FOR MUSEUM MEMBERS
VOLUME 6 ISSUE 1 FALL 2021
museum of making music a division of the
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Foundation.
director’s note
A Team Beyond Compare As I write this message, I am somewhat overwhelmed at the thought of trying to communicate everything that has happened since our last newsletter. In some ways it seems as though a long time has passed; in other ways it feels as though no time has passed at all…months compressing into days, weeks into hours, and days into minutes. But in fact, it has been almost two years since our last NOTES newsletter was mailed. In that issue we excitedly announced details of our Museum Renovation Project. I remember it well; we knew we had a big job ahead of us! But never did we expect that the most extensive project in the Museum’s history would be carried out during the worst pandemic in American history. Now, all these months later, this new issue helps us bookend an experience we will not soon forget. It was back in March of 2020 that words such as coronavirus, closure, loss, pivot, work-from-home, quarantine, protocols, isolation, cancellation, and Zoom started comingling with terms such as redesign, remodel, rebrand, budget, subcontractor, messaging, artifacts, and displays. Strange bedfellows to be sure. But any doubts I may have had about if-and-how this could all work together turned out to be fleeting. Within days of the first stay-at-home order, we had reorganized our workspaces and habits, and were ready to keep
Left to right: Jonathan Piper, Jillian Harrington, Bill Kilpatrick, Carolyn Grant, Alisa Mize, Allison Hargis, Dave Liggett, and B.J. Morgan
moving forward. And move forward we did, with—at the center of it all—a powerful staff team comprised of Bill “Mr. Bill” Kilpatrick, Allison Hargis, Jillian Harrington, Dave Liggett, Alisa Mize, B.J. Morgan, and Jonathan Piper. Immediately after we closed on March 13, 2020, their quick, smart, and creative minds went into high gear, to be outdone only by their shared compassion, patience, understanding, and camaraderie. From raising the funds, writing all the exhibition text, and programming and producing the multiple touchscreens, to sourcing the music clips, photographs, oral histories, and factory footage, and retraining the volunteers, this team pulled together and performed at the highest level. The result? A fresh, unique museum experience! One where you can dive into the stories behind the instruments, gain new perspectives, deepen your appreciation for music making, and heighten your awareness of the role you yourself play in this intricate ecosystem. If you’ve already had a chance to come by and see the new galleries, I’d love to hear your feedback. And if you’re planning a visit, please ask for me when you get here. I’d love to say hello. And make sure to congratulate this amazing team. carolyn grant, executive director
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renovation
Kudos to Our Renovation Partners Consider a modern orchestra for a moment. The average size of a professional concert orchestra is about 65 musicians. Each of those musicians possesses a level of mastery on a specific instrument and the ability to translate notes on a page into a unique musical experience. Alone, one musician in an orchestra is, quite literally, one in 65—a very small part of the whole. The magic of orchestras, of course, is that all these individual musicians come together, collaborating to produce a work that is truly greater than the sum of its parts. That’s the way we feel about the Museum’s recent renovation: a remarkable group of individuals got together, working in harmony, and applied their time and talent to translate conceptual ideas into a physical reality. Welcome to the exciting, newly renovated galleries of the Museum of Making Music! We want to take a moment to thank all the “performers”— our orchestra—who had a role in bringing the renovation to completion. A rousing ovation is due for: architect Beatriz Viedma of Archmony Design, who worked closely with staff and stakeholders to create the blueprint of our vision; Caley Miller and Dirk DaCosta of Burger Construction whose team translated those drawings into physical being; Tami Stewart, museum professional, who kept us organized and focused; Esdras Hernandez, whose virtual video renderings helped capture the spirit of the project before the first hammer was swung; Leah Roschke of StudioGrafik, whose creativity provided a visual identity for the Museum; and Nate and Meghan DeYoung of Workhorse Signs + Graphics, who took the visual designs and made them a reality. Keep the applause com-
