Mathers shows folk instruments

A Mexican rattle crafted from a donkey's jaw is an example of the instruments that examine the cultural meaning portrayed by an instrument's design in "Cultural Resonance: Interpreting Musical Instruments," an exhibit at the Mathers Museum at 416 N. Indiana Ave. \nThe exhibit emphasizes the major impact music has had on daily life all over the world throughout history. Each instrument visually tells a story of its origin and use.\n"I'd like the exhibit to inspire some introspection," Sunni Fass, the curator of the exhibit, said."For people to use the exhibit to think more closely about their own culture and the ways they express different cultural influences in their daily lives." \nFass is a graduate student in Folklore and Ethnomusicology. The exhibit serves as her master's thesis. Fass said her greatest challenge was turning the museum's open lobby into an exhibit.\n"I had to find ways to transform the space and make it visually interesting enough so that people would want to pause and explore," she said.\nAn instrument is definitively a tool for producing music, but its structure can provide insight into the culture in which it was produced, the text on the exhibit said. An instrument's appearance can reveal religious symbols, cultural statements and the resources available in a region.\n"If musical instruments were only a means to a sonic end, their creators wouldn't pour so much of their effort into making them aesthetically beautiful," Fass said.\nThe instruments on display are identified by three categories of culture: everyday life, social change and mythology and religion.\nA drum from the Congo, depicting parasite removal in its ornamentation, exemplifies a utilitarian musical use. Its rhythm is supposed to create healing music. A focal point of the exhibit is a large Victorian parlor organ from 1888 that was carted around the country via covered wagon.\nAn instrument on display that falls under the religious category is a Tibetan trumpet made from human bone used for summoning evil deities. The bones used to make the trumpets preferably come from a virgin male who died a violent death. \nWhile observing the different instruments, one can learn why bag pipes are plaid or discover the secret life of an Aboriginal didgeridoo.\nSocial changes are reflected in the instrument designs as well. Afghani bells on display are adorned with ancient symbols that can be traced back to Mesopotamia, while other bells from the region display the 7-Up logo. \n"(It is) a testament to the power of modern marketing of American consumer goods," Fass said.\nExhibits for the museum are selected by the Exhibits Committee, which looks for criteria such as subject matter that appeals to the museum's audience and promotes knowledge of the world's cultures. \n"We have an extensive collection of musical instruments and we like to select exhibits that showcase that," Chair of the Exhibits Committee Elaine Gaul said.\nTwenty-eight of the exhibit's instruments come from the museum's own ethnomusicology collection. Three of the instruments were personally loaned by Fass.\nFreshman Liz Shapiro visited the exhibit as part of her Introduction to World Music and Culture class.\n"I learned a lot about the different types of materials and ways instruments can be used," Shapiro said. "I had to write a paper over one of the instruments on display, and that helped also. I think it was a very cool exhibit."\nThe exhibit is on display now through Dec. 21. Admission is free.\n--Contact staff writer Joanna Borns at jborns@indiana.edu.