Learn about the origins of the blues with performances, crafts and lectures at the Musical Instrument Museum’s (MIM) Celebrate the Blues event this weekend, June 10 and 11.
Attendees will be able to craft a harmonica, enjoy a performance by International Blues Challenge winner Eric Ramsey and partake in several other family-friendly activities to enjoy and learn about this expressive musical genre.
All the event festivities are included in the price of museum admission. Here’s a complete schedule of events occurring both Saturday, June 10 and Sunday, June 11, though programming is subject to change.
Craft: Harmonica | 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Make your own harmonica and play in harmony with the day’s performances.
Photo Booth | 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Have your picture taken in a hands-free photo booth. Digitally share your pictures and tag MIM with #MIMphx for a chance to be featured on their social media.
Performance: Eric Ramsey | 11:30 a.m. to noon
Hear the signature sounds of the slide guitar and the distinctly melancholic vocals of the blues with International Blues Challenge winner Eric Ramsey
Curator Talk: Instruments and Emotion: How Do Musicians Communicate the Blues? | 12:30 to 1 p.m.
Blues artists have developed special techniques to manipulate the sounds of their instruments. Join curator for United States/Canada Rich Walter for a discussion about the history of the blues and its expressive musical techniques.
Performance: Bluesman Mike and the Blues Review Band | 1:15 to 2 p.m.
See Bluesman Mike and the Blues Review Band perform blues classics new and old.
Film: “Sidemen: Long Road to Glory” | 2:30 to 4 p.m.
Watch the documentary “Sidemen: Long Road to Glory,” an intimate look into the lives, legacies and music of bluesmen Hubert Sumlin, Pinetop Perkins and Willie “Big Eyes” Smith.
Guests can also stop by Café Allegro, which offers lunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., or the Museum Store, which will have blues CDs and LPs, books and musical instruments.
Celebrate the Blues is supported by the Phoenix Blues Society, the Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture and Arizona Commission on the Arts.
For more information or to purchase tickets in advance, visit mim.org/events.