ing for: Seth Jiles of Jiles Woodworks, who produced the hand-crafted shelves and stands where the artifacts now reside; Dave Peck of Reelin’ in the Years for his music video contributions; Steve Haas of SH Acoustics for introducing our team to the world of museum acoustics and for lending his time and knowledge to help us fine tune the aural experience; James A. Gielow of Spark & Anvil and Lib Tallman for the beautiful display mounts; and Chris Ryan/Ryan Video Productions, Sonny Portacio, Tim Whitehouse, and Caroline Stephens for helping to create, capture, and catalog this transformation on photo and video. And we need a curtain call to thank our immediate NAMM family who went far beyond their day-to-day roles to ensure the success of the renovation: Phil Janikowski, whose experience and knowledge helped build bridges (and more!) between the museum world and construction community; Andy Tompkins, Pete Johnston, and the MarCom team for breathing life into the ambitious immersive video experience; Chalise Zolezzi, Samantha Prince, and Elizabeth Dale for sharing our voices and vision with the world; Dan Kessler, Peter Chan, and Chris Valdez for their IT support and making sure all components could connect; and the Resource Center Team, Dan Del Fiorentino, Ashley Allison, and Michael Mullins, for opening up NAMM’s Oral History archive so that we could better inform the public about the world of making music. An orchestra indeed! To everyone who played their part, whether listed here or not (there are so many!), we thank you! Let the music begin… b.j. morgan, marketing manager
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StudioGrafik D E S I G N
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Alone, one musician in an orchestra is, quite literally, one in 65—a very small part of the whole. The magic of orchestras, of course, is that all these individual musicians come together, collaborating to produce a work that is truly greater than the sum of its parts.
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development
Benefit Concert: A Rare and Exquisite Evening We are overjoyed and honored to have welcomed the inimitable Emmylou Harris as our featured performer at this year’s benefit concert fundraiser. A rare West Coast appearance for Harris, the fundraiser was held at the Belly Up Tavern in Solana Beach on October 6, 2021. You’re probably already familiar with her music, but here are a few more details about this iconic singer and songwriter. She is a 14-time GRAMMY Award-winner and a Billboard Century Award recipient, who has recorded more than 25 albums and has lent her talents to countless fellow artists’ recordings. In recognition of her remarkable career—one that has spanned 40 years—Harris was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2008 and earned a GRAMMY Lifetime Achievement award in 2018. What do our benefit concerts support? Our education programs! Each year we invest more than $100,000 to support
educational programs that impact thousands of children from diverse economic and cultural backgrounds. The October 6 evening included a VIP reception, a live auction, and a special performance by Lisa Sanders and Brown Sugar to kick off the evening. A special thanks to our committee of tireless volunteers who help make this event happen, including Mary Jo Barend, Marlene Blas, Jacinta Brunkala, Françoise Dahod, Sandy Guendert, Rosemarie Kubes, Evelyn Lipson-Radom, Sandy Radom, and June Western. Additionally, a huge thank you to all of our private donors, company sponsors, and those who purchased tickets. The evening raised $158,00 in support of the Museum’s work! alisa mize, development officer
Emmylou Harris October 6, 2021 Belly Up Tavern 6
membership
Your Membership Means So Much More Now, more than ever—after navigating this recent difficult period yet still completing a full renovation—we ask that you reflect on what it means to have the Museum of Making Music in your community. We hope you consider enhancing your membership—and your impact —today. Thank you for your support!
A full list of benefits can be found online: museumofmakingmusic.org/join/membership Membership support is critical to our ongoing Museum operations, but the impact goes further than that. Your membership dollars also provide vital funding for our many outreach programs. As a member, you currently help support: • 8,000 students who tour the Museum in person or virtually each year, with most receiving free admission and transportation. Student outreach averages $30,000 annually. • 300 adult amateur musicians who enhance their lives each week through the Museum’s band and orchestra programs. Scholarship support averages $5,000 annually. • A partnership with San Pasqual Academy which provides an intensive, hands-on music program for foster teens. This partnership averages $15,000 annually. • Core gallery displays and temporary exhibitions which make us a vibrant learning environment for our visitors and patrons. Exhibition expenses average $75,000 annually.
