Published in the September 2016 issue of the Kerby News
Studio Bell, Home of the National Music Centre, Now Open
Story and photographs by
Tim Johnston
Studio Bell, home of Canada’s National Music Centre, swung wide its doors on July 1, welcoming a daylong flow of the first visitors to this magnificent jewel of a building. That was stage one of a phased-in opening that will see the Centre fully operational as of October 1.
Situated on the north side of 9 Avenue SE and spanning 4 Street SE with its East Village Skybridge, the building glows in its coating of terra cotta tiles, nearly 250,000 of them, and adds a spectacular façade to the regenerating East Village community. Tucked under the Skybridge on the west side of 4 Street is the reconstructed King Edward Hotel, the “largest artifact in the Centre’s collection,” according to Julijana Capone, the National Music Centre’s publicity coordinator. Julijana recently walked me through the five floors of the east towers of the building and provided me with an insider’s perspective on working in such a unique and motivating space.
Twin staircases lead up to the second floor where Julijana showed me around the 300-seat performance hall and its side galleries, one of which recognizes the talent and diversity of some of Canada’s premier musical talents. Because the design of the east building allows an open flow of space, light and sound throughout all levels, she explained that the hall could be closed off with moveable walls to provide an intimate theatre experience or the walls could stay retracted to allow the music of a performance to permeate the entire building. As we walked up to the third floor, I was intrigued by the vistas offered by enormous window spaces on the north and south sides of the towers.
Of the Centre’s vast collection of over 2,000 musical artifacts, about 20 percent will be cycled through on display at any given time. One hundred items will be featured in exhibitions and approximately 300 will be available for use by artists-in- residence. The bulk of the Centre’s collection is stored at an off-site location. In the centre of the third floor dwells the magnificent Kimball theatre organ. This Rube Goldbergian contraption covers a vast display space with its collection of metal and wooden pipes, drums of all sizes, chimes, triangles and a variety of additional sound-making devices. In its day, it provided everything a 1920’s theatre-going audience needed to hear to experience silent movies to the fullest. The organ’s penultimate owner was a church organist in St. Albert, Alberta, who had the beast installed in the basement of her home. Going full tilt, I’m sure the big Kimball well and truly “rocked the house”. Hearing the organ being played in its new home is an aural experience not to be missed.
We rode one of the rapid elevators to the fourth floor, on Julijana’s suggestion. As I was carrying my entire photography kit I was happy for the indulgence. Level four is where visitors get to try their hand at making music, everything from recording a song in a soundproof booth to picking out a tune on an electric guitar; from drumming up a storm to playing on a number of keyboards. Backing all of this up are displays about the science of musical instruments and recognition of some of Canada’s foremost music technology innovators. This floor houses “TONTO”, an enormous analog synthesizer, used by Stevie Wonder and the Isley Brothers in the 1970’s.
Reaching the fifth and final level, Julijana guided me through the Canadian halls of musical fame. While the collection of instruments, costumes and memorabilia that the Centre has collected over the course of 20 years is at the heart of a visitor’s experience, so too is recognition of the achievements of Canada’s musicians, performers, writers and technical innovators. For the first time, Studio Bell, home of the National Music Centre, provides the physical space for the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame and the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame. Julijana quickly led me to a large photograph of Canadian rocker Burton Cummings. “He’s from Winnipeg, you know, and so am I. I’m a huge fan of his.”
In the centre of the fifth level is a quiet lounge, illuminated by clerestory windows, where visitors can pause and contemplate all they have seen, heard and experienced on their tour of the five levels. This is where Julijana and I parted company, she to return to her administrative duties and I to start my tour over again, only this time with a view through my camera.
* * * * *
What is now the National Music Centre started out as the Chinook Keyboard Centre in 1996. It was meant to collect keyboard instruments and pianos. The Keyboard Centre then became the Cantos Music Foundation, expanding the collection to electronic musical instruments and synthetic sound generating equipment. Cantos became the National Music Centre in 2012. Throughout those years, both the eclectic collection and the staff to restore, maintain, operate and play the Centre’s pieces have expanded. Now, with the opening of Studio Bell, a new era begins for the National Music Centre in which this remarkable and ever-growing collection can be viewed, listened to and experienced by everyone. A derived benefit will allow visiting artists-in–residence to have at hand a remarkably diverse collection of musical devices with which to study once-current music technology and, by applying it, create and perform new works.
The next milestones for Studio Bell and the National Music Centre will be the completion of the King Edward building’s studio and performance spaces. CKUA Radio will have a broadcast studio in the building, once famous for the blues bands that played at the venue for many years. The completed west towers will house administrative offices, studios for artists in residence and shop spaces for the restoration and maintenance of the Centre’s artifacts. It will also provide space for the Rolling Stones Mobile Recording Studio, a large British truck with a custom-made van and appointments. Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple, in addition to the Rolling Stones, used the van to record some of their albums.
This building, and the collections and the history it enfolds, has to be seen up close and in person. The combination of dazzling architecture and musical apparatus, some pieces of which date back over 400 years, is now a Calgary treasure and available for all to experience.
Plan a visit and while there, ask about the Centre’s need for volunteers. What you hear will be music to your ears.
