Jamaica Music Museum Invites Donations of Antique Instruments

Music industry stakeholders are being encouraged to donate antique instruments to the Jamaica Music Museum (JaMM).

The call comes from JaMM Director, Herbie Miller, as Jamaica observes Reggae Month during February with a series of events and concerts to highlight and celebrate the impact of the musical genre on the country’s social, cultural and economic development.

JaMM, which is a division of the Institute of Jamaica, an agency of the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, showcases outstanding musical artefacts that celebrate the country’s local and international achievements in music.

“I encourage those musicians, even if it is a setlist… that list that you play from at some fancy concert… a tunic, or a garment that was already worn, [to donate these],” Mr. Miller urged, while noting that people throw away things without knowing their value.

He points out that unique apparel worn by artistes could also be a part of the collection, pointing out that “these are the kinds of things [where]… one could actually have an exhibition on the dress of musicians”.

Mr. Miller says beaver hats and other types of headwear and colourful outfits worn by deejays (DJs) and male singers during the 1970s and 1980s could also be on display, as well as attire worn by famous female artistes.

The Director and Curator says he is happy with the items donated, so far, by musicians, families of deceased artistes, and persons whose grandparents were musicians.

“The collection continues to grow beyond my wildest dreams. It is so beautiful to see the artefacts, to see people walking in and donating,” Mr. Miller notes, adding that he constantly receives calls from persons who have antique items belonging to family members who are musicians.

The JaMM collection comprises more than 18,000 artefacts relating to Jamaica’s history, from Pre-Colombian (before significant European influence) to present day.

The museum has a collection of rare musical recordings, oral histories of reggae, photographs, films, research files, business records and musical instruments that belonged to well-known Jamaican musicians.

However, Mr. Miller says the entity has been “overwhelmed” with record collections.

“I am very choosy when it comes to that, because we do not want to be repeating too many artefacts,” he points out, noting that every item must be examined to avoid missing that unique piece of recording.

Mr. Miller tells JIS News that JaMM recently acquired a 200-year-old three-string upright bass which initially surfaced in the late 18th century.

“The upright bass is a prized instrument. So to acquire something like that, [which] would need restoring, is always a great moment,” he shares.

The Director recounts how he was able to salvage an old trumpet from a friend, whom he says was about to throw it out from the home of his 93-year-old father who died.

“So, you have to be quick when things like these happen, because people give things away. One person went as far as to be burying a trumpet with a trumpeter,” he says.

“We have this affection to the point where we do these things. So rather than preserving it, we destroy it because we feel that the best thing we can do is to put the guitar in the coffin with the man, rather than putting the guitar in a public space with a story around it in a way to keep them alive,” Mr. Miller adds.

The Jamaica Music Museum maintains a permanent exhibition, which supports study in areas of the country’s secular, sacred, folk, mento, jazz, rhythm and blues, ska, rocksteady, reggae, dancehall, gospel music, opera and concert music, as well as dance.

Its main focus is to entertain, educate and enlighten the public on the origin of Jamaica’s musical history.