Make Music
Day Atlanta | June 21, 2023

About

Each year, over 1000 cities around the world throw citywide music celebrations on June 21.

It all started 40 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.

Wednesday, June 21, 2023 is the 2nd Annual Make Music Day Atlanta!

On Wednesday June 21, 2023 from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. EST Atlanta will celebrate Make Music Day on summer solstice in conjunction with over 100 cities around the world. This one-day celebration will showcase music by local artists throughout five of Atlanta’s historic districts: Sweet Auburn, East Atlanta, Virginia Highland, Little 5 Points and West End. These five districts that make up the Atlanta Main Street cohort.

In all of these neighborhoods, Make Music Day Atlanta will celebrate and promote the natural music maker in all of us, regardless of age, ethnicity, background or skill level. Make Music Day Atlanta is a free and open invitation for everyone to make, enjoy, perform, teach, learn and experience the joy of making music on the longest day of the year and the launch of summer. 

Some perks of attending include complimentary Alfred Ukulele Books provided in Virginia Highlands and Hohner harmonicas in Little 5 Points. Head over to East Atlanta to use Vic Firth Mallets to play music on flowerpots! In the West End we will have bucket drumming lessons and participants can keep the drumsticks. Wrap up your day in Sweet Auburn where you can hear some steel drumming on Panyard Jumbie Jams.

MMDATL mobilizes the community to self-produce a collaborative city-wide celebration where music is the medium and independent businesses and nontraditional venues are the location. The event is free and open to the public.

Email us at atlanta@makemusicday.org with any questions and follow us @makemusicdayatl on Instagram and Facebook!

About the Main Street Cohort:

The Atlanta Department of Planning launched the Atlanta Main Street cohort program in 2019 to bring the principles of design, organization, promotion and economic vitality to Atlanta’s historic neighborhoods and the nonprofit organizations representing each neighborhood. 

Participate

How can I perform?

Anyone and everyone is welcome and encouraged to create a Performer profile.

Creating your profile is short & sweet!

Within minutes, you should have access to the Make Music Atlanta match-making database. While creating your Performer profile remember to give us the full scoop, by including a headshot, bio, music samples, and social media tags.

Your Performer profile makes it easy for interested host venues to learn all about your specific talents and needs.

This may encourage them to send you an invitation to play a concert from their venue or approve of your request to perform at their venue!

After your profile has been set up, you can search for participating venues and send them requests to play. All additional needs and details can be worked out via direct message on the registration platform.

Step 1: Watch Videos on How to Register as a Performer.

Step 2: Sign Up!

Step 3: Matchmaking begins between Performers and Venues through your account created in Step 2

*Deadline to Sign Up to perform is Wednesday, May 24, 2023 at Midnight EST

*No registration fee required

Who can participate as a host location?

Make Music Day Atlanta is collaborating this year with the Atlanta Main Street cohort to mobilize five historic districts, Sweet Auburn, East Atlanta, Virginia Highland, Little 5 Points and West End, to produce the collaborative city-wide celebration. 

Everyone is welcomed and encouraged to host musicians from their outdoor space, sidewalks, backyards, storefronts, small business, restaurants, cafes, bars, cultural institutions; community gardens; even your own porch, stoop, driveway, or lawn. The only rule, ALL Make Music Day events must be free!

Please do not, however, create a Venue profile for a public park or plaza on your own initiative, as such spaces require special permits that must be secured directly by us. When you do see a public park or plaza Venue profile on the database, it was created by us and is available as stipulated. If you do not see your preferred park or plaza, please contact us at atlanta@makemusicday.org.

Step 1: Watch Video on How to Create Your Venue Account

Step 2: Watch Video on How to Customize Your Venue Profile

Step 3: Sign Up!

After your profile has been set up, you can search for participating venues and send them requests to play. All additional needs and details can be worked out via direct message on the registration platform between the artist and the venue.

*Deadline to Sign Up to host is Wednesday, May 24, 2023 at Midnight EST

*No registration fee required

NEW YORK, NY – JUNE 21: Erel Pilo performs at O Live Brooklyn during Make Music Day 2015 In Brooklyn on June 21, 2015 in New York City. (Photo by Jemal Countess/Getty Images for NAMM)

ATTEND 

Spend the Summer Solstice connecting to the community and show your love for local performers! Plan your day in the neighborhood you live or work. You could pick a neighborhood you’re not familiar with and let the healing vibes of music on the longest day of the year be your tour guide. 

Bring a chair, a blanket and/or put on your dancing shoes. Make Music Day is a participatory event where performers, venues and YOU make the magic! Support local businesses! Eat yummy food, grab a drink, enjoy a coffee, and buy a gift for a loved one or yourself.  Make Music Day Atlanta mobilizes the community to self-produce a collaborative city-wide event where music is the medium and independent businesses are the venues.

2023 Listings: Wednesday, June 21st

 

Donate

Help Support Make Music Day Atlanta!

The work of a small team of volunteers makes it possible to pull this off on such a limited budget, but unavoidable costs remain, including: instrument and equipment rentals, software development for the matchmaking system, promotional materials such as signage and swag necessary for the organization, and many smaller items such as insurance and event permitting.

Donations of any amount automatically make you a Make Music Day Atlanta Founding Donor!

Help us cover 2023 operating costs and build our foundation for future years!

CLICK HERE TO DONATE 

Contact

We’d love to hear from you!

Get in touch with us at atlanta@makemusicday.org

Follow us @makemusicdayatl on Instagram and Facebook.

Make Music Day Atlanta Cofounders

 

Jennifer Ohme

Over the last 22 years in Atlanta, Jennifer Ohme has created a company that builds community organizations – with the community – for neighborhood commercial districts. idealDESIGN works with community stakeholders to develop and manage the organization which educates, connects and organizes for the benefit of all businesses within the neighborhood(s). 

Launching Make Music Day Atlanta is a perfect complement to Jennifer’s existing work that  brings energy, awareness and community engagement to Atlanta’s historic neighborhoods and independent businesses.

 

Lauren Kelley

Lauren Kelley, an Atlanta-native, has supported artists and entrepreneurs throughout her entire career having participated in building and launching Atlanta companies such as Kenzie Lane, Clutch Technologies, the Modern Mystic Shop, The Splatter Studio, LeadAbroad and idealDESIGN. Recently she has been focused on wellness initiatives such as her own business, Digitarot, among others with colleagues, Jennifer Ohme as well as Yale Zhang. Lauren also serves as the Board Chair for Manga African Dance founded in Atlanta 32 years ago. With a love for music, community, healing and Atlanta, becoming a cofounder of Make Music Day Atlanta was a natural fit.

 

Ben Holst

Ben Holst has been a career musician, producer, engineer and composer in the Atlanta area for over 20 years. He came up in Athens, co-founded Tunewelders – an award winning music and audio production company, and later re-opened the historic Southern Tracks Recording Studio in Atlanta. Recent accolades include: Composer on the animated Netflix series The Liberator; co-producer on Grammy-nominated India.Arie’s Songversation: Medicine; writer and performer on the theme song for season 9 of Mike Rowe’s Dirty Jobs; and Recording Academy Atlanta Chapter Board of Governors. Ben also currently serves as Director of Creative Media and Brand Development for live streaming powerhouse – Volume.com.