A group of 12 PebbleCreek art club members and their guests experienced a special outing on February 15 to the Musical Instrument Museum at Tatum and the 101 in North Scottsdale. This facility is ranked as the only one of its kind in the world in scope and capacity. The group enjoyed a one-hour docent led tour of the facility which houses nearly 15,000 musical instruments from every country in the world. They were able to experience the state of the art interactive audio/visual system which enables the museum goer to hear and feel the creative spirit of people of all ethnicities as they play their native instruments.
The MIM is rated the number one attraction in Phoenix by reviewers on TripAdvisor.com and is one that can be enjoyed by visitors of all ages.
In addition to the around the world geographical musical experience is the Artist Gallery which highlights the legacy of some of music’s most influential artists. In the Experience Gallery, visitors can have a hands-on interaction with instruments such as the Burmese harp. The Mechanical Gallery lets you watch and listen to the 25-foot-wide Belgian made Appallonia dance organ featuring hundreds of pipes which sounds off at a pre-determined time each day.
Of special appeal during this outing was the Stradivarius: Origins and Legacy of the Greatest Violin Maker which is being featured at the MIM through June 5, 2016, and will appear nowhere else in the U.S.A. These timeless masterpieces were handcrafted by skilled artisans of Cremona, Italy including Andrea Amati, the founding father of the violin; the rogue genius Guarneri del Gesu and, of course, the maestro himself, Antonio Stradivari. On display are one-of-a-kind treasures many of which have been valued for millions of dollars. The exhibit shows the step by step process taken in the making of each rare treasure. The MIM will have an Experience Italy weekend on June 4 and 5 to celebrate Italian music and culture.