The rest of the visit to MIM

   Wow, it has been a long time since we were here.  I am behind on my blogging.  I have decided that no matter what, I am going to post a blog every Wednesday and Saturday.  That way I know that anyone who really reads these will know that I have something to say on those days.  Wifi and cell signal can be a problem, but I can drive to where I need to.  Some places it is free and a great signal.  Some places, like Quartzsite, I can't even get Verizon on my phone to work.  I apologize.  Today we are back at Casa Grande's Encore.  I am using Wifi in the library.

      The picture above shows some of Adolph Sax's saxophones.  I put that here because I wanted a nice pic to show on FaceBook.  The last picture you saw in the last post was a lady playing a side knows flute.  The next display I am going to share with you was in the world music section of the museum.  This section celebrated music in the South Pacific-all those islands, including Hawaii.  I'm not sure at this point what to call this part of the world.  I came up with South Pacific because I am facing DVD's in the library, and one is called, "South Pacific."  It's a fun musical.

At this point of our visit I have realized I spent a lot of time, hours, at the first exhibits I went to.  So I started to go a little faster in my visit.  Below right you see some bean pods hanging on a stick.  I had some of these in the music classroom.  I didn't pull them out much because they were too loud!

The Ukuleles exhibit wasn't a part of Hawai'i's exhibit.  It was just it's own display around the island displays.  In this museum you will find displays based from countries, displays based on styles, displays based on a certain instrument, and displays on certain people.  I have a ukulele signed by Jake Shimabukuro.  He did a show in Fairbanks.  I had read he was featured at this museum, but I didn't see him here.

A quick trip through South America.  Pan pipes are one of my favorite instruments.  You can see more interesting stringed instruments.  I could have done a study just on stringed instruments.

This is so similar to the shekere found in Africa.  

Another example of a "found sound" instrument.

STEEL DRUMS!  I used to play with "Cold Steel" in Fairbanks.  These started as "found sound" instruments.  Originally created in Trinidad and Tobago (Not Jamaica) from leftover oil drums. 

     This shiny set made by David Beery, my good friend from Dave's Island Instruments.  I bought my ukulele from him.  He also makes hand pans. 

How about these home made instruments from Paraguay?  They made enough for a whole orchestra, then learned classical music!  Google it, great story.  For the love of music.

     This reminds me of the carrot clarinet you can see on You Tube.  A man drills holes into a carrot, adds a mouthpiece, and plays it.  Sounds just like a clarinet.  So, is it the mouthpiece that makes timbre?

     The next section of the museum was the United States/Canadian Gallery.  This showed how instruments shaped North America.  Let's start with Alice Cooper!  And Steinway.
   

   Audio Recording and Jazz.  The Jazz section was pretty extensive, just was running out of time.....

Dulcimers and Hand Bells

Remember my surprise when I saw no Taiko drumming in the Japan exhibit?  Well, it is in the United States that it has become popular.  Never knew that!!!!!

Read this and check out the instruments below.  Reuben and I saw these horns in Gettysburg and he did a report on them for 8th grade social studies.  We learned they were called Sax Horns because Adolph Sax had perfected them.  Where is his name here?????

Let's not forget the Frozen North and their instruments!  

Now we are in the Europe Gallery.  

Yes, because it was the first violin in the movie "Beethoven Lives Upstairs" who was conducting-following deaf Beethoven's conducting.

Cathedral music!  By this time I was kind of almost running through, didn't stop for the movies.

Well, look who we have here.  Adolf Sax.  He wasn't in the North America display on horns because he was from France!  Hitting myself in the head.......

Here they talk about the saxhorns.

I taught myself to play sax in high school so I could go on the band trip to Washington, DC.  lol.  Now my son plays, and is very good.  He can improvise, he's a natural. 

Bagpipes and accordions, NOT Richard's favorites.  

Downstairs is the Artist Gallery.  The first I saw was on Johnny Cash.

And finally, I found Jake on the ukulele.  But I forgot to take his picture!  lol.  Rushing for the last half hour.

 Black Eyed Peas.

 Elvis

I have a son who really appreciates music boxes.

A room where they work on the instruments, and a TV to watch what they are doing now.

Here is a room that had me hyperventilating.  I LOVE Gameleon orchestras.  I love the music.  Here was a room with the instruments all laid out to play.  I was by myself and too shy.  I did play just to hear the sounds, but I didn't do more than that.  There were other instruments like drums and such for people to experiment on, but I was only drawn to this set up.  The first time I heard it was in the first grade music listening piece in our music books where we were learning beat vs. no beat.

The final picture.  Good bye!  I'm coming back when I have more time!!!!!!!!

I will have something for you to read on Saturday, too!  Thanks for reading.