Musical Instrument Museum
Whether you like the sweet and rough sounds of jazz, the soulful sound of blues, or the passionate refrains of rock and roll, you must admit that music makes coping with life easier, and instruments make creating music easier.
When visiting Scottsdale, any music lover must check out Musical Instrument Museum. The museum offers seven fabulous galleries filled with musical instruments and history, as well as live concerts. There is something at MIM Phoenix for everyone’s musical tastes.
Galleries
The Geographic Galleries are a great place to start your tour of the Musical Instrument Museum. You can explore the world through its music by seeing instruments from many countries and learning about their cultural significance. One exhibit pairs traditional clothing with instruments from South Asia and the Middle East. An exhibit focusing on American music tells you the history of Martin and Steinway and gives you a glimpse of the life of Elvis Presley. You can also have a gander at the world’s largest sousaphone.
If you prefer to make your own music, you can visit The Experience and Encore Galleries, where you can play instruments from all over the world. Children and adults alike will love strumming a Burmese harp or tapping an African drum.
The STEM gallery finds an entertaining way to teach kids about science. The exhibit about the human ear will show you how we hear music, while the exhibit on sound explains the mathematics behind music.
Concerts
If you would rather hear music than analysis it, you may want to check out some of the concerts at MIM Phoenix. The soul, rhythm and blues and funk group, Take 6, is a frequent performer. The vocal group sings both acapella and with instrumental accompaniment, with perfect rhythm and harmony.
Artists who have performed at the Musical Instrument Museum include folk star Todd Snider and country star Corb Lund. The museum also offers several outdoor music experience festivals throughout the year, such as The Arizona Experience and the Caribbean Experience.
