One dreary winter day (as dreary as it can get in southern California) I heard a rumor that there was a magical place, far to the east, a new shrine to music from across the world! It’s true that nothing beats the blues like some music—even when it’s the Blues!—so I decided to glide across state lines to the Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix, Arizona!
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Unlike many beavers, who believe Chopin is the duty of an ax, I consider myself a connoisseur of good music, and from the moment I put on my museum-issued headphones, I started floating. These headphones were like magic! They picked up Wi-Fi signals from each exhibit so that you would hear the music of the displayed instruments as you approached! For instance, say you’re in the mood for a fiery flamenco or balmy bolero. Just step up to the Spain exhibit, and you’ll find yourself stomping your feet along with the castanets and the bailadora on the screen!
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Enraptured, I passed through six continents’ worth of music, discovering the sounds of so many different and wonderful instruments, from shofars to bouzoukis to pukaeas, but it was even more intriguing listening to the other visitors speaking different languages but tapping their toes in unison!
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Then, wonder of wonders, I found the South Korea exhibit! I started to get a little teary-eyed as I thought back to those summer Sundays by the pond with George, listening to the old man—I never learned his name—who played the daegeum in the park. Oh, and the festivals! Incheon was a big city even then, but during festivals, I could still catch the thunder of the buk! Buk will make your blood pound and blow away all doldrums and mundaneness! It’s hard to find music like this in the States, which is why I’m glad the Musical Instrument Museum exists!
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Even though this museum is still being built, its collection is world class! On display are instruments played by such contemporary artists as John Lennon, R. Carlos Nakai, John Denver, and Elvis Presley, not to mention having a whole room dedicated to mechanical instruments, including a massive, coin-operated orchestrion called Apollonia! When Apollonia lights up, she can drown out the rest of the museum for several minutes of automated, circusy delight!
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One could lose track of an entire day in the Musical Instrument Museum, whether listening to recorded tracks or going wild in the interactive room with its drums, keyboards, bells, and ever-so-much-fun theremin! As the Steinway in the hallway can attest, with its written invitation to be played, music is not just something to be displayed; it is something to be absorbed and embodied! I came away feeling super energized and ready for the new year of adventures! The next time you’re in the Phoenix area, give the Musical Instrument Museum a listen, and I guarantee it will move you!
Stay sharp!
