“You learn from experiences, and I suppose that's where I color most of my music, from experiences. [But] part of it is reaching into oblivion for things that don't exist. - Pharrell Williams ”
The name of this program can be a bit confusing as I discovered when I was telling my parents I had assisted in a Musical Petting Zoo that day and they followed up with "What animals did they have?" A Musical Petting Zoo (MPZ) is a program provided by the museum that allows younger children the opportunity to see, play, and experiment with different types of instruments. Although MPZs are usually a Youth and Family Programs offering, they are also offered to school groups.
Instruments available to students in the program I participated in included a guitar, banjo, ukulele, dulcimer, fiddle, auto-harp, cowbell, maracas, and other hand held music makers. Students were given a demonstration of how to hold and play each of the instruments before they were given the opportunity to do so on their own. I helped facilitate this program two days in a row. Both days, 80 1st Grade students from a local elementary school came to the museum to do a Guided Highlights Tour and Musical Petting Zoo. Each day the students would split up into two groups, where 40 of the students would start on the tour while the other 40 would participate in the MPZ. Halfway through their allotted field trip time, the groups would switch activities.
I decided to set myself up at the ukulele table the first day. I stayed stationed at the table while all the kids took turns playing the instrument. One by one, the students would hop onto the chair and I would place the ukulele in their arms helping them to hold it properly. I would then ask them if they wanted to attempt playing a chord and help them place their fingers on the correct frets. As they began to strum the ukulele, I would step away and let them have some time with the instrument by themselves.
MPZs are not only offered on site at the museum. The Youth and Family Programs team has taken this program out into the community in order to interact with more individuals and create a larger impact. Examples of alternate locations where MPZs have been held include the Nashville Public Library, Fall Fest at the Hermitage, and the Pilgrimage Music & Cultural Festival.
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