Window Serenades

Make Music Day

Window Serenades share the joy of live music with isolated elderly people, bringing musicians to play outside nursing home windows for those who request a song.

Created as a socially-distanced program in 2020 to provide safe musical performances during a global pandemic, Window Serenades is becoming an annual Make Music Day tradition. If you’re interested in bringing this project to your community, email aaron@makemusicday.org.

Special thanks to Harman Inspired for supporting this project.

Window Serenades on June 21, 2021

Albuquerque, NM: Musicians of AFM Local 618, details to come *
Allen, TX: Victoria Gardens of Allen, performances by Harman employees
Boston, MA: The Branches of North Attleboro and Life Care of West Bridgewater, performances by The Unlikely Strummers
Calabasas, CA: Belmont Village, performances by Harman employees
Cleveland, OH: Musicians of AFM Local 4, details to come *
Durban, South Africa: Clayton Gardens Homes For The Aged, performance by Eric Damont
El Paso, TX: Performances by David Nakamoto & Robyn Pelking, details to come *
Farmington, CT: Anthology of Farmington, performance by Jackie Harris Stone *
Glastonbury, CT: Glastonbury Health Center, performances by Dave Giardina *
Hamden, CT: Benchmark at Hamden, performances by Terri Lachance
Huntsville, AL: Thrive Senior Living at Jones Farm, performances by clarinet trio from the Huntsville Concert Band
Ilkley, England: Performances by seven ensembles at twelve senior facilities, details here
Indianapolis, IN: Altenheim Senior Living Community, performances by University of Indianapolis Mu Phi Epsilon chapter
Livonia, MI: Woodhaven Retirement Community, performances by Harman employees
Montclair, NJ: South End Gardens Senior Apartments, performances by Josh and Houston Herman
Nashville, TN: The Manor at Steeplechase, performances by Donna Frost with Music For Seniors *
Platteville, WI: Edenbrook and Park Place Senior Living, performances by Ben Schmidtke, Lou Oswald, and Nancy Fairchild *
Ridgefield, CT: Benchmark Senior Living at Ridgefield Crossing, performances by Compassionate Ridgefield
Stamford, CT: The Residence at Summer Street, performances by Harman employees
Waunakee, WI: Details to come
Waterbury, CT: Abbott Terrace, performance by Erin Roccapriore
Windsor, CT: Kimberly Hall North, performance by Leslie Manselle *


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
* Starred performances are generously supported by the Music Performance Trust Fund
 

Music on June 21 can come from anyone, anywhere, and anything – even flowerpots.

Flowerpot Music, written by celebrated composer Elliot Cole and directed by percussionist Peter Ferry, is a composition for an unlikely but beautiful percussion instrument – the flowerpot! Last year on June 21st, 26 groups around the U.S. assembled in parks, fields and public squares, to learn and then perform the piece, specially composed for Make Music Day.

Flowerpot Music returns in 2023! Join a group and create outdoor soundscapes through easy-to-learn games, appropriate for musicians and non-musicians alike.

Register here to start a Flowerpot Music event near you, or to be connected with a local event leader.
 
Mallets for Flowerpot Music generously donated by:

