p>DEAR GAIL: We have a large collection of musical instruments. We would like to display them without having them become overwhelming in our home. They are not our life, but we do have many nice pieces that are just in the back of a closet right now. What ideas can you share so that we can enjoy them everyday? David R.
DEAR DAVID: A collection of musical instruments sounds fun, fascinating and very different, especially since you are not in the music business.
For the smaller instruments, like your flute, piccolo, harmonica, triangle, castanet, trumpet and cornet; you can place them in a curio cabinet. The curio should have glass shelves, a mirrored back and lighting so that you can see them from all sides and really enjoy them when the curio is lit. Do not just lay them on the shelves, but purchase appropriate stands to place them on.
It would also be nice to gather up items that accompany the instrument and place them on the shelves together. For instance, with the trumpet you can add a Herb Albert & The Tijuana Brass Album, Marching Band Hat, picture of a marching band and a mute. With the castanets add a sombrero, picture of a Mexican dancer and sheet music from Man of La Mancha. Or how about some jazz pictures and souvenirs from New Orleans to go with your clarinet. What you’re trying to create is a vignette of like items that relate to the instrument. It will bring added interest to your collection.
You could also purchase individual shelves for the instruments and do a wall gallery. All the shelves should be the same style and color and deep enough for the instrument to sit on. Place this on a wall that you are able to walk up to, but not one that is in a main traffic area, like a hallway. Instead of shelves, you could also have clear Plexiglas boxes made for each instrument. Then they would also be protected from dust.
Be very different and place this in your Dining Room over a buffet piece. Behind it you can mirror, wallpaper in sheet music or even paint clef notes, music notes or titles of songs.
If you only have a limited wall area, also incorporate pictures from Jazz concerts, The Symphony or a Recital on the wall. If you have a large enough area, I would let the instruments be the focus of attention.
Along with displaying them on the wall and in a curio cabinet, if you have a china hutch, don’t be afraid to use it for something other than china.
Have the top shelf with a group of your percussion instruments: tambourine, triangle, cymbal and drum sticks. Second shelf with the smaller wind instruments: piccolo, flute, clarinet and oboe. Then the bottom row with the heavier wind instruments: trumpet, cornet, and bugle. Add those extra items of pictures, sheet music, and music albums so that you don’t just have rows of instruments.
For the larger instruments that you have: saxophone, trombone, tubas, banjos, and violas; create a vignette in a corner of your room with the instrument, music stand, stool, pictures, sheet music, music case and something extra; like a band uniform or orchestral dress and place on a dress form. This would be very attractive in your foyer as it will be just a taste of what is to come with the rest of your collection displayed.
You can also group your instruments together by type; wind, percussion and string and have them in just three different areas of the home. Another idea is to completely theme a room in music. It could be your guest room, powder room, game room or loft.
I agree that you don’t want to overwhelm your home with your collection, so only select a couple areas in your home to display them. If your collection is large enough, switch the instruments out every 6 months. After a couple months we no longer even see some of the things around us, so by switching them out, you might appreciate seeing them again when you bring them out.