Creating MusicUnity

Music has a unique power to unite and inspire, bridge gaps, and foster connections. The Museum of Making Music’s newest Spotlight Exhibition, MusicUnity: Connecting Communities through Music, celebrates this transformative power. By showcasing how the music products industry engages with three vibrant communities—musicians of diverse abilities, active military, veterans, and their families, and lifelong learners—this exhibition invites visitors to experience music as a unifying force. 

Behind the scenes, bringing MusicUnity to life was an intricate process blending research, collaboration, and creativity. From the earliest concept to the final installation, the exhibition represents months of work by our museum team. Each step—consulting experts, selecting and acquiring artifacts, writing text, designing displays, and crafting engaging environments—contributed to creating an experience that is both informative and inspiring. Every artifact and story was chosen to amplify the voices of those who find connection and meaning through music. 

Serving Musicians of Diverse Abilities

Music transcends barriers, offering individuals of diverse abilities a powerful medium for self-expression, joy, and connection. The music products industry has been pivotal in advancing accessibility by developing adaptive instruments, innovative technologies, and inclusive programs. 

Instruments like one-handed saxophones, adapted flutes, and electronic controllers illustrate the ingenuity driving this movement. These tools enable musicians to explore their creative potential and participate fully in musical ensembles. Numerous organizations are working to equip the music and live entertainment industries with resources that promote inclusivity and empower individuals across the professional continuum. 

In MusicUnity, visitors can explore a display that showcases these innovations alongside the stories of musicians whose lives have been transformed. The exhibition offers an opportunity to hear music created by musicians of diverse abilities, demonstrating that music is a universal language that truly belongs to everyone. 

Serving Those Who Serve
For veterans, music can be a pathway to healing, self-expression, and reconnection. A key feature of MusicUnity is the work of NAMM Foundation grantee SongwritingWith:Soldiers, which pairs veterans with professional songwriters to co-create songs that capture their personal stories. 

This deeply therapeutic process helps veterans articulate emotions and experiences that are often difficult to express through words alone. These songs serve as milestones of healing and help build bridges of understanding with families and communities. Visitors to MusicUnity will gain a glimpse into this powerful process through moving stories and song recordings, showing how music creates space for healing and connection. 

In addition, discover the profound connection between music and the lives of veterans and their families through three remarkable artifacts. The Steinway Victory Vertical piano, designed for easy transport to battlefields during World War II, brought moments of solace and camaraderie to troops far from home. The Gretsch Camp Ukulele, a lightweight instrument favored in military camps, reflects the enduring power of music to lift spirits and forge bonds. Completing the collection is the Ludwig Rope Drum, a symbol of military tradition, used in ceremonial and battlefield settings to convey orders and maintain morale. Together, these artifacts tell a compelling story of resilience, connection, and the healing power of music. 

Lifelong Learners

Music is a lifelong journey, and MusicUnity celebrates programs that invite adults to engage with music at any stage of life. For lifelong learners, playing music is a gateway to joy and renewal, nurturing emotional well-being by lifting spirits and soothing the soul. It weaves bonds of connection, transforming solitude into shared harmony, and awakens the mind, keeping memory and creativity alive. Through the gentle rhythm of strumming or the graceful dance of fingers on keys, music invigorates the body, fostering vitality and a sense of timeless possibility.  

The Museum of Making Music’s own North Coast Strings and New Horizons Band provide opportunities for adults to connect through music, whether rediscovering an old passion or learning an instrument for the first time. 

The North Coast Strings welcomes players of all levels to explore and perform string music together, while the New Horizons Band offers a vibrant community for wind, brass, and percussion players. Participants often describe how these programs bring joy, mental stimulation, and friendship into their lives. The exhibition highlights these stories, inspiring visitors to see music as a source of enrichment and connection at any age. 

Behind the Scenes: Creating  MusicUnity

Creating an exhibition like MusicUnity is a multifaceted process requiring close collaboration with experts, designers, and storytellers. It begins with in-depth conversations with field specialists, whose insights shape the stories we tell. From there, artifacts are carefully chosen and, when necessary, acquired to authentically represent the themes. 

Designing the exhibition involves thoughtful planning—working with professional designers to create engaging displays, adjusting lighting to highlight artifacts, and writing clear, compelling text to guide visitors through the narrative. Finally, the team orchestrates the transition between exhibitions, de-installing the old to make way for the new, while meticulously preserving artifacts to ensure their longevity. 

This hands-on, collaborative process reflects the Museum’s mission to share stories that matter. Every detail in MusicUnity, from its design to its storytelling, was chosen to honor the communities it represents and to create an experience that resonates with all who visit. 

None of this would be possible without the generous support of our partners. This exhibition was made possible through a grant from the Kenneth T. Norris and Eileen L. Norris Foundation, whose commitment to celebrating culture and connection has brought MusicUnity to life. 

As you explore MusicUnity: Connecting Communities through Music, we invite you to reflect on the role music plays in bridging divides, healing wounds, and fostering lifelong curiosity. We hope you’ll leave inspired—not just by the stories and artifacts in the exhibition, but by the potential for music to unite us all. Together, we can celebrate a world where music connects, uplifts, and amplifies every voice. 

MusicUnity: Connecting Communities through Music is made possible through a grant from the Kenneth T. Norris and Eileen L. Norris Foundation.