compelling story of how music expresses the differences and commonalities of the world’s cultures.
The founder of the museum is Robert Ulrich, former Target CEO. The avid music lover and frequent museum visitor wanted to create a new museum to celebrate the rich diversity of music and culture.
"Our team has made enormous strides toward creating a museum like no other, where guests will see and hear how people everywhere share their experiences through music,” says Ulrich. The museum’s curatorial team scoured the world to collect more than 13,000 instruments, which are highlighted in five regional Geo-Galleries: Africa and the Middle East; Asia & Oceania; Europe; Latin America and Caribbean; and United States/Canada.
Additionally, an Artist Gallery features famous musical instruments linked to world-renowned musicians and music innovators like John Lennon’s Steinway upright, which he used to compose “Imagine” and other songs, and a 1926 Syrian oud made by luthier Antun Nahat, which was owned and played for many years by Palestinian master musician Simon Shaheen.
Because of Ulrich’s concerns about keeping the museum guest-friendly, the instruments are not displayed behind
glass and the Experience Gallery offers visitors a hands-on opportunity to play and hear a wide range of instruments. A window even allows the public to watch instrument maintenance and repair going on in the Conservation Lab.
Ulrich also envisions MIM as a place where world music history will be made. A 299-seat performance theater with state of the art acoustics will host performances, as well as films and seminars about music traditions. There is a cutting-edge recording studio to document memorable performances and historic encounters between celebrated world musicians and musical instruments.
Truly a multimedia experience, MIM guests may wear wireless headsets as they walk through the museum and learn about the instruments. As visitors approach a display, they hear the instruments—ranging from a full Indonesian gamelan orchestra to a massive early 20th century Decap Dance Organ containing actual instruments played by internal mechanisms. Photographs and videos allow immersion in each musical culture.
Museum admission is set low to allow as much accessibility as possible. Adult admission is $15 with discounts for seniors and children. For more information and a schedule of upcoming events visit the museum’s website:
www.themim.org.
