BANGALORE: The �Centre for Indian Music Experience', India's first interactive music museum is slated to open in Bangalore by 2013.

The �Centre for Indian Music Experience', is a non-profit initiative of the Brigade Millennium Welfare Trust and is supported by Brigade Group. Designed by Architecture Paradigm, the museum will be a 60,000 sq. ft. structure featuring interactive exhibits with multimedia installations and gallery of 250 Indian musical instruments, a sound garden to introduce visitors to the principles of sound and a learning centre to promote music education and appreciation.

International exhibit planners Gallagher and Associates, who have previously designed the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles and the Woodstock Museum in New York will showcase their expertise in India at the IME.

Renowned musician Shubha Mudgal, Dr. Shubha Chaudhuri (ethnomusicologist and archivist), Sriram Parasuram (musician and scholar), V Sriram (book author) and Naresh Fernandes (journalist) are involved as subject matter experts in the project.

Commenting on the launch Brigade Group chairman and MD MR Jaishankar said, There is a need for a dedicated space in Bangalore where people can engage with culture, particularly music. Hence, the Brigade Group, having completed 25 years, has decided to support this unique cultural initiative. The center will showcase India's rich culture of music to the younger generation in an engaging and entertaining way. We hope that like-minded corporate citizens, government bodies and private organizations will similarly support the IME to bring this initiative to fruition....

Brigade estimates the project cost at around Rs.350 million, of which it will contribute around 25 percent, and the rest of the funds will be garnered from corporate and the government. We plan to make  the IME a tourist destination. There will be an entrance fee once the museum is open to the public. There is a small auditorium with about 75 to 100 seats planned within the IME and a 500 seater auditorium that already exists right next to the IME site for performances. Besides which, we will have a retail shop as well as a caf?© within the IME,... revealed Jaishankar.

Shubha Mudgal said, There is a need for a space that showcases the living tradition of music in our country and the contribution of musical legends. The IME aims to fulfill this need and is a much welcomed initiative in this direction....