( Clockwise from top ) The Rolling Stones Mobile Studio ; Showcase : Tom Cochrane ; interior of Studio Bell . |
The stories and memorabilia of Canadian music history can finally be enjoyed in a physical location . The beautiful Studio Bell building , which opened on July 1 , 2016 , is home to the National Music Centre ( NMC ), the first and only concept of its kind in Canada with attractions and activities for visitors , and amenities and resources for musicians . “ Canada has amazing music stories ,” says Mary Kapusta , NMC ’ s senior manager of marketing and communications . “ Many of the most iconic Canadians in the world are musicians . That ’ s something to be celebrated .”
If you ’ ve listened to chart toppers Drake , The Weeknd , Shawn Mendes , Justin Bieber , or Alessia Cara in the past year , celebrated Celine Dion ’ s recent 1,000th show in Las Vegas , or watched The Tragically Hip ’ s final concert , you ’ ll know this is true .
“ The entire building is themed as a music festival ,” says Jesse Moffat , NMC ’ s director of collections . “ Each one of our 22 galleries — we call
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them “ stages ” — are thematic . It ’ s an open concept and we want to encourage people to go through it at their own pace , and go to the stages that interest them but also discover something you might not have planned on seeing — just like at a music festival . For instance , the Made in Canada exhibit covers such a broad spectrum [ of music ] that you could be talking about Hank Snow and his yodeling traditions right next to a display about how Justin Bieber broke into the music industry on YouTube . We ’ ve created these juxtapositions and we ’ re really excited to see how everyone reacts and the dialogues it creates .”
It also showcases the important contributions Canadians have made to music technology , which have been indispensible to many performers . You ’ ll find the Nimbus 9 Console from Nimbus Studios , and TONOTO , the world ’ s first and largest analogue synthesizer . Studio Bell is also home to historic recording studios from London used by many ’ 70s and ’ 80s rock and pop artists : the Rolling Stones Mobile Studio , Trident Console , and Olympic Studios Console .
The building itself is a stunning architectural feat and is an exhibit in itself . It was designed by Brad Cloepfil of Allied Works Architecture in Portland , who was inspired by musical instrument case design and Western Canadian landscape — specifically hoodoos ( circular shapes at the top ) and mountains ( layers ). He wanted to make a building that is an instrument , and started by slicing a brass trombone and casting it to make the model for the building . He wanted music to carry throughout the building but not to overpower
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PHOTOGRAPHS : BY BRANDON WALLIS ; BY NEIL ZELLER |