The Joe Chithalen Memorial Musical Instrument Lending Library The Joe Chithalen Memorial Musical Instrument Lending Library The Joe Chithalen Memorial Musical Instrument Lending Library (Joe’s M.I.L.L.) is a library of musical instruments that any aspiring musician can borrow for their use – usually for a 4-week period. There is no charge for the loans. It is located in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. The collection contains over 800 items that vary in type including guitars, other stringed instruments, drums, horns, and pianos, as well as other accessories such as books, sheet music, effects pedals and microphones. Many of the musical instruments available on loan have been donated by residents of
Musical instrument popular music, and the instrument makers responded accordingly. Beginning in about 1400, the rate of development of musical instruments increased in earnest as compositions demanded more dynamic sounds. People also began writing books about creating, playing, and cataloging musical instruments; the first such book was Sebastian Virdung's 1511 treatise "Musica getuscht und ausgezogen" ('Music Germanized and Abstracted'). Virdung's work is noted as being particularly thorough for including descriptions of "irregular" instruments such as hunters' horns and cow bells, though Virdung is critical of the same. Other books followed, including Arnolt Schlick's "Spiegel der Orgelmacher und Organisten" ('Mirror of Organ Makers