Musical Instrument Museum, Phoenix

Entryway

The Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix, Arizona left me wishing every city had its own version.  If I lived within driving distance, I would be visiting once or twice a month.  The museum, opened in 2010,  serves as a cultural center for music and music education in the area. If you can only visit once, plan for several hours. Bring a camera (non-flash photography is allowed) and comfortable shoes, and take a break for a meal in the middle of your visit.

Air Guitar!

Like many grand museum projects, the MIM is really too large to experience fully in one visit.  The sheer expanse of instruments and accessories is mind-boggling.  The primary principle of organization is geographic, with wings devoted to different continents and countries.  There is some attention paid to showcasing music by era--turn of the 19th-20th century America in one room, the rock era next door, for example.  There are also some displays that illustrate similar instruments across cultures and time periods.  Visitors can compare bowed strings or percussion instruments, for example.  Near the entrance, an extensive guitar exhibit showcases lutes and guitars from the Middle Ages through modern times, and even includes the ever-popular Air Guitar. 

The museum also displays a few particularly famous instruments, including the piano on which John Lennon composed "Imagine" and one of the giant drums used in the opening ceremonies of the Bejing Olympics.  Using the combination of technology and artifact that informs almost all the museum's displays, the Lennon exhibit provides a looping video of different artists covering "Imagine."

John Lennon wrote "Imagine" working on this piano

Drum from Bejing Olympics

Since sound is even more important here than in other museums, the MIM has pioneered a helpful and relatively easy-to-use listening mechanism.  Visitors don headgear and wear a transmitter that automatically picks up signals from the exhibits themselves. The system works well.  It's easy to forget that the music you're hearing is area-specific;  I found myself startled to lose the music I was enjoying at one station as I drifted towards another.  I also had the strange experience of picking up a strain of music while walking between exhibits, then having to search nearby stations to determine which was producing the music I just heard.


The stations themselves are, for the most part, inventive and interesting. Many rely on recent videos of native musicians playing instruments and seem to have been commissioned for this project.  There are, however, other inventive resources.  The station for Austria, for instance, illustrates traditional Austrian folk dance with a classic clip from The Sound of Music featuring Julie Andrews and Chrisopher Plummer teaching the Laendler to the Von Trapp children.  The Sousa/Band exhibit played an original newsreel of Sousa conducting a military band .

Octobasse

 The Octobasse is a popular spot for pictures.  A full octave lower than a string bass, this instrument was featured in the soundtrack for The Hunger Games.

As intriguing and crucial as the sounds are, the visual elements are also stunning.  The artistry of instrumental design pervades the museum, with intricately carved harps, magnificent bells, and even a Buck Owens flag-design guitar illustrating how artistically beautiful many instruments are to the eye as well as the ear.

Buck Owens' guitar

The Museum also includes an auditorium which is large enough for a decent crowd, yet small enough to foster a sense of intimacy between the audience and the musicians.  We attended a performance of the Stan Kenton Alumni Band here the night before our full museum visit and enjoyed a very pleasant evening and performance.  Visitors from out of town should definitely check the museum's calendar for performances or events of interest before coming to town.  You can also add their page on Facebook to receive updates and information.


The cafe was a bit crowded at lunch, but worth the wait.  Food is served cafeteria-style, but the selection is definitely more high-end than standard cafeteria fare.  The seating area overlooks the courtyard, providing a beautiful view.   I would definitely recommend a stop here as part of a full day at the museum.


The gift shop offered a collection of books about music, educational materials, and Christmas/holiday ornaments, along with a generous collection of CDs and DVDs of artists featured in MIM performances.


Finally, if you play piano and want to show off a bit, step up and play the open piano at one end of the entrance!

From the Museum Website:

 

Location
4725 E. Mayo Boulevard
Phoenix, AZ 85050

Phone: 480.478.6000 

Hours
Mon., Tue., Wed., and Sat.: 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Thu. and Fri.: 9:00 a.m.–9:00 p.m.
Sun.: 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.

MIM is open every day except Thanksgiving and Christmas days.  

Admission
Adults 18–64: $15.00
Seniors 65+: $13.00
Youths 6–17: $10.00
Children 5 and under: Free