over time, why instruments go in and out of popularity, the impact of technology on making instruments, and the impact of cultural shifts on making musical instruments.” In the retrofit, the MoMM team also broke out how the MI industry gets instruments into the hands of players, while also incorporating a “beyond the instruments” feature, where visitors can reflect on the impact of instruments as catalysts for change, sources of solace or art objects. The Museum of Making Music officially reopened in June 2021. “Response has been amazing ever since,” Grant said. “People love it. I witness that first- hand every day. It’s just amazing to watch people interact with our digital technology and say to each other, ‘I didn’t know that. Did you know that?’ It’s very satisfying.” Additionally, as a spotlight program of the NAMM Foundation, NAMM’s philanthropic arm, MoMM has become a mouthpiece for the work of the foundation, including getting more people interested in making music. “We highlight careers in music in our mu- seum, and we infuse the careers in music messaging into all of our school tours,” Grant said. “We interpret it for the younger kids, and then we also have a video piece that speaks to the middle school and high school kids. We also show our school groups firsthand the impact of music making.” CHANGING LIVES FOR A QUARTER-CENTURY Over the last 25 years, Grant said the Museum of Making Music has had many memorable moments — from an appearance by singer Mavis Staples to a culturally transcending musical experience with a West African kora player and a French cellist. But, she said, the most impactful moments happen each week when local school groups tour the museum. “Some of the kids who come through the museum are on a Title I tour program where we pay for all of the busing, offer free ad- mission, and provide pre-visit and post-visit packets,” she explained. “A lot of these kids haven’t been exposed very much to music. I remember one little girl saying she had never seen a piano before. We don’t realize how one touch of an instrument can spark a lifetime of music making. And now that we’ve been here 25 years, we occasionally have people come in who say, ‘I’m a music teacher because I was exposed to music when I came here to the museum as a kid.’ Those types of stories are very heartwarming.” To celebrate the 25th anniversary, MoMM is rolling out several special offerings, including 25th anniversary t-shirts, “Original Admission Day” where visitors are charged the original
admission price of $3 and 25-minute “speed” tours through the museum. For John Mlynczak, president and CEO of NAMM, the museum’s anniversary is a moment to reflect on its role in cel- ebrating both the past and present of the music industry. “The Museum of Making Music not only tells the history of music making and music products throughout time, but also showcases the best of today’s music industry,” Mlynczak said. “The brand-new interactive PRS Guitars exhibit is just one example of the hands-on experience our MoMM provides, allowing guests to play the
museum’s musical instruments and experi- ence the joy of making music firsthand.” For Grant, she said it’s hard to wrap her mind around the fact that the museum has hit the quarter-century mark. “A lot of times, when I try to explain the museum to people who are not involved, I almost have to say what we’re not. We’re not about celebrity. We’re not exclusively about the history of instruments,” Grant explained. “We’re about the process of providing the tools for human beings to express themselves through music. And that resonates with people at a very deep level.” MI
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