The design and architecture of the Music Museum is living art. The Proscenium and the unique stairway leading up to the theater was designed by in-house designer/artist Osler Ladia. The stairway was inspired by the idea of “rising from the ashes”, which was the story of the Music Museum’s rebirth after the 1994 fire. The original stairway, designed by Impy Pilapil, was white and pastel with metal-framed railings, fiberglass sides and neon lights. After the fire, only the metal framing remained, but it too was burned. Ladia liked its rugged look and texture though and from it he created a new railing that depicted different musical genre, rendered in unique, appropriate fonts. He exposed these to the elements to achieve more texture, and added cutouts here and there to achieve its current look. A new floor was painted by Ladia that draws inspiration from Miro and Braque for its vibrant colors and lines. The colorful floor, Ladia said, feels “almost musical”.

Many statement performances were staged at the Music Museum. Besides the iconic “Vagina Monologues” by Tony-award winning author Eve Ensler, “One Billion Rising” (a global movement founded by Ensler to end rape and sexual violence against women) was directed by acclaimed theater actress Monique Wilson on the Music Museum Stage. Monique and fellow supporters of women could no longer take that women were being raped, beaten, maimed, mutilated, burned and terrorized, and so staged this production. Members of Gabriela, the New Voice Company, Gabriela Women’s Party and others fully supported productions like these.

The Music Museum marked its 20th year with a grand concert at the Araneta Coliseum entitled Divas 4 Divas. It brought together for the first time four of the country’s best female singers -- Kuh Ledesma, Zsa Zsa Padilla, Pops Fernandez and Regine Velasquez. The four divas wore spectacular fashions designed by Edwin Uy, Brian Leyva, Joey Samson and Oliver Tolentino with special accessories designed by Kuh’s brother, Constantino Ledesma. The rich repertoire included a tribute to the four divas’ international musical counterparts, Whitney Houston, Celine Dion and Mariah Carey. The divas also did a Madonna medley.