Photo: Entrance of the Musical Instrument Museum

I recently showed several photos of the exterior and some of the exhibitions of the Musical Instrument Museum. This is a photo of part of the entry hall.  Most of the geographic-themed galleries are upstairs, with a balcony that looks down on the ground floor.  The special exhibition galleries, gift shop, restaurant, musical theater, and galleries where people can play and experiment with instruments.

This week we have photos of Vienna, Austria, posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Photo: Exterior of Musical Instrument Museum

A week or so ago I posted several photos from the Musical Instrument Museum.  Here is a wider shot of the building exterior.   The front entrance way is adorned with desert plants and a soothing water feature.  At times they have special events and outdoor concerts in the plaza of the MIM.

This week we have photos of  the architecture of Lisbon, Portugal, posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Photo: MIM Argentina Exhibit

This is the Argentina exhibit at the Musical Instrument Museum.  My husband and I underwrote this exhibit because we wanted to donate to support the MIM, and Dave's son lives in Argentina, and our daughter-in-law is Argentine.

Of course Argentina has an outstanding musical tradition, with Tango being the most famous.

Today is Sunday, so we have new photos posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.  This week we are showing photos of the architecture of Portugal.

Photo: MIM Exhibit

The displays at the Musical Instrument are interesting for much more than the musical sounds produced by such a diverse collection of instruments.  The musical instruments on display are a reflection of the culture of each country.

This week we have photos from our recent cruise in Mexico's Sea of Cortez posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Photo: Malaysia Exhibit at the Musical Instrument Museum

The exhibits at the MIM are arranged geographically.  In addition to a collection of musical instruments from the country, each exhibit has a map that shows where the country is, as is shown in the top left of this photo.

The most appealing aspect of the displays is that each visitor is given a set of headphones to use, and the audio system works automatically.  Once you walk near an exhibit, you hear the musical instruments being played in performance videos that also are displayed on video screens.

This week we have photos from our recent cruise in Mexico's Sea of Cortez posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Photo: The Musical Instrument Museum

The Musical Instrument Museum is a world-class museum in north Phoenix, very near Scottsdale.

It is much more than a collection of musical instruments, and I will show a few photos of the interior in the coming days.  This is a photo of the entrance to the MIM.

This week we have photos from our recent cruise in Mexico's Sea of Cortez posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Photo: Ghost Playing the Piano?

When we took our backstage tour at the Musical Instrument Museum Theater, the lone piano on stage was playing itself, as these depressed keys show.

The concert grand pianos at Phoenix Symphony Hall are Steinways.  The MIM Theater has this Yamaha grand piano.  I am sure musicians have their preferences.

Vladimir Horowitz used to travel with his own Steinway concert grand rather than use whatever piano was in the venues in which he played.  The Steinway dealer in Scottsdale years ago had the Horowitz concert grand piano on display while the piano was on tour, and people could make reservations to take turns playing it, which my husband and his sons did.

This week we are showing photos of the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca, Morocco on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Photo: Musical Instrument Museum Theater Control Room and Stage

I have shown a few photos of an exhibition at the Musical Instrument Museum during the last few days, so here is a view of the control room at the back of the Musical Instrument Museum Theater, looking down to the solitary piano on stage.

Everything at the MIM theater is rather new and seems to take advantage of modern electronics.  My husband and I took a backstage tour of the Sydney Opera House about a year ago and we were surprised to learn that the control and lighting electronics have not been updated since the Opera House was opened in 1973.  They said that touring production people do not know how to work the equipment because they have never used equipment so old.

This week we are showing photos of the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca, Morocco on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Photo: Madonna's Outfit

I mentioned that my husband took a few iPhone photos of the outfits on display at the Musical Instrument Museum.

I wonder why he took a photo of this?  He is not a fan of Madonna.  We have different tastes in music.  He sometimes explains that his musical tastes stopped developing at the time of Woodstock.  That is an exaggeration, but unfortunately only a slight exaggeration.

Today is Sunday, so we have new photos posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.  This week we are showing photos of the monumental and beautiful Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca, Morocco.

Photo: Lady Gaga's Meat Dress

This is the dress made of meat famously worn by Lady Gaga.  I don't know how they preserve it.  I don't need to know.  There will never be a dress made of meat in my closet.

A closer view of the dress is shown below.  It was rather tricky to get these photos because of the reflections in the glass display case.

The Women Who Rock exhibition at the Musical Instrument Museum was curated by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland.  It will be on display until April.

Tomorrow I will show what is undoubtedly one of the most famous outfits worn by a female pop/rock star.  I will let you speculate for a day on which one it is.

