My dad played the concertina. Some call it a squeeze box. Mom and dad were children of Polish immigrants and knew how to party hard. Growing up, I watched as they hosted many a celebration in our modest home and I loved the joy of seeing my dad play his heart out to old Polish waltzes and polkas. He came from a family of 12 children so my childhood contained lots of cousins and uncles who took turns at the concertina with their rendition of polkas while my aunties filled our dining room with double-hop polka dancing. Add a little whiskey to the mix and you've got a loud shindig. Simple fun. I loved it.
You can imagine my delight finding a concertina display in the Poland Wing at the Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix, AZ. Memories flooded my mind and I wished my cousin, Joyce, could be with me in that moment. She and I reminisce like crazy about our childhood--the Polish pierogis, Kolaczki cookies and Christmases in our grandmother's home with our cousins.
About a month ago, Gwen, Nancy and Phyllis invited me to accompany them; we drove down to Phoenix to check out the Musical Instrument Museum. Little did we expect to spend the entire day there; we were in awe of all we discovered. None of us play a musical instrument but all of us were told never to pass up a chance to experience the education of music in this unique place.
The museum is huge! Separate rooms pack in instruments by distinction, by era, by country. I'm sharing some of my favorite memories and photos.
Notice the headsets Phyllis and I are modeling. This was taken in the Rock n Roll section and we were rocking out to 50's, 60's songs.
Gwen and Nancy will not pose so I had to trick them into this photo. They are listening intently to a Stradivarius teaching. I'm listening, too, but multi-tasking with my phone! I never want to forget this day.
Get a load of this HUGE drum!
Gwen is actually playing a musical instrument with her hands. I call this one, "Hands On!"
I'll tell you what...Johnny Cash was remarkably tall! You should see his suit in person; you won't believe the size of this man. This was a fascinating exhibit.
This piano is a new exhibit. It's purple; it belonged to Prince.
One of the most meaningful presentations for me was studying the musical instruments of Israel. To watch the dancing to fast Israeli music brought back memories of my trips there and, of course, spoke to my worshipful heart.
We couldn't believe how fast the hours flew by as we eagerly took in exciting displays. Our bodies needed to rest. We noticed how hungry we felt. When we passed by the café/lunchroom, Nancy treated us to a delicious lunch. We ate and talked incessantly about all we witnessed and we exchanged inspirational stories of musical instruments from all corners of the earth.
I think it was Gwen, during the ride home, who mentioned her amusement of how instruments can be created in glorious forms as well as simple ones.
In the words of Billy Joel: "I think music in itself is healing. It's an explosive expression of humanity. It's something we are all touched by. No matter what culture we're from, everyone loves music!"
Lovely pics, and a very interesting story. We went to Poland on holiday some time ago, to Zakopane, up in the mountains, it was lovely there.
ReplyDeleteI looked up Zakopane. It looks like a resort town. Very pretty!
DeleteI can't wait to show this to Tom! He's often told me about his grandfather playing the concertina and the large family celebrations. (What a joy-filled heritage you both enjoy!)
ReplyDeleteYes, shortly after that museum opened we were gifted with passes. I have to guess some of these instruments weren't there at the time, because we left underwhelmed. I so very glad you and your friends spent a delightful time, and shared it with us!
Wish I could hear Tom's reaction! We really connect with similar heritage! Have a great weekend, you two.
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