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It’s Easy to Upgrade Your Membership! Have you thought about upgrading from a basic Individual or Family membership to our Enhanced Membership Packages? There are many benefits including concert tickets, behindthe-scenes opportunities, and special tours. Any balance left on your current membership fee will be applied to your enhanced membership level! Enhanced levels include: Museum Advocates who love and appreciate music and want to share the Museum with friends. Learning Track for individuals fascinated by exhibitions, instruments, and behind-the-scenes stories. Listening Track which includes Museum concert benefits. And if you are looking to make an even deeper impact through cause-driven work, please consider the exclusive Visionary Track level membership which helps us “Play It Forward” through music, or the Sustaining Track which enables us to carry out our mission every day.
check us OUT!
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exhibitions
Information Architecture In case you haven’t heard it enough already, things have changed significantly in the Museum’s exhibition spaces. And we do mean significantly. Beyond new galleries, new displays, new interactive instruments, and much more, we completely reimagined our storylines to focus on the Museum’s mission: to explore and showcase the accomplishments and impact of the music and sound products industry. It was not an easy task…because there are so many accomplishments with far-ranging impacts that we needed to consider. There really was a dizzying number of stories for us to choose from. But a museum is far more than a collection of stories (and artifacts, of course). It’s also an experience of moving through space and processing content. People move and process differently, which means that we couldn’t just design the galleries for one person’s experience. We worked to structure content in a way that would allow any visitor to find what they were looking for, and to tailor their experience based on their own individual needs. There’s a term that has stuck with me from my previous life in software that I think sums up this approach: information architecture. This can mean different things depending on who you ask, but I like this definition from Peter Morville: “the structural design of shared information environments…the art and science of shaping information products and experiences to support usability and findability.”
In other words: how do we organize the wealth of information we want to share about the music and sound products industry to make it approachable, digestible, and navigable for as many different audiences as possible? Stay with me! To start, we developed a hierarchy—often used in museums—of primary, secondary, and tertiary information. Primary information gives a broad sense of a presentation; ideally, someone could visit the Museum, consume only primary information, and still have a good sense of what we’re all about and the stories we’re telling. Visitors to the Museum will see primary information panels located at the entrance to each gallery. Secondary information clarifies and describes, letting audiences know about specific parts of a presentation. This corresponds to the text panels introducing each of the various displays within the galleries. Tertiary information drills down to specific, in-depth details. This content had previously been located on physical labels placed inside rails around each display, but we’ve now shifted tertiary information entirely to our new interactive touchscreen kiosks (which we call “digital rails”). For example: let’s say you walk into the Museum’s first gallery, “Making the Instruments.” You are immediately presented with primary information in the form of a large, floor-to-ceiling panel. This panel tells you what the gallery is about—the big theme. If you looked at nothing else, you at least know that this part of the Museum presented stories about how instruments are made: how they change and why.
How do we organize the wealth of information we want to share about the music and sound products industry to make it approachable, digestible, and navigable for as many different audiences as possible? 10
But if you head over to a display, you would find a smaller wall-mounted panel with secondary information headed by a title such as “Being Heard.” This panel tells you specifically about how and why guitars changed. (Hint: as ensembles and venues grew, musicians needed to be heard.) Finally, if one of the specific guitars on display catches your eye, or if you want to learn more details about the changes that luthiers made to their guitars, you can dive into the digital rail to explore even more information. The tertiary level. With this structure in place, visitors can effectively craft their own experience of the Museum. They can choose where and when to dig in, whether that’s learning more about a favorite topic, exploring something new, or—a visitor after my own heart—reading every single word they can. jonathan piper, phd, curator
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With this structure in place, visitors can effectively craft their own experience of the Museum. They can choose where and when to dig in, whether that’s learning more about a favorite topic, exploring something new, or— a visitor after my own heart— reading every single word they can.
