Our jaws dropped when we heard about the new Musical Instrument Museum opening next month in Phoenix. And we were so excited to hear that Lotus Festival veteran and Indiana University Folklore/Ethnomusicology program survivor Sunni Fass is taking the artistic helm of the museum's live music space as artistic and managing director of the MIM Music Theater. We asked her basic questions. She provided thoughtful answers:
What is MIM?
MIM (
Musical Instrument Museum) is a brand-new museum and venue opening in Phoenix, Arizona on April 24, 2010. MIM boasts close to 200,000 square feet focused entirely on music and musical instruments from around the globe, and permanent exhibitions with will feature at least one exhibit for every single country in the world (plus certain territories), complete with an immersive A/V experience that brings instruments to life. Other exhibits highlight instrument-making, cross-cultural examination of various instrument types, or “celebrity” instruments used by significant performers from around the world. Our total collection currently houses over 10,000 instruments.
In addition to its exhibitions, MIM will also be a center for live performance of the world’s music. The Music Theater at MIM is a state-of-the-art, intimate venue that seats approximately 300 and treats both audiences and artists to unparalleled acoustics and unforgettable encounters.
MIM is unique. There is no other institution or instrument collection in the world that presents such a breadth and scope of musical culture, on such a large scale.
Our Mission: The Musical Instrument Museum (MIM) celebrates the similarities and differences of the world's cultures as expressed through music, which is common to us all. With musical instruments from every country in the world, MIM will pay homage to the history and diversity of instruments and introduce museum guests to their varied and unique sounds. MIM will be an engaging, entertaining, and informative experience, in which the uninitiated and the knowledgeable, the young and the old will feel welcome.
Museum guests will gain an appreciation for both the musical similarities and unique differences among divergent cultures, countries, and ethnicities through state-of-the-art exhibits. Integrated audio and video experiences will enable guests to appreciate the sounds of instruments from around the world as well as to see these instruments played in their cultural context.
How much “world music” presence will the museum have?What we traditionally refer to as “world music” will be the bread and butter of MIM and lies at the core of our mission. The breadth and balance of information presented about every region of the world is absolutely unique in the world of museums, and this breadth will be echoed in the Music Theater. MIM’s “world music” presence will be extraordinary.
Tell us about the physical performance space?
The MIM Music Theater seats 300 and is a recital hall-style space with amazing acoustics and intimate artist-audience engagement. The stage is approximately 1200 square feet, with no curtains, and it has the option of a full-size retractable screen that will enable artists to incorporate multimedia elements into a performance or enable MIM to use the space to screen films, documentaries, etc. MIM has a state-of-the-art Meyer sound system and a live-sound setup featuring some of the best equipment available in the industry, as well as a total recording solution that incorporates top-notch audio and video capture and live broadcast capabilities. For artist comfort and convenience, MIM’s back-of-house spaces are immediately adjacent to the stage and feature spacious dressing room and green room options, plus a loading dock within feet of the stage door.
How much live performance do you expect to have? The MIM Music Theater will have a full, year-round presenting schedule and feature both a summer season and a “main” season. At present, the anticipated density of live performance is up to 12-15 performances per month, with a combination of national and international touring artists as well as several regular series of artists from Arizona and the Southwest region. MIM will also rent the Theater space for shows presented by third-party promoters.
What kinds of acts do you expect to book?MIM will present the world’s music – period. Our seasons will regularly feature “world music,” jazz, Americana, classical music, and a host of other genres – traditional and contemporary – side by side in the schedule. We are a prestigious space for established “headliner” artists to perform, as well as a great space for emerging artists to get noticed on the scene.
Although the space is primarily designed for smaller acoustic ensembles or solo performance, it is also beautifully adaptable for mid-size or amplified groups, and even some dance. We will work with artists to achieve the best-possible production values in the hall.
MIM Music Theater Mission Statement: The Music Theater at the Musical Instrument Museum (MIM) will celebrate global musical diversity through the live presentation of high-quality traditional, contemporary, instrumental, and vocal music from all regions of the world. Bringing exhibits and exhibit themes to life, the MIM Music Theater will present concerts and educational events that are engaging, entertaining, and informative for audiences of all ages and tastes. The MIM Music Theater is committed to providing a world-class experience for guests and performers alike.
What other types of programming (live and exhibit) will MIM have?MIM will have over 250 exhibits that feature instruments from literally every country in the world. A rich A/V experience is a component of every exhibit, as well as costumes and other artifacts that are integral parts of musical culture. MIM will also present special and themed exhibits, temporary traveling exhibits, as well as an Artists Gallery for instruments connected to significant musicians from all over the world. Our visible Conservation Lab will give visitors a glimpse into the world of instrument preservation and restoration.
MIM will also have an exciting and accessible educational program that will reach families, K-12 students, university students and faculty, retired/senior populations, and general visitors of all ages. A centerpiece of this program is our hands-on Experience Gallery, where guests can experiment with music-making on instruments from all over the world. Examples of other educational offerings include classes, school tours, in-gallery demonstrations, outreach activities, and special docent-led tours. With a full slate of educational and public programs, MIM expects to become a center of learning and experience related to the world’s musical cultures. MIM will also be a center for scholarly research, via our extraordinary instrument collection as well as our library and A/V archive.
How was MIM started? MIM was founded by Bob Ulrich, formerly the CEO of the Target Corporation. MIM is an established 501(c)3 private operating foundation and will actively pursue a wide range of charitable contributions.
What else are you most excited about with MIM?
First of all, our collections are brought to life in a completely unique way. In most museums that have musical instrument collections, instruments are objects of beauty but that’s all you get – you rarely get to experience them as living, breathing things. At MIM, we have put an emphasis on context and the human side of the musical equation, as well as the sounds. Our instruments are displayed in ensembles so that people can get a sense of how they’re really used, rather than just seeing 30 flutes lined up on a wall. Our labels and interpretive materials tell stories about how these instruments function as a part of real life, for real people. And the video components add rich dimensions that are almost never communicated in a museum setting – How is the instrument held? Who is playing it? What are they wearing? Who is listening? Are people dancing? What’s the total musical and social environment of which this instrument is a part? You get all of that and more at MIM – plus the live performance element in the Theater, where it’s so intimate that you feel like you’re in your living room with these amazing artists.
Second, I love that our scope is truly global and that we take a balanced approach to our entire collection equally. Many museums have non-Western instruments in their collections, but those are rarely treated with the same depth of information as their Amati violins or other Western art instruments. At MIM, we present a level playing field – all of our instruments, from our historic European brasswinds to our extraordinary ensembles from the Mongolian steppes, are given the same thoughtful, rich presentation with the same wealth of information and discussion of why these instruments are special and meaningful and worthy of being in a museum. Even down to details like knowing the name of the instrument maker – unlike other institutions where non-Western instruments are usually “Anonymous,” we are taking pains to recognize the names and identities of as many of these artisans as possible.
This same perspective makes our Music Theater unique as well. Rather than separating out a category like “world music” from other labels like “classical” or “jazz” or “Western,” we are breaking down the walls and tossing out the quotation marks. MIM celebrates and presents the world’s music. All of it. It’s all world music – better yet, it’s all music. MIM connects. It’s refreshing.
We’re opening on April 24th, 2010 – come visit us! In the meantime, check out our website and especially the introductory video and virtual tour, both on our home page. They’re inspiring.
Thanks, Sunni, for answering our questions!
DubMC.com is the brainchild of Dmitri Vietze and is sponsored by rock paper scissors, inc., global music publicity firm.
