MUSICAL INSTRUMENT MUSEUM

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT MUSEUM reaching new audiences globally

By Lisa Van Loo

PHOTO COURTESY OF © MIM

This year was supposed to be a big one for Musical Instrument Museum (MIM). Celebrations were planned to recognize the success of the museum over its first 10 years. But a pandemic made it a big year in a different way.

It’s been big for MIM’s reach. As COVID-19 sidelined in-person interactions, MIM moved programming online, allowing people as far away as Malaysia to enjoy it.

“We had such big plans for this year and felt like we were on the cusp of really being able to highlight MIM as a truly global institution and a resource not just for Arizona, but for the world,” Brian Dredla, director of education and public programs at MIM, says. “So it’s kind of cool to still be able to do that in some way.”

Digital curriculum and interactive virtual field trips developed for educators and students are attracting attention from schools in over a dozen different states, with more requests coming in each day. Virtual versions of experiences MIM is known for offering on site, like its early childhood program Mini Music Makers and its memory care program for seniors, have found traction online.

“It’s done really well to help us continue to be engaged with the parents and caregivers,” Dredla says of the Mini Music Makers class. “It’s also been nice to see this program find a new audience beyond our local area, which has been a little bit of a silver lining.”

Another silver lining? The special exhibition MIM opened in November of 2019 has been extended for another year, allowing more people to experience Congo Masks and Music: Masterpieces from Central Africa in a socially distanced way at the museum, where galleries have reopened with new safety measures in place.

And MIM still hopes to squeeze in an anniversary celebration before the end of 2020.

“We’re excited to celebrate our 10th anniversary, even if it looks a little different,” Dredla says.

For more information, visit mim.org.