Under a blizzard of magazines, projects and books, was my father's wooden, New York World's Fair, marimba. It lived in our dining room, so it also served as a buffet table. Needless to say I didn't hear him play much. Dad owned a lumber yard and was busy supporting a family. Free time to play and practice was limited. He finally sold it to a friend and years later, that friend played hymns on it for his funeral. I wasn't sure if I was at church or a tiki lounge party. So fitting! Then their was my Mother. She was a pianist and it was all about classical music and hymns. Mom had a baby grand in all the houses I can remember. I can still picture her playing complicated pieces while I sat on the couch and soaked it all in. Lovely! My parent's four children had plenty of opportunity to play an instrument but few of us tried! My sister Nancy took up the violin in school. It was short lived. I asked my mother to teach me piano. She gave up in frustration due to my left handed ways. During a recent visit with my cousin Linrae, she reminded me that I actually took piano lessons with a teacher named Mrs. Pierce. It must have gone poorly since I don't even remember the lessons and I certainly don't know how to play anything today. Kurt and Eric, my brothers,well... to my knowledge, they didn't even try. BUT...music does feed my soul! It's a part of my everyday life. It relaxes, it frees, it connects. Music, from rock to world music, to the classics, flows through my studio and is a part of my creative process. So, combine music and world cultures in one large museum and I'm there! The Musical Instrument Museum, North of Phoenix, was the brainchild of former Target CEO, Robert Ulrich. Only six years old, the museum has a 16,000 strong collection of instruments from over 200 countries. The rooms are divided by regions and specialties. Multimedia displays allow you to experience the sounds, costumes and customs connected to the instruments on display. There is a room devoted to musical icons like Elvis Presley, Santana, John Lennon and more. How about a room full of automated instruments like player pianos, harmonicas ( who knew!) and one man bands. Want to play the weird and unearthly Theremin ? How about the Gamalon from Cambodia ? You can do it all and more in the hands on room. This is a museum you could easily spend 3 hours in, I only had two. I paced myself to make it through every continent. Africa in general and the Congo in specific was especially interesting to me. I lived in the Congo for a year in the early 80's and the sounds were familiar. The picture to the left is of bark-cloth. It was made for me by a man from the local Pygmy tribe in the village I lived in. I used it in the LEAP366 Life Ring to represent the museum. It speaks to me of mankind's ability to use nature for everyday survival and to make the instruments that have nourished every culture's soul for centuries. PS… In my musical defense, I did marry a man that played the tuba in high school. We produced a son that played the trumpet through most of high school, till he fell in love with theater and a daughter that majored in the oboe in college.
1 Comment
nancy quinn
1/14/2017 04:55:30 am
Is that a guy with bells on his back? What country was that?
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