volunteers
Renovated Galleries Mean Reimagined Docent Tours
“We will come back; we need to spend more time.” HAPPY MUSEUM VISITOR
For those of us in the Museum’s Education department, we knew a major renovation of the galleries meant that a major “renovation” in the way our volunteers conduct museum tours would be necessary as well. With the construction phase of the renovation scheduled to begin in September 2020, we decided to get a head start on the volunteer training by beginning a few months prior to that, in June 2020. And remember, from the beginning, this volunteer training session was going to be different: completely reimagined galleries meant completely redesigned tours. So instead of our usual summer “MoMM 101” training for new volunteers, the sessions required the attendance of all volunteers, re-
gardless of tenure. From charter volunteers to those who signed on just before the classes began, everyone was required to complete the volunteer training course. Of course, what we didn’t plan on—no one did—was the COVID-19 pandemic beginning in mid March of 2020. But like everyone else, we figured out a way. Adapted. Pivoted. And to say I am extremely proud of the way both staff and volunteers took up the challenge—would be an understatement. Zoom helped. Actually, Zoom became our favorite word around here. And thankfully, Allison Hargis took the lead in helping us navigate and use Google Drive to offer class assignments to enhance the learning experience. And true to form, our “can do” volunteers—over 60 in all—said “yes” to the prospect of distance learning. They did indeed take up the daunting challenge of learning about the content in the renovated galleries: hundreds of artifacts, dozens of performance videos, new oral history videos, factory footage videos… And not only did they learn about the new exhibitions, they also learned how to present all of this material to our visitors in an engaging and entertaining way. No small task! This amazing group stayed with us week after week to absorb all the material we presented. I said earlier that I was proud of them—and I meant it! That was then, and this is now. Visitors are back, and our volunteers are back in the galleries, giving tours. We get lots of visitor comments, way too many to print here. But I’ll share my favorite: "We will come back; we need to spend more time." That’s music to our ears! Again, I cannot say “Thank You!” enough to this group of dedicated volunteers who selflessly give of their time and talents. They have been called “the heartbeat of the Museum” and the MoMM staff couldn’t agree more! bill “mr bill” kilpatrick, programs coordinator
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education
Our “Virtual” Field Trip Program Thirty kids on Zoom, questionable internet, mute buttons, chat function, and a virtual drum circle. What could go wrong? Plenty. But plenty can go right too! With some students attending classes virtually, entire schools unable to take field trips, and many too far to ever visit, we felt it was perfect timing to launch our first Virtual Field Trip Program. If they couldn’t come to us, we would go to them! And the best part—it was TOTALLY FREE for participants! Thanks to a grant from the Sahm Family Foundation, we were able to develop a virtual tour program featuring a series of educational videos. These videos can be presented live by a member of the MoMM team or sent directly to educators to watch on-demand. The video suite includes a 20-minute guided tour of the Museum galleries as well as three STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, math) units. These STEAM units explore the language of music and the science of sound, and include a career-based approach on finding one’s place in the music industry. So, what does a tour of the Museum, given to a class of third-graders, via Zoom, look like? Well, it takes twice as much work and three times as much patience to keep kids engaged over a screen. We had the kids for an hour and were completely exhausted! (So a HUGE shout out to all the educators who taught virtually this last school year!!) Anyway, a Zoom field trip may have its challenges, but when else can a kid snack on Doritos while touring our Museum? In addition to live commentary during the videos, our educators also provided instrument demonstrations, facilitated a Q&A, and became really good at the phrase “can you please unmute yourself?” After launching in April, the program saw more than 4,000 students participate. From local elementary schools who missed their annual visit to charter schools created for permanent distance learning and new schools visiting us from the East Coast, we were so happy to see our Museum reach—and continue reaching—beyond our walls. jillian harrington (whose regular job is live music and artist relations but who stepped up to the plate during the shutdown to develop this signature program!)
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concerts
Live Music Returns “I’m so sorry, but we are canceling your show.” These are words a musician never wants to hear. And yet, beginning in March 2020, those words played on repeat until there were no gigs left to cancel. It was devastating, confusing, and overwhelming. Though, through it all, one theme emerged— musicians are a RESILIENT bunch. Many musicians pivoted to online streaming, some buried themselves in studio work, others found new professions altogether. The stories are many. A guitarist who had never heard of an “audio interface” now found herself producing high-quality live streams from her bedroom. A touring artist who spent his entire career on the road finally had the time to cut that album he’d been dreaming about. A trumpet player with a passion for fitness became a personal trainer to help others stay healthy. As I watched this unfold, I knew that when the time was right, live music would come back better than ever. And finally, slowly but surely, shows are back on the books. And I’ve never been so excited to say a few simple words: “What time are you arriving for sound check?”
