Electronic musical instruments as interactive exhibits in museums

Whilst recent museum exhibitions have explored electronic musical instruments, the interpretational focus has been on materiality rather than sounds produced. Similarly, whilst authors have ‘followed the instruments’ to find the people who used and designed them, those who create and shape their sounds remain comparatively hidden. To address this problem, this thesis introduces sound genealogy – a methodology towards following the evolution of a sound through material networks and people - as an interpretational framework to support exhibition teams in explicitly connecting sounds to instrument interfaces using multi-sensory interactive exhibits. Adopting this methodology will improve visitors’ experiences of music and sound content, helping them connect sounds from their lived experiences to the instruments associated with them: demonstrating how material networks can influence a sound’s popularity and musical value over time, whilst drawing attention to the people involved in the design and use of both sounds and instruments.

Chapter one positions this research within contemporary exhibition practices and analyses the methodologies and literature that define the scope for upcoming discussions. The involvement of the UK’s Science Museum Group institutions is also highlighted. Chapters two to four present three case-study insights based on observations of objects and their sounds, and the use of representative exhibits, in North American, European, and British museums. These case studies were chosen so as to represent a range of instrument categories (synthesizers, samplers, drum machines) and interpretational foci (interface, sound, function). Interview data obtained from exhibition team members highlights the strategies and challenges in co-creating positive exhibit experiences for diverse audiences. Evidence from these case studies also supports the analyses of theories and concepts from museum studies, science and technology studies, and sound studies in chapters five and six. This helps to position - and advocate for - the adoption of a sound genealogy methodology in demonstrating the value of sound through interactivity. Additionally, the anticipation and management of visitor behaviours is considered in the context of successfully attaining learning and entertainment goals. Finally, chapters seven and eight document the creation and evaluation of an original interactive exhibit by the author, supported by the sound genealogy methodology.