MusicUnity: Connecting Communities Through Music
The Museum of Making Music is proud to announce its latest spotlight exhibition, MusicUnity: Connecting Communities Through Music; on display from December 15, 2024, through April 30, 2025. This thought-provoking and inspiring exhibition explores the transformative power of music in bridging communities and empowering individuals through innovation, healing, and lifelong learning. MusicUnity highlights how the world of music making, together with the industry of music and sound products, continues to innovate and enrich lives.
The exhibition demonstrates how music transcends barriers—be they physical, emotional, or cultural—by fostering inclusivity, innovation, and human connection. Visitors will encounter adaptive instruments designed with inclusivity in mind, hear stories of veterans finding solace in music, and explore how lifelong learning in music fosters a deeper sense of purpose and joy. The exhibition also highlights the essential role that the industry of music and sound products plays in enabling these transformative experiences.
MusicUnity presents three impactful themes that celebrate the power of music to bridge diverse communities:
Serving Musicians with Diverse Abilities
Explore adaptive instruments that open new opportunities for individuals of all abilities to experience the joy and benefits of music-making. Developed through technological advancements and the ingenuity of those addressing unique needs, these innovations—ranging from custom prosthetics to intuitive digital interfaces—empower musicians to express their unique talents and contribute to a more inclusive and vibrant musical community.
Serving Those Who Serve
Discover the powerful role music has played in supporting military personnel from World War II to the present day. This section highlights how music, along with products designed to meet the unique needs of wartime and recovery, serves as a source of healing, connection, and empowerment for both active-duty members, veterans, and their families. Featured is the impactful work of SongwritingWith:Soldiers, a nonprofit organization that brings veterans and active-duty service members together with professional songwriters to transform their experiences into powerful songs.
Lifelong Learners
Celebrate the inspiring stories of lifelong music-makers and the transformative benefits of music in adulthood and late adulthood. This theme highlights music’s vital role in enhancing cognitive, emotional, and social well-being, demonstrating how it remains accessible and enriching for everyone through programs such as the museum’s adult band and orchestra initiatives.
“Through MusicUnity, we’re celebrating the boundless ways music connects us, transforms lives, and builds bridges between communities,” said Carolyn Grant, Executive Director of the Museum of Making Music. “This exhibition is a testament to the innovation, resilience, and dedication that define both music’s role in our world and the contributions of the industry of music and sound products.”
This exhibition is made possible through a grant from the Kenneth T. Norris and Eileen L. Norris Foundation.
