Phreaking, which is short for phone phreaking, is the practice of exploring and exploiting weaknesses in the phone network, usually for the purpose of making free long-distance calls. The origins of phreaking can be traced back to the early days of the phone network when it was operated by AT&T and relied on analog signaling.

The strange sounds produced by dial-up modems were also a target for phreakers who found ways to manipulate them for their own purposes. One famous example of this is the "blue box" which was a device that could mimic the sounds produced by the phone network to allow phreakers to make free long-distance calls.

Regarding making music using old modems, it is possible to create interesting sounds by manipulating the sounds produced during the handshake process. By recording and layering different modem sounds, it is possible to create unique compositions. There are several online tutorials and resources available on this topic, including the work of Sam Battle that you mentioned.

As for collecting old computer hardware for a museum, there are several organizations and museums in the USA that specialize in preserving and displaying vintage computers and technology. One example is the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California, which has an extensive collection of historical hardware and software on display. Other organizations, such as Vintage Computer Federation and The Living Computer Museum, also collect and exhibit vintage computer hardware.
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