This week photos of the architecture of Ronda, Spain, posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Photo: Cher's outfit at the Musical Instrument Museum

We attended a reception last week at the Musical Instrument Museum.  They are currently showing a special exhibition entitled "Women Who Rock."  It features the music, memorabilia, and clothes of female rock stars, going back to the girl groups of the 1950's through the present.

Dave took a few iPhone photos, including this display featuring one of Cher's outfits.  What other iconic outfits of female rock/pop stars do you think that they had on display?   I will show two of the most famous tomorrow and the following day.

This week photos of the architecture of Ronda, Spain, posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Photo: Backstage at the Musical Instrument Museum Theater

Our backstage tour of the Musical Instrument Museum Theater included this view, not surprisingly, of the backstage area.  The doors on the left open to the stage and audience.

Because this is a musical theater and a relatively small venue, seating about 300, the backstage area does not have to be very large.  There will not be elaborate sets or lighting, as the focus is on the music.

This week we are showing photos of the remarkable street art of Valparaiso, Chile, on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Photo: Musical Instrument Museum Green Room

This is a view of one of the green rooms that we saw during our tour of the back stage area of the Musical Instrument Museum Theater.  This room is part of a lounge for food service for performers other than the headliners, who have access to private dressing rooms.

The MIM is a fairly new venue for artists to perform.  One of the assets that the MIM has cultivated is a favorable reputation in the musical performance community industry so that performers and their agents will through word of mouth tell their colleagues how favorable their experience was in performing at the MIM so that others will want to perform here as well.

The MIM has been successful in establishing a favorable reputation and artists are now inquiring about opportunities to perform here because they have heard such wonderful things about the MIM and its theater.

This week we are showing photos of Valparaiso, Chile, which has the most extensive and talented street art of any place we have visited, on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Photo: Musical Instrument Museum Theater

This is a photo of the side wall of the Musical Instrument Museum Theater.  The acoustics are exceptional.  I assume that these horizontal wooden slats are part of the reason for the excellent acoustics, but they are also aesthetically pleasing.

This week we are showing photos of Valparaiso, Chile, which has the most extensive and talented street art of any place we have visited, on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Photo: MIM Theater Control Room

This is one of the panels of electronics in the control room of the Musical Instrument Museum Theater.  

When I think of the wires behind our stereo system components and our computer equipment, I would hate to think of how they keep all of wires, plugs and connections straight.

This week we have photos of the colonial architecture of Grenada, Nicaragua, posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Photo: The Control Room of the MIM Theater

Here is another photo from the backstage tour of the theater at the Musical Instrument Museum.  This shows the control room, looking down to the stage far below.

The operator of the control booth has two computer monitors with multiple views of the theater.

This week we have photos of the colonial architecture of Grenada, Nicaragua, posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Photo: Backstage Corridor at the Musical Instrument Museum Theater

Here is another photo from the backstage tour of the Musical Instrument Museum Theater.  I showed a series of these photos about a month or so ago.

This is the corridor that leads from the Green Rooms to the back of the stage, and from the receiving dock to the main part of the museum.

It is traditional for visiting stars to sign their names or leave photos or posters for hanging in the corridors back stage at theaters where they have performed.  Back stage areas at theaters thus record some of the people who have performed there.

Although the MIM is only a few years old, it is developing a gallery of talented, distinguished artists who have graced its stage, as shown in this photo.

This week we have photos of Galway, Ireland and the Cliffs of Moher posted  on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Photo: What the Sound Engineer Is Reading

When we did our backstage tour of the MIM Music Theater, there was a book laying on a table near the soundboard.  Of course I was curious what book the sound engineer was reading.

I guess it should not be a surprise that the book was the "Handbook for Sound Engineers; The New Audio Cyclopedia."

The book looks a little dry.  It is not what I would call a late night page-turner.  But, making recordings and executing concert performances is evidently a lot of detailed, concentrated work, rather than being all show business glamour.

This week we are showing photos of Paris on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site, including photos of several of its museums.

Photo: The Soundboard

This is a closer view of the soundboard in the control room area of the Musical Instrument Museum theater.  I don't understand how there could be so many different buttons and levers to control, but I am sure that it makes a difference to the discerning ear.

The MIM Music Theater was designed for recording as well as live performances. Here is a link to an article about the first recording made at the theater, which was a performance by violinist Joshua Bell and pianist Jeremy Denk entilted "French Impressions."

Today is Sunday, so we have new photos posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.  This week we are showing photos of Paris, featuring some of its museums.

Photo: Sound Engineer

The control room complex in the back of the theater at the Musical Instrument Museum includes this little room for the sound engineer.  Unlike the control room that I showed yesterday, there are no windows in this room and the technician cannot see what is happening on stage, except through a monitor.

I will show a closer view of the soundboard tomorrow, followed by a sneak peak at the book that the sound engineer was apparently reading at the time of our visit.

This week we have photos of Tanzania posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.