It’s often been said that music is the universal language. Now, the recently opened Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix makes it possible to see how this language has evolved throughout the globe.
Matt Dawson is the senior project manager for the museum, and he says the MIM is the largest instrument museum in the world. At 200,000 square feet, the imposing building is spectacular in size and in ambition. Dawson says that at an initial project cost of about 250 million dollars the museum has brought together more than 10,000 musical instruments from around the world. “Our mission is global [and] we aim to represent every country of the world, along with it’s musical traditions.”
The galleries are arranged according to continents, countries, and cultural traditions. As you make your way through the extensive exhibition space it’s possible to see how the various strains of musical languages cross-pollinated one another as they migrated around the globe.
An important feature of the experience here is being able to hear and see the musical instruments that are on display. Wireless headsets allow visitors to hear the music as they move through the MIM, and the films and video of musicians performing in their natural settings provide samples of the music.
Also, an acoustically tuned theatre provides a venue for live performances, and an interactive room gives visitors an opportunity to explore many of the instruments present in the museum.
The Musical Instrument Museum is a place where the young and the old, the uninitiated and the knowledgeable, can explore and experience the rich diversity of the world’s music and musical instruments.
Visit the museum website here: The MIM
The Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix, Arizona, USA.
MIM | 4725 E. Mayo Blvd. | Phoenix, AZ 85050 | 480.478.6000
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