Entertainment at Central Phoenix’s boutique hotel The Camby is striking a new melody with a little help from Musical Instrument Museum. With more than 6,500 sonic implements from across the globe, MIM has been instrumental in providing music education to the Valley since 2010. MIM announced its partnership with The Camby (2401 E. Camelback Rd., Phoenix, 602-468-0700, thecamby.com) in October 2016, with two musical opportunities that have been rockin’ and rollin’ ever since.
Check In. Jam Out.
This collaboration goes beyond musical appreciation and gives guests the opportunity to make music of their own. “Check In. Jam Out.” is a loaner program at The Camby that allows guests to borrow a Gretsch guitar free of charge, courtesy of MIM. It’s an opportunity to act like a rock star in your hotel room – without trashing the place. “Guests are loving it,” general manager Onal Kucuk says. “It’s a fun added perk to their stay.”
Lounge and Look
The Bees Knees, The Camby’s cocktail lounge, has the vibe of a modern speakeasy, so the MIM partnership augments the history behind the hip décor. “It’s a collaboration of bringing the exhibit onto the property level,” Kucuk says. A host of instruments from MIM’s private collection are displayed around the lounge for guests to enjoy while sipping martinis. Most of the featured instruments are German harmonicas from the early 1900s, including the “Miniature Boomerang Deluxe” harmonica and the “Up to Date” tremolo harmonica. “They were selected due to their influence during the Prohibition Era, which is the theme behind the Bees Knees,” Kucuk says. “As jazz and blues made its way to the forefront of the music scene during the Prohibition Era, harmonicas were an important part of the sound.”
— Isabella Castillo
