About

Make Music Day Appleton is part of the international Fête de la Musique, taking place in 1,000 cities across more than 120 countries every year on June 21 – the summer solstice.  It is designed to celebrate music in all its forms and encourages people to band together to play free public concerts.

In the U.S., Make Music Day is presented by The NAMM Foundation, and coordinated by the Make Music Alliance.  This year on Monday June 21st, 2021, events will be virtual and in-person at various locations in Appleton.

Make Music Day Appleton is for anyone and everyone! It is open to all ages, skill levels, and any musical category.

How did Make Music Day begin?

It all started 39 years ago in France.

In 1982, France’s Ministry of Culture dreamed up an idea for a new kind of musical holiday. They imagined a day where free, live music would be everywhere: street corners and parks, rooftops and gardens, store fronts and mountaintops.

And, unlike a typical music festival, anyone and everyone would be invited to join and play music, or host performances. The event would take place on the summer solstice, June 21, and would be called Fête De La Musique. (In French, the name means both “festival of music” and “make music!”)

Amazingly enough, this dream has come true. The Fête has turned into a true national holiday: France shuts down on the summer solstice and musicians take over. Almost 8% of the country (5 million people) have played an instrument or sung in public for the Fête de la Musique.

Three decades later, the holiday has spread throughout the world and is now celebrated in more than 120 countries. In the U.S., the presenting sponsor is the NAMM Foundation.

Participate

Anyone and everyone is invited to participate in Make Music Day. All age groups, skill levels, and type of music are welcome! There will be virtual and in-person scheduled events throughout the day for Monday, June 21, 2021. Check back often for updates on events!

Interested in performing, teaching, or collaborating? Email Education@HeidMusic.com for more information.

Events:

My Song is Your Song: artists around the world are invited to the second annual global song swap! Learn a song by another artist, and hear yours covered in return. Songwriters and composers of all styles and walks of life are invited to participate. www.makemusicday.org/songswap. Registration deadline is May 31.

Global Livestream: a day-long video stream on June 21 showing the rich diversity of Make Music Day events around the world. www.makemusicday.org/national-projects/live-streaming/ 

Junkophonics: create instruments from found objects! Although you may think it’s “junk”, it may actually be an instrument. Learn how to build instruments from the performers and educators at Bash the Trash Environmental Arts. www.makemusicday.org/national-projects/junkophonics/

Mark your calendars for Monday, June 21, 2021!

Contact

Are you a musician with performance ideas, a teacher who would like to share music education, a venue that would like to provide space for music, or have questions about Make Music Day Appleton? Feel free to reach out to us at Education@HeidMusic.com

We are always looking for individuals who want to support music in our community!

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