FACE THE MUSIC

Exhibit Info

On View - Sep 12, 2019 - Jan 31, 2020

Music and photography share a common nexus for experiencing feeling and are linked in contextualizing human emotion. During a five-year project led by photographer Richard Ehrlich, these two art forms came together in a unique and moving way and aimed to redefine the profound and transcendent influence music has on human emotion through facial expression. Ehrlich accomplished this by capturing close-up facial expressions of artists listening to their favorite songs as seen in his photography book Face The Music published by Steidl. To showcase these portraits, the GRAMMY Museum^® proudly announces Face The Music, a new photography exhibit showcasing 41 legendary musicians including Dee Dee Bridgewater, Michael Bublé, Kenny Burrell, Sheryl Crow, Gustavo Dudamel, Quincy Jones, Iggy Pop, RZA, Esperanza Spalding, Ringo Starr, and many more. The exhibit will open to the public on Sept. 12 and will run through Jan. 6, 2020.

“It was an incredibly fulfilling once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, personally and professionally, to capture some of the world’s most iconic musicians while they listened to their favorite songs. It is a dream come true to now showcase these photographs at the GRAMMY Museum.”

Richard Ehrlich, Photographer of Face The Music

Face The Music will offer an inside look, through portraiture, at how artists feel emotionally while listening to music of their choice. Some of Ehrlich’s favorite moments from this project include capturing Wayne Shorter exuding an aura of calm, grace and mystery; Herb Alpert listening to Pavarotti with eyes closed and lost in reverie; Herbie Hancock, Michael Bublé, Rosanne Cash, and LeAnn Rimes all shedding tears during their listening session; Lars Ulrich’s exuberant and emotional facial expressions while listening to Rage Against The Machine; and Iggy Pop shouting during Link Wray’s “Rumble.” These moments and more are discussed in the exhibit along with the music each musician was listening to, paired with each photo on display.

“As an education institution, the GRAMMY Museum aims to bring a variety of artistic mediums to best experience and learn more about the universal power of music. The portraits on display as part of our Face The Music exhibit visually captures the undeniable influence music has on human emotion.”

Michael Sticka, GRAMMY Museum President