Studio Bell, Home of the National Music Centre, Now Open
Story and photographs by
Tim Johnston
Studio Bell, home of Canada’s National Music Centre, swung wide its doors on July 1, welcoming a daylong flow of the first visitors to this magnificent jewel of a building. That was stage one of a phased-in opening that will see the Centre fully operational as of October 1.
Situated on the north side of 9 Avenue SE and spanning 4 Street SE with its East Village Skybridge, the building glows in its coating of terra cotta tiles, nearly 250,000 of them, and adds a spectacular façade to the regenerating East Village community. Tucked under the Skybridge on the west side of 4 Street is the reconstructed King Edward Hotel, the “largest artifact in the Centre’s collection,” according to Julijana Capone, the National Music Centre’s publicity coordinator. Julijana recently walked me through the five floors of the east towers of the building and provided me with an insider’s perspective on working in such a unique and motivating space.
Twin staircases lead up to the second floor where Julijana showed me around the 300-seat performance hall and its side galleries, one of which recognizes the talent and diversity of some of Canada’s premier musical talents. Because the design of the east building allows an open flow of space, light and sound throughout all levels, she explained that the hall could be closed off with moveable walls to provide an intimate theatre experience or the walls could stay retracted to allow the music of a performance to permeate the entire building. As we walked up to the third floor, I was intrigued by the vistas offered by enormous window spaces on the north and south sides of the towers.
Of the Centre’s vast collection of over 2,000 musical artifacts, about 20 percent will be cycled through on display at any given time. One hundred items will be featured in exhibitions and approximately 300 will be available for use by artists-in- residence. The bulk of the Centre’s collection is stored at an off-site location. In the centre of the third floor dwells the magnificent Kimball theatre organ. This Rube Goldbergian contraption covers a vast display space with its collection of metal and wooden pipes, drums of all sizes, chimes, triangles and a variety of additional sound-making devices. In its day, it provided everything a 1920’s theatre-going audience needed to hear to experience silent movies to the fullest. The organ’s penultimate owner was a church organist in St. Albert, Alberta, who had the beast installed in the basement of her home. Going full tilt, I’m sure the big Kimball well and truly “rocked the house”. Hearing the organ being played in its new home is an aural experience not to be missed.
We rode one of the rapid elevators to the fourth floor, on Julijana’s suggestion. As I was carrying my entire photography kit I was happy for the indulgence. Level four is where visitors get to try their hand at making music, everything from recording a song in a soundproof booth to picking out a tune on an electric guitar; from drumming up a storm to playing on a number of keyboards. Backing all of this up are displays about the science of musical instruments and recognition of some of Canada’s foremost music technology innovators. This floor houses “TONTO”, an enormous analog synthesizer, used by Stevie Wonder and the Isley Brothers in the 1970’s.
Reaching the fifth and final level, Julijana guided me through the Canadian halls of musical fame. While the collection of instruments, costumes and memorabilia that the Centre has collected over the course of 20 years is at the heart of a visitor’s experience, so too is recognition of the achievements of Canada’s musicians, performers, writers and technical innovators. For the first time, Studio Bell, home of the National Music Centre, provides the physical space for the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame and the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame. Julijana quickly led me to a large photograph of Canadian rocker Burton Cummings. “He’s from Winnipeg, you know, and so am I. I’m a huge fan of his.”
In the centre of the fifth level is a quiet lounge, illuminated by clerestory windows, where visitors can pause and contemplate all they have seen, heard and experienced on their tour of the five levels. This is where Julijana and I parted company, she to return to her administrative duties and I to start my tour over again, only this time with a view through my camera.
* * * * *
What is now the National Music Centre started out as the Chinook Keyboard Centre in 1996. It was meant to collect keyboard instruments and pianos. The Keyboard Centre then became the Cantos Music Foundation, expanding the collection to electronic musical instruments and synthetic sound generating equipment. Cantos became the National Music Centre in 2012. Throughout those years, both the eclectic collection and the staff to restore, maintain, operate and play the Centre’s pieces have expanded. Now, with the opening of Studio Bell, a new era begins for the National Music Centre in which this remarkable and ever-growing collection can be viewed, listened to and experienced by everyone. A derived benefit will allow visiting artists-in–residence to have at hand a remarkably diverse collection of musical devices with which to study once-current music technology and, by applying it, create and perform new works.
The next milestones for Studio Bell and the National Music Centre will be the completion of the King Edward building’s studio and performance spaces. CKUA Radio will have a broadcast studio in the building, once famous for the blues bands that played at the venue for many years. The completed west towers will house administrative offices, studios for artists in residence and shop spaces for the restoration and maintenance of the Centre’s artifacts. It will also provide space for the Rolling Stones Mobile Recording Studio, a large British truck with a custom-made van and appointments. Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple, in addition to the Rolling Stones, used the van to record some of their albums.
This building, and the collections and the history it enfolds, has to be seen up close and in person. The combination of dazzling architecture and musical apparatus, some pieces of which date back over 400 years, is now a Calgary treasure and available for all to experience.
Plan a visit and while there, ask about the Centre’s need for volunteers. What you hear will be music to your ears.