The Playroom - Massive Synthesizer Museum in Switzerland Seeks Funding on Kickstarter

The Playroom - an interactive synthesizer space Published on Sep 3, 2018 smem

"Support us on Kickstarter : http://bit.ly/playroom_smem

Play, record, and discover the beautiful history of vintage and contemporary synthesizers in our space.

The Playroom will be a beautiful open space created for people to take advantage of the huge SMEM (Swiss Museum & Center for Electronic Music Instruments) collection. Here we’ll also host lectures, workshops, classes, and more. And for a hands-on experience, The Playroom can be rented for private recordings, events, and parties.

We believe that the best way to share such an unparalleled collection is through experiencing it firsthand.

smem website : https://www.smemmusic.ch"

And the official press release:

"ENJOYING THE HISTORY OF MUSIC WITH A CREATIVE HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE—INTRODUCING THE PLAYROOM, AN INTERACTIVE SPACE FEATURING VINTAGE AND CONTEMPORARY ELECTRONIC MUSIC INSTRUMENTS

September 4, 2018—Fribourg, Switzerland—From their first emergence in pop music in the 60s, to their expansion to rock and disco in the 70s, and widespread usage in the 80s, electronic music instruments – especially synthesizers - have changed the way we make and experience music today. However, their influence and use hasn’t been extensively documented and there aren’t many places to learn how to use them—until now.

Today, the Swiss Museum & Center for Electronic Music Instruments (SMEM) launches a Kickstarter cam- paign to create the first ever space dedicated to recording and learning about electronic music instru- ments: The Playroom.

The Playroom will be a unique space dedicated to electronic instruments, their long history, uses, and more. The open space will be made specially for a broad audience to play with, learn about, use, and record instruments and effects—all from the SMEM collection and other donations of instruments. After connec- ting with several local and international musicians—like Yello, Sophie Hunger and Hinako Omori, Timber Timbre, Legowelt, Alienata, Franz Treichler from the Young Gods and many more—and allowing them to see and play with the SMEM’s vast assortment of instruments, they all agreed that the collection has to be usable, and has to exist to make music. Thus, the idea for The Playroom located in an old beer brewery was born.

Not only will The Playroom let visitors explore gorgeous instruments, but will also serve as a space where visitors can rent stations to record their own music. Here, trained employees will help beginners get started with their first recording session; collaborate with novices who want guidance; or step back and allow seasoned veterans to explore on their own. Those keen to get their hands on The Playroom’s workspaces will be able to book rooms by the hour, or purchase a yearly membership to gain access—all of which will be available as rewards in their Kickstarter campaign.

While based in Switzerland, the team behind The Playroom wants the impact of their campaign to be international. As such, the campaign will offer various rewards for contributors overseas, like the ability to sponsor a student membership to The Playroom, or the ability to download the unique “Waveform” OpenType font for writing waveforms everywhere in the digital world. Through the 30 day campaign, bac- kers can share contributions to help the project come to fruition.

“At SMEM, we believe musical instruments are created to be played, to make sound, and to be shared. After building our extensive collection, we knew we needed a place where people of all musical backgrounds could come together to create something completely unique. So we decided to create The Playroom, a way to merge art, knowledge, and pleasure from our collection. We shared this idea, and received overwhelming excitement for our project.” –Vincent Borcard, Collection Coordinator, SMEM

What kind of instruments can you expect at The Playroom? For starters, the gear on display will be subject to regular changes. The complete collection will be available on The Playroom’s website. You can expect vintage synths and modular devices all over the place — and members will also have the ability to suggest which instruments should be introduced to The Playroom’s collection.

The Playroom will be a place to learn and grow, but also to connect and network. The SMEM team will set up several workshops, talks, and showcases throughout the year, highlighting different parts of its collec- tion, the music world at large, and of course, The Playroom itself.

SMEM is a nonprofit organization, and emphasizes that the space will be accessible to all: artists, musi- cians, the curious, punks, synthesizer lovers, students, kids, and more. Through learning about the rich history of electronic instruments, The Playroom hopes to inspire creativity, evoke knowledge, and allow for endless forms of musical expression.

A SMEM, FRIBOURG, SWITZERLAND"