Yes, I finally got to say those words "Thank you [insert city here]" at the Experience Music Project, a really cool interactive museum dedicated to popular (rock/pop/hip hop/jazz) American music. Founded by Microsoft's Paul Allen. (Hmmm, is there a theme here in Seattle?) and housed in a cool Gehry-designed building, EMP is located in the Seattle Centre, adjacent to the Science Fiction Museum.

I'm not a huge Jimi Hendrix fan, although I do love the current Jimi Hendrix Vodka ("Hendrix Electric Vodka") ads that I saw in a Seattle magazine. The "drink responsibly" tag at the bottom made me laugh. Perhaps it should say "drink responsibly, 'cuz Jimi didn't" or "drink responsibly...nah, we're just kidding!" What's next? Janis Joplin whiskey?

But you don't have to be a big Hendrix fan to have a blast at EMP. Neither of my kids are, and they loved it and can't wait to go back. Currently EMP also has a special history of Disney music exhibit which I really enjoyed. Lots of great memorabilia, and video interviews with the writers over the years.

There are lots of hands on exhibits at EMP -- you can try your hand at drums, keyboards, vocals, pedal, etc in little sound-proof booths. The most fun we had was the exhibit where you can form your own rock band! So the four of us became the "BLBs" (don't ask!) and went into the recording studio and sang and played along to "Twist and Shout". My youngest was on guitar, my eldest did lead vocals, I was on keyboard and my husband played drums. If you choose you can actually play the instrument (if you don't want to or can't, they "disable" the instrument). You follow along to the karaoke track with words on a screen. There are screaming fans and everything. It really is a blast! At the end I shouted out "Thank you Seattle!". We bought the DVD and the poster of our rock debut. Next time we're going to do "I Love Rock and Roll". Look out Partridge Family!

From the EMP Web site:

EMP is a one-of-a-kind music museum combining interactive and interpretive exhibits to tell the story of the creative, innovative and rebellious expression that defines American popular music. Featuring a world-class collection of artifacts, unique architecture by Frank O. Gehry, state-of-the-art technology, and exciting interactive presentations, EMP will encourage visitors of all ages and backgrounds to experience the power and joy of music in its many forms.

EMP was conceived by Paul G. Allen and Jody Patton. Paul Allen's early passion for Jimi Hendrix led to his amassing of the world's largest collection of Hendrix memorabilia, and later, his desire to share that collection with the public. Early planning soon gave way to a broader cultural mission for both Paul and Jody -- to create a destination for celebrating musical innovation and for inspiring young and old to feel moved by music -- and so Experience Music Project was born.

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