NMM Discovery Saturday

Description

National Music Museum’s April Discovery Saturday: An Organ Extravaganza! The National Music Museum (NMM) invites guests to a unique and educational experience at its Organ Extravaganza during Discovery Saturday on April 5. Attendees will have the rare opportunity to learn about and hear one of the museum’s historic pipe organs. Gallery talks and demonstrations will take place at 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. in the NMM’s Richard Cutler Gallery, where the featured organ is currently on display. NMM Educator Anna Van Kley will guide visitors through a brief history of the organ and demonstrate the assembly of a miniature pipe organ. Guests will also enjoy a short performance on the historic instrument. The spotlight of the day is an 1808 Pennsylvania-German pipe organ created by Christian Dieffenbach in Bethel, Pennsylvania. Recently restored as part of the museum’s permanent exhibition renovation, this single-manual tracker pipe organ was originally installed in the Zion Lutheran & Reformed Church in Orwigsburg, Pennsylvania. Standing 11 feet 9 inches tall and featuring 306 pipes, it is one of only seven surviving examples of Dieffenbach’s work. The NMM’s organ is the only one in a major public collection, making it an extraordinary and rare treasure. At 2:30, Van Kley will lead a general tour of NMM’s permanent exhibitions. All activities are free with museum admission. Additionally, families are invited to join the NMM’s Music Storytime at 10:30 a.m., where Van Kley will read a story and lead children to explore the museum. Music Storytime is free and sponsored by the M.A. Everist Foundation. Discovery Saturdays at the NMM occur on the first Saturday of each month, offering a variety of activities and educational tours throughout the museum. The NMM is open to the public Tuesday through Saturday, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. For more information about Discovery Saturdays and other events, please visit www.nmmusd.org.