Musical Insturment Museum

           Despite the various ethnicities, cultures, and dialects that are scattered throughout every nation, music is the ultimate form of art. Because there is no language barrier, the Musical InstrumentMuseum (MIM) presents the history and diversity of musical instruments from every corner of the world. Consisting of over 15,000 instruments, the MIM faculty collaborated with over two hundred countries and territories in an effort to obtain a better understanding of musical culture and rare equipment. Furnished with multiple activities and places to explore, the MIM attracts musicians, young students, and tourist from around the globe in spite of higher admission fees compared to most museums. General cost for adults including senior citizens are $18.00, and teens (13-19) fees are $14.00. Children from the ages 4-12 are $10.00, and anything thing under is free. Under certain circumstances such as group school tours, the MIM shows educational support and charges students, K-12, $8.00. On top of admissions, the MIM provides an abundance of events within their own state of the art music theatre. Shows such as the Preservation Hall Jazz Band’s Creole Christmas are only one of many events that take place on a regular basis, and tickets usually range from $30-$50. Similarly, productions concentrated on music education for specific interest also take place and do not require excess fees. For example, the ASU Contemporary Percussion Ensemble will perform on November 28^th, presenting a demonstration of technique and college level performance in percussion. In any case, the MIM is a refuge for any and all (non) musicians interested in learning about how the rest of the world expresses musical art. Interestingly, the MIM performs very well with technology and has revolutionized the museum. Before entering further to the galleries, wireless headsets are provided to guests that loop constant streams of music for different sections of the museum. As someone approaches an exhibit, the headset picks up the hotspot signal for that particular station, and a monitor displays information about the instrument, how it is played, and where it came from. As soon as visitors step foot into the museum, they are immersed into a foreign world cultivated by creativity and skill. On the first floor of the museum, the orientation gallery emphasizes the movement of musical instruments from around the world and also has a hands-on experience gallery where guests can play unique instruments including the Burmese harp, African drums, primeval xylophones made of wood, and even a magnetic field that produces sound waves. On the second floor, guests are given access to different regions around the globe giving details about how music was derived and how it has contributed to its overall evolution. The Musical Instrument Museum is truly a fascinating facility, and is one of a kind among other museums.