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The Montshire Museum of Science forges and empowers lifelong learners through engagement with science.

The Montshire Museum of Science is an interactive science center in Norwich, Vermont, with more than 150 hands-on exhibits relating to the natural and physical sciences, ecology, and technology. Outdoors, visitors can explore nature trails and exhibits on wind, water, and sound in David Goudy Science Park. Visiting exhibitions, educational programs, and special events are offered throughout the year.

The Montshire Museum of Science is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that is supported by admission, membership, grants, and charitable contributions.

Aug
10
2018

The Montshire Reprises Popular Exhibition, Making Music, Opening September 15

On Saturday, September 15, the Montshire Museum of Science will celebrate the return of the popular exhibition, Making Music: The Science of Musical Instruments. This Montshire-developed special exhibition explores the science behind the tools used to create music, from well-known classics to infectious pop tunes.

Making Music delves into the inner workings of all things musical, from cellos and pianos to saxophones and electronic synthesizers. The 2,500-square-foot exhibition invites visitors to play authentic instruments, as well as some they’ve created themselves. Along the way, multimedia exhibits share compelling stories of musicians, scientists, and craftspeople, highlighting practices rooted in tradition—and some that spring from techniques and materials unknown until just 25 years ago.

Making Music features a total of 34 types of musical instruments from four families—strings, percussion, air instruments, and electronic instruments. The exhibition has 32 visual demonstrations and offers 28 hands-on experiences that include 14 actual musical instruments to play, 8 video kiosks that feature musicians who’ve mastered their instruments, and 6 interactive artifacts that reflect the ingenuity and joy in creating music.

In Making Music, you can:

  • Find out what happens when a musician blows air into a flute.
  • Feel how the sounds of a stringed instrument are made.
  • Discover how you can make different sounds with a single drum.
  • Create your own instruments; test their design to understand music principles.
  • Play a modular synthesizer to create sounds that were once impossible.
  • Share a band space with friends; play a guitar, drum set, or keyboard and see how these complementary instruments empower groups to create music together.

Making Music zooms in on the work of five musical artists: New Hampshire-born accordionist and accordion technician David Symons; the internationally-renowned Theremin musician Carolina Eyck; New Hampshire native Dan Snazelle and his work with the modular synthesizer; Vermont-based djembe musician and teacher Sayon Camara; and Vermont artist Tim Danyliw who makes drums from reclaimed propane tanks.

Making Music demonstrates how all instruments, from a simple flute to a synthesizer, rely on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Through this creative and practical examination of music, the Montshire brings together science and art, combining music and STEM principles that will stimulate questions and drive discussions during and after the Museum visit.

Be inspired and let your creativity flow. Making Music is free with museum admission and will run through May 13, 2019.