Albany, NY

Location: Washington Park

Time: 11:00 am – 5:00 pm

Leader: Keith Morales

Email: kmorales@albanyny.gov

Anaheim, CA

Location: Anaheim Packing District

Time: 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm

Leader: Cat Wilson Smith

Email: manderson@aesd.org

Atlanta, GA

Location: Brownwood Park, 607 Brownwood Ave SE

Time: 12:00 PM

Leader: Chelsea Sommers

Email: hello@eastatlantabiz.com

Cheshire, CT

Location: 493 West Main Street

Time: 03:00 pm – 04:00 pm

Email: lblaisdell@ballandsocket.org

Chicago, IL

Location: Horner Park – 2741 W Montrose Ave, Chicago, IL 60618

Time: 05:00 pm – 06:00 pm

Email: mvaldes@classicalmusicchicago.org

Cotuit, MA

Location: Ropes Field, Cotuit

Time: 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm

Leader: Su D’Ambrosio from Cape Symphony

Email: sue@blt.org

Fair Lawn, NJ

Location: Berdan Park

Time: 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm

Email: art@fairlawn.org

Florence, AL

Location: Florence-Lauderdale Public Library

Time: 11:45 am – 12:30 pm

Leader: Abby Carpenter

Email: abby@flpl.org

Frisco, TX

Location: The Harvest at Frisco Commons, 8000 McKinney Rd

Time: 09:00 am – 10:00 am

Leader: Grayson Dean

Email: gdean@friscotexas.gov

Nashville, TN

Location: Shelby Bottoms Nature Center 1900 Shelby Bottoms Greenway

Time: 01:00 pm – 02:30 pm

Leader: Christine Comer

Email: cvcomer3@gmail.com

New York, NY

Location: The Nethermead in Prospect Park

Time: 05:00 pm – 07:45 pm

Leader: Karl Ronneburg

Email: karl.allmusic@gmail.com

New York, NY

Location: Smiling Hogshead Ranch, 25-30 Skillman Avenue

Time: 03:00 pm – 08:00 pm

Leader: Elizabeth Aceituno

Email: elituno@gmail.com

Orange, CA

Location: The Potting Shed, Orange Plaza

Time: 05:30 pm – 06:00 pm

Leader: Kim Le

Email: kim@pacificconservatoryoc.com

Santa Fe, NM

Location: Santa Fe Railyard Plaza

Time: 03:00 pm – 05:00 pm

Leader: Megan Louderman

Email: francescajozette@gmail.com

Seattle, WA

Location: Pier 62

Time: 11:00 am – 10:00 pm

Email: brione.rainieravenueradio.world@gmail.com

York County, PA

Locations: Martin Library, Kaltreider-Benfer Library, Dover Library

Time: 12:00 pm – 04:00 pm

Leader: Carmen Walsh

Email: Rita@culturalyork.org

Make Music Day Flowerpot Music: Gallery

Elliot Cole, Composer

Elliot Cole is a composer and “charismatic contemporary bard” (New York Times) whose music “evokes sparkling icicles of sound” (Rolling Stone). He has performed his music with Grammy winners Roomful of Teeth, Grammy nominees A Far Cry and Metropolis Ensemble, as well as Alkemie Early Music Ensemble, Projeto Arcomusical, the Lucerne Festival Academy, and as a member of the book-club-band Oracle Hysterical. His percussion music has been performed by over 250 percussion ensembles all over the world. He is on faculty at The New School and Juilliard Evening Division, and also runs a music school for incarcerated men at Sing Sing Correctional Facility in Ossining, NY.

Peter Ferry, Artistic Director

Acclaimed as “the ingenious percussionist Peter Ferry,” (Chicago Sun-Times), Peter Ferry is a young American percussion soloist re-imagining classical performances around the world through contemporary repertoire projects and innovative artistic collaborations. Ferry has been a guest artist at dozens of universities as well as the Zeltsman Marimba Festival in New Brunswick, NJ, and has stepped in as a guest percussionist with acclaimed ensembles Alarm Will Sound, Third Coast Percussion, Ensemble Dal Niente, and Eighth Blackbird. With Alarm Will Sound, Ferry serves as the Assistant Director of Artistic Planning, envisioning and managing the artistic activities of one of the world’s leading contemporary music ensembles.

Download graphics for Flowerpot Music

Since 2011, Make Music Chicago has pioneered the “Sousapalooza” – an invitation for hundreds of brass, wind, and percussion players to come together and sightread the music of The March King, John Philip Sousa.

Sousapaloozas will return in 2023 to cities around the U.S. Download the music, bring your horn, and join the band!

Sample Sousapalooza Repertoire (click to download):

Allen Park, MI

Location: Marshall Music Allen Park, 6500 Allen Rd Allen Park MI 48101

Time: 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm

Leader: Damien Crutcher

Email: egray@marshallmusic.com

Chicago, IL

Location: Ping Tom Memorial Park, 1700 S. Wentworth Ave.

Time: 5:30 pm – 6:45 pm

Email: mvaldes@classicalmusicchicago.org

Chairs will be provided. Musicians must bring their own flipstand or music stand and should print or download their own parts.

More Information

Lansing, MI

Location: Marshall Music Lansing, 3240 E Saginaw St Lansing MI 48912

Time: 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm

Leader: Matt Zerman

Email: egray@marshallmusic.com

Laredo, TX

Location: Casa Ortiz

Time: 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm

Leader: John Reimund

Email: 4taypiano@gmail.com

New York, NY

Location: The Plaza at 599 Lexington Ave, New York, NY

Time: 01:30 – 02:30 pm

Leader: Oscar Thorpe

More Information

Seattle, WA

Location: Pier 69

Time: TBD

Email: brione.rainieravenueradio.world@gmail.com

Troy, MI

Marshall Music Troy, 4052 Rochester Rd Troy MI 48085

Time: 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm

Leader: Annette Kline

Email: egray@marshallmusic.com

Wichita, KS

Location: Senseney Music parking lot. 2300 E. Lincoln Wichita, KS

Time: 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm

Leader: Brenda Rohr

Email: brohr@senseneymusic.com

Interested in starting your own Sousapalooza?

Sousapalooza: Gallery

Download graphics for Sousapalooza