Experience Music Project: Highlights of Downtown Seattle

I have to admit, that I am not a huge fan of music. I mean, I know most of the lyrics to some songs, and I would like to think I can sing, but I never cared to be a rock star. If I was a younger man, I would have completely wanted to be a rock god on my visit to the Experience Music Project (EMP).

The museum is located in Seattle, right by the Space Needle and Seattle Center. It is an odd architectural work designed by the famed Frank Gehry, and shares the same space with the Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame. As a writer, I preferred the sci-fi exhibits better than the musical ones, but I'll talk about the Science Fiction Museum in another article. In fact, I may have forgotten to mention in that article that the price for admission is $15, which covered entrance to both museums.

One of the first things I saw upon entering the Experience Music Project was a large tower of guitars. Nearby was an entire area full of computers that would give you podcasts about many subjects by experienced artists. I found it odd that a museum would feature an area where you could sit around and listen to people, so I'm guessing that the content is only available at that museum and not online.

From there, you have the opportunity of trying out musical instruments for yourself, and even have your own private jam sessions in soundproof booths. This is where I first played an amped-up electric guitar for the very first time. I then was grateful that I never played an electric guitar as a youth. I'm certain that I would have been completely addicted to its mind-numbing sound and would have devoted my life to music. Well, as it is, I'm glad I am a writer.

Visitors of the museum could also make demo CDs of their sound. Clearly, some talent is required, and I never bothered with that. I can't imagine that this service is free, though.

EMP had other exhibits, like an entire wing devoted to Seattle music, such as Nirvanna and other bands that started the Seattle sound of the early nineties. Anyone who was even related to the Northwest and popular music also inhabited this area.

There was also an area devoted to hip-hop that really gave me a greater appreciation for the art. Not only that, there was a mixing table with two turntables where I could do some serious DJing. I have always wanted to try that, but never had the opportunity. Now I wish I could do it whenever I wanted to.

The Disney wing was a little bit of a disappointment, but it had some hands-on exhibits for the younger visitors. To be honest, Disney tends to shamelessly promote itself way too much, and the Disney wing felt like more of a grant obligation than anything else.

Yet all in all, the EMP was worth visiting, and gives the visitor a greater appreciation of music in general. Plan to visit it the next time you are in the Seattle area for sure.