Founder and musician Paul Augustin says it is a place where singers, actors and dancers become storytellers.
“This is what Penang used to be — true music from people of various cultures – and it can be a great arts scene again.“Our job is to keep their stories alive, transport you to Penang’s past and present through our special musical express,” said Augustin.
The 6,800 sq ft space on the fourth floor of Komtar’s ICT Mall is a showcase of Malaysia’s musical scene from the early 1900s to the current generation.
Augustin said the theme is inspired by the communal living that Penang once embraced, regardless of ethnic groups. “Everyone loved each others’ music, as they lived close together,” he said, recalling his childhood in George Town.
Forgotten music genres such as ronggeng, bangsawan, dondang sayang and boria are presented. A music booth where forgotten music of the yore is piped through MP3 players and gramophones.
In the background are songs by Penang’s voices of yesteryear, such as Zainal Alam with his “Rose, Rose, I Love You” sung in English, Malay and Tamil; Clive Scott’s Bengawan Solo; and David Ng’s Slamat Malam.
At one corner, you can try out shadow puppetry from the old Peranakan era. A large mural featuring Penang’s musical greats — P Ramlee, Zainal Alam, Jimmy Boyle and others — greets visitors to an old-school kopitiam with a vintage record jukebox.
Once inside you will get your hands on different types of drums and musical instruments old and new.
Another booth on Penang’s prolific history in pioneering radio broadcasts recalls the days of Radio RAAF Butterworth, cable radio Redifusion as well as RTM and Radio Penang. A soundproof radio studio has been set up for visitors to have their five minutes of fame.
At one end is a cinema room where old musical reels from Penang are played and one booth gets you to see Penang’s own Jimmy Boyle’s songs played through 3D virtual reality headsets.
A guided tour, led by Augustin or a member of his team, takes slightly over an hour and visitors are welcome to linger on.
Besides being a gallery of Penang’s musical past, the House of Music has also turned to archiving old music, advertisements and related old newspaper articles. Augustin said he and his staff have been painstakingly digitising all content from records, cassettes, VHS and other legacy devices for posterity.
“We are rescuing and restoring as much of old Penang as much as possible,” he says.
Augustin said the House of Music was made possible through initial funding pumped in by the Penang Water Supply Corporation for the past four years.
However, footfalls have dropped during the lockdown and so have revenues. “We might have to move elsewhere if this continues,” he said.
The House of Music is open from 11am to 5pm on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays due to the movement control order.Visits are currently by appointment via 012-4161550 or 04-370 6675. Tickets prices are RM20 for adults and RM10 for seniors and children aged 5 to 12.