Music to the ears

The perfect trip to Arizona is strapping yourself in a rugged 4X4 and heading out to the canyons. I travelled down dusty trails while listening to stories of Havasupai Indians, an ancient people who thrived for over 800 years, in the depths of the intimidating Grand Canyon. Or to sign up for a helicopter ride to get a bird’s eye view of this geological wonder that formed six million years ago, when the River Colorado cut through plateaus. You could also head to the Saguaro National Park in Tucson to picnic among gigantic cacti, or visit the desert town of Sedona for jaw-dropping views of red sandstone. Do one or all, but don’t skip the world’s only global Musical Instrument Museum (MIM) in the capital city of Phoenix.

As I enter MIM, I am greeted by instruments everywhere, even on the roof overhead. Suspended from a high ceiling is a large tambourine or daf traced to the Middle East, which immediately brings to mind stories of Arabian Nights . On display is the traditional alpine horn that I’d heard blaring through the Alps on a visit to Austria. On the walls is a tagline that subtly reflects the power of music in a diverse world: “Music is the language of the soul”.

Every little nook within the 20,000 sq ft museum transports one to a different part of the world, as the galleries are geographically arranged. A large space dedicated to South Asia has within it a corner for India.

Stay tuned: Every little nook within the 20,000 sq ft museum transports one to a different part of the world. Photo: Kiran Mehta

It is here that I learn that Hindustani classical music can be traced to the 15th century. And that the most iconic of Hindustani instruments, such as fanciful lutes (sarod and sitar) with inlay, animal motifs and elegant string systems were developed in the Mughal courts. In this little niche for India, the display has me travelling the length and breadth of our country: the nagphani (snake-shaped trumpet) of Rajasthan; the colourful yet intimidating mask of goddess Durga worn by the chhau dancers of Bengal, Jharkhand and Odisha; a polished wooden sitar which gets its name from the Persian setar (meaning three strings); the talam (cymbals) of South India and so on.

In the Lesser Antilles section, I feel like I’ve walked into a carnival with a jewel-encrusted outfit on display, complete with an ornamental headdress. Here I learn how music became an instrument of rebellion in the Caribbean island of Trinidad. When the British colonisers banned sticks and drums — the Empire feared that Trinidad was bonding over music --- the islanders got creative. They made music out of anything they could lay their hands on, such as industrial steel drums. And that’s how the steel pan --- one of the few percussion instruments invented in the 20th century --- came to be.

In a section on the US and Canada, I put on the headphones and find myself stomping my foot to an American invention, the drum sets. I listen to Spanish flamenco in Europe and, while I don’t understand a word, I can feel the love and sense the loss. I can almost see the whirling dervishes as I listen to Sufi music in the South Asia corner.

In the Artist Gallery are instruments loaned by the greats (or their next of kin). I gawk at a teak-and-rosewood sitar played by maestro Ravi Shankar in the ’30s when he was a disciple of guru Baba Allaudin Khan in Maihar, Madhya Pradesh. I admire the Starclassic Maple drum kit that belongs to the Black Eyed Peas. I take a selfie next to the Steinway Model Z upright piano on which John Lennon composed Imagine . A crowd gathers before the Martin D-28 guitar used by Elvis Presley in his last concert in June 1977.

Apart from these legendary instruments, the MIM also allows you to glimpse one of the only seven existing octobasses. At 12-odd-ft tall, you may expect it to scream. Instead, the octobass, the largest string instrument ever, has certain low notes that are barely audible to the human ear.

The cacophonic Experience Gallery remains the most popular. This is where you become a musician and play a variety of instruments: Strike a gong, strum a guitar or try your hand at a harp. My visit coincides with a school trip and I watch 10-year-olds from various races and communities kick up a storm. Much like the descent of the young visitors, the story of the instruments at MIM can be traced to over 200 countries. And I realise that even as newspaper headlines scream “immigration reforms” and “xenophobia”, in this room the world comes together seamlessly. Music, after all, is the language of the soul.

Kiran Mehta is a Mumbai-based journalist

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