Author Talk: The Museum of Imaginary Musical Instruments
Sat, Aug 15
|Parkway Central Library
Thomas Patteson book talk with live performances from Sylvia Winch, Melinda Rice, Jessica Brown, Aaron Pond
Time & Location
Aug 15, 2026, 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Parkway Central Library, 1901 Vine St, Philadelphia, PA 19103, USA
About the event
Join authors Deirdre Loughridge and Thomas Patteson for a discussion of their new book, The Museum of Imaginary Musical Instruments. The book presents a wide-ranging collection of musical instruments that never existed, showing how they reflect changing ideas about sound, invention and the limits of the possible. The authors will be joined by musicians Jessica Brown, Aaron Pond, Sylvia Winch, and Melinda Rice for musical performances that explore the idea of instruments that can only be imagined.
About the Authors
Deirdre Loughridge is Professor of Music at Northeastern University, Boston. Her previous books include Sounding Human: Music and Machines, 1740/2020 (2023). Find her on Bluesky and Instagram @deirdrelough.
Thomas Patteson is a teacher, writer, and musician based in Philadelphia. He is the author of Instruments for New Music (2016), lecturer at the University of Pennsylvania and co-founder of People’s Music Supply.