Make Music Day, an annual worldwide celebration of music with free events and concerts around the globe, has detailed some of the notable events occurring across America on June 21st.
“Completely different from a typical music festival, Make Music Day celebrates and promotes the natural music maker in all of us, regardless of ability,” organizers said of Make Music Day, which began in France in 1982 and has continued to spread since then.
“Reimagining their cities and towns as stages, every kind of musician – young and old, amateur and professional, of every musical persuasion – pours onto streets, parks, plazas, porches, rooftops, gardens and other public spaces to celebrate, create and share their music with friends, neighbors, and strangers.”
Among the 80 cities participating in this year’s Make Music Day on June 21st – the day of the summer solstice – are New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, Buffalo, Hartford, Madison, Miami, Nashville, Phoenix, San Jose and the entire state of Vermont.
In New York and Los Angeles, Street Studios will recruit DJs and producers to set up their gear on the sidewalks and perform for passersby, while a “Sousapalooza” in Chicago will bring together hundreds of brass and wind musicians to play songs by “March King” John Philip Sousa.
Other new events include Heart Chant, where people in cities like Philadelphia, New York, Chattanooga and more will come together to perform Pauline Oliveros’ “The Heart Chant,” “an offering of sonic healing for all beings through vocalization and listening.” Another new event is Drum Set Duos, where local drum shops will set up a pair of kits, one for advanced drummers and another for amateur passersby to drum together.
Make Music Day, presented in the U.S. by the NAMM Foundation and coordinated by the nonprofit Make Music Alliance, also encourages participants to wear orange shirts to mark the occasion. Check out the full list of events at the Make Music Day website.