So, What’s Coming Up? We are cautiously optimistic about our upcoming season. While we won’t kick into full gear quite yet, we will at least be making steps in the right direction! On September 9, we hosted our first live performance with an exhilarating set by guitarist Jackie Venson. And mark your calendar for November 12 for a rescheduled date with our friend Albert Lee! The BIG news is that we received a generous grant from The Conrad Prebys Foundation to support a new live music program we are calling “The San Diego Sound Project.” This program aims to directly support a group of musicians that has always supported us—San Diego County musicians. Specifically, the series features early- to mid-career professional musicians who have never headlined at MoMM. It is
After nearly all his gigs were cancelled due to the pandemic, trumpet player Andrew Elstob used his passion for fitness to also become a personal trainer. our hope that we can help this new crop of musicians gain momentum. Working with an advisory committee composed of faculty from local colleges and universities, we have selected an amazing line-up of artists that you won’t want to miss. And, as an added bonus, we record an in-depth interview with each artist in advance of the show date. Called Show Notes, these interviews are available on the Museum's website, Facebook page, and YouTube channel. Check our website for the latest artists, dates, and details. And not to worry if you aren’t ready to come back. We totally understand! All concerts will have a live stream option thanks to the support of the City of Carlsbad Cultural Arts Office. We can’t wait to see you—in person or online! jillian harrington, live music & artist relations
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adult education
We’re Getting the Band Back Together! Our members’ connection to music is strong. Our band and orchestra programs are continuing outdoors for the next few months. If you’d like more information, please visit www.museumofmakingmusic.org/education When the Museum closed on March 13, 2020, so did all our in-person music programs, most notably our North Coastal New Horizons Band and North Coast Strings Orchestra programs. But not even a global pandemic could stop the music… Within two weeks of closure, both groups had pivoted to the now ubiquitous online Zoom format. New to us at the time, we all quickly learned how to create our accounts, use a camera, create backgrounds, mute and unmute, change screen views, chat, share screens, and more. However, even with all that technology, we quickly became aware of one major drawback: it is impossible to successfully play music together in real time on Zoom due to lag time issues. So the search for more options began. The orchestra participated in online music enrichment classes, and many members also enrolled in a Grossmont Community College course on music history. Once the stay-at-home order was lifted, one of the members offered her tennis court as a rehearsal space. So every Saturday for an entire year, 25 musicians gathered—masked and distanced—with their instruments in hand. They practiced and played, all the while serenaded by the sound of birds, planes, helicopters, and traffic—and could not have been happier.
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Members of the band participated in several virtual events such as the “President’s Own” Marine Band play-along on YouTube and “Taps Across America.” Zoom recitals—in which band members chose short pieces to prepare and play for one another—became a regular activity and helped motivate the group. As vaccinations became available, band members got together and formed splinter groups in parks and garages all over North County. Several small groups recorded videos of themselves playing duets together to share at our Zoom recitals. Starting in July, after the Museum reopened to the public, we were ready to also relaunch our onsite rehearsals. Not quite ready to be inside, we decided to hold rehearsals under the solar panels in the parking lot in front of the building. Throughout the summer, three nights a week, the band and orchestra rehearsed, often providing some unexpected entertainment for passing dog-walkers, ocean gazers, and employees. Final concerts took place outside in September with family and friends gathered to celebrate and share the musicians’ joy. allison hargis, education manager
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NON-PROFIT ORG U. S . P O S TAG E PAID P E R M I T N O. 2 4 5 C A R L S B A D, C A
Come visit our new gallery spaces!
www.museumofmakingmusic.org general info 760.438.5996 tickets 760.304.5844 cover : Emmylou Harris graced the crowd at MoMM's fundraiser at the Belly Up Tavern page 7 : Jackie Venson brought live music back to MoMM with her recent electrifying performance photos : Timothy Whitehouse (cover), Ismael Quintanilla III (p. 7) Sonny Portacio (back cover) design : Leah Roschke, StudioGrafik THE MUSEUM OF MAKING MUSIC, A 501(C)(3) NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION, IS A DIVISION OF THE
FOUNDATION