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Make Music
Hartford

FAQ

How can musicians participate? 

Musicians can perform concerts, participate in jam sessions, lead group play-alongs, or even teach free lessons. Musicians of all abilities and genres are invited to make music with us on June 21st. You can perform just once or at multiple venues throughout the day. The first step is registering and creating a profile. Using the matchmaking software musicians can find a venue in the city and make an offer to perform there. Venues can also reach out to musicians too. All of the arrangements involved with performances are made between the musicians and the venues.

What are the responsibilities of the venue?

Venues determine what their participation looks like. There are no requirements other than donating the space and assuring that the music is free and open to anyone to enjoy. Venues determine the type of music they would like performed in their space, they also determine the time they would like to host music. You can hold a 30 minute concert or host an entire slate of musicians throughout the day. Venues are not required to provide sound equipment. It’s a great bonus if you can, but it is not required. Having a staff person, volunteer, or resident on hand during the performances is also important for greeting musicians and answering questions. 

In order to be an official Make Music Hartford venue and have your performances on the map, the first thing to do is Register!

How long should performances be?

It varies. Some concerts will be an hour, but some events like jam sessions may go on for two hours. Venues and musicians agree upon a time frame when they match up on the matchmaking software. Please keep set up and break down time in mind when scheduling your performance. Musicians should also finish up their performance by the agreed upon time.

What if I’m a musician who wants to participate, but I don’t want to perform my own concert?

There will be group activities you can participate in. As they are scheduled we’ll post those events separately in the Participate section of the website. Keep checking back as more events are added.

Do musicians get paid to participate? 

Musicians should not expect to be paid for participating in Make Music Hartford. If venues and musicians would like to make financial arrangements on their own that is up to them, but the expectation is that musicians will share their musical gifts with the community without monetary compensation. When venues register with the matchmaking software they will be asked if they are providing anything to musicians, including monetary compensation. Venues decide whether they will provide musicians with other incentives like food and beverage. Venues will not charge for the use of their space either.

Do I need a permit to perform or host a musician? 

Possibly. The Greater Hartford Arts Council will work with the city of Hartford to secure necessary permits for Make Music Hartford performers. Permits are required for any musician using public property such as sidewalks and city parks. Performances on private property do not require the same permits, but must abide by noise ordinances already in place. If a musical event happens in one of the Greater Hartford suburbs, it is up to the venue and musician to secure appropriate permits for that specific town or city.

Will sound equipment and stages be provided?

Think of Make Music Hartford as a DIY event. Venues and musicians will need to make their own arrangements for sound and performance space. Stages aren’t always necessary. You’re encouraged to use sidewalks, grassy areas, porches, and the areas in the city as they are. There will be a limited number of performances that have sound provided by our wonderful partners at Telefunken or Parkville Sounds. Those performances are specially arranged by the Greater Hartford Arts Council and our Make Music Hartford partners.

What if musicians are no longer able to perform after they’ve already made a match? 

Once matches are confirmed we secure permits and count on the musicians to carry out their performance. If you are no longer able to perform please let Amanda at the Greater Hartford Arts Council and your venue know ASAP so other arrangements can be made.

Can I volunteer with Make Music Hartford? 

Absolutely!We are currently recruiting volunteer photographers to help capture the magic of Make Music Hartford. If you are photographer or videographer who is interested in sharing your skills and photographing or filming music, we’d love to have you join our photographer squad!

We can always use help with spreading the word to musicians and venues about participating and to the general public so we have an audience at each performance. With 100 musical events we can also use some help with supporting musicians at certain performances and play-alongs.

Anyone interested in volunteering can contact Make Music Hartford coordinator, Amanda Roy.