Musical Instrument Museum – Not Just About the Instruments

Phoenix, Arizona.

Last week’s Travel Tuesday featured a visit to the Musical Instrument Museum and I promised to feature more about the performers who play those instruments that entertain us so. You can review last week’s post here. My first indication that the museum features performers came when I walked around a corner and entered a gallery that featured a large exhibit featuring Johnny Cash and the Carter Family. The videos featured in each of the performer’s displays usually contain small snippets of several of their more popular recordings. In addition to the instruments on display, as you can see in the above photo, Johnny Cash won a grammy for at least one of the record albums on display.

Sometimes, only a single item is displayed featuring a singular performer. The John Lennon exhibit features only a single item, the piano he used to compose the song “Imagine”. The piano was completely encased in plexiglas. That’s unusual for the museum as most instruments are completely out in the open in their display cases. I wondered whether the enclosure was a necessity to keep people from being able to say they played the piano that once helped create a John Lennon masterpiece.

One of the largest displays belongs to the popular performer, Taylor Swift. Her display is only eclipsed in size by Elvis Presley’s display. No doubt the size of her exhibit is a testament to her popularity. The museum features music of all genres. Indeed complete sections feature artists and their instruments that are known for their ties to a specific genre. Artists and instruments from all over the world are featured. Allow a full day to visit the museum. You’ll be glad you did.

The gallery of images below features but a small number of performers and their memorabilia. Click on an image to enlarge it and to scroll through the gallery.