What is Make Music Day?

Launched in 1982 in France as the Fête de la Musique, Make Music is celebrated on the same day in more than 1,000 cities in dozens of countries around the world.

Completely different from a typical music festival, Make Music is open to anyone who wants to take part. Every kind of musician — young and old, amateur and professional, of every musical persuasion — pours onto streets, parks, plazas, and porches to share their music with friends, neighbors, and strangers. All of it is free and open to the public.

Dane County communities involved in Make Music Day include Cambridge, DeForest, Madison, Middleton, Monona, Sun Prairie and Waunakee. This is likely the largest number of communities involved in any county in the country. And Wisconsin has the most Make Music communities of any state in the country! 

Plan your day! Find performers at venues throughout Monona. Click on the “Artists” tab, or use the search button to learn more about performers.

REGISTRATION FOR 2024 IS NOW OPEN!

The profile options: **PLEASE READ BEFORE YOU BEGIN**

1) Performer Profile – choose this if you are a musician. You will be able to add your own bio info, image, web links, and performance time slot availability, then can request your preferred venues.

One of the first steps will be to confirm your email address – you will not be able to submit your profile until you do so.

One of the final steps will be to assign a contact. This is especially useful if you’d like to designate one member of your band, or the guardian of a child performing.

2) Venue Profile – choose this if you are a host. You will be adding info about your space, time availability, and web links. Through the platform you can connect with Performer Profiles and invite them to perform at your location, or they can request to perform at your location.  Confirmed Performer Profiles (they’ve created for themselves) will appear on your venue lineup for the day.

One of the first steps will be to confirm your email address – you will not be able to submit your profile until you do so.

3) Event Listing – choose this if you are a host, have already decided your lineup for the day, and will not be seeking additional musicians. You will be listing your location info, and will also be responsible for listing all of your performers bios, images, web links, and performance time slots yourself. If you’d like to give your performers the option to complete their own Performer Profiles, choose a Venue Profile for yourself instead.

One of the first steps will be to confirm your email address – you will not be able to submit your profile until you do so.

Venues and performers that have detailed profiles for audiences to learn more about them in advance tend to be the most well attended.

Need help signing up? Watch these short tutorial videos to get started!

• How to Create a Venue Profile Video
• How to Create a Performer Profile Video

Want to help out, but aren’t up for hosting? Become a volunteer at one of the venue locations. Contact laura@mononaeastside.com.

Make Music Monona 2024 coordinators include:

Laura Hofsteen – Tourism Coordinator, Monona East Side Business Alliance

Christine Welcher – Executive Director, Monona East Side Business Alliance

Stacy Levin – instructor at MG21, and organizer of Harry Whitehorse International Sculpture Festival

Gene Delcourt –  instructor at MG21, and organizer of Harry Whitehorse International Sculpture Festival

Jane Schroeder – Owner/Designer, Kaleidoscope Event Design

Cara Erickson – Marketing & Communications Manager, Aldo Leopold Nature Center

Suzy Grindrod – Early Childhood Education Coordinator, Aldo Leopold Nature Center

Missy Miller – Recreation Supervisor/Aquatic Director, Monona Parks & Recreation

FAQ

What?

• Performed by Anyone, Enjoyed by Everyone.
• Celebrating the summer solstice.
• Buffet of musical merriment.
• DIY city-wide festival.

When?
Annually on June 21.

Where?
Throughout the City of Monona.

Who?
Open to music makers of all ages, skill levels, & musical persuasions, and hosts for all types of locations.

Photo from Friends of San Damiano

Who Can Participate?

Musicians
Musicians of all ages, skill levels, and styles. You can play one show or as many as you like.

Venues
Hosting can be as simple as providing space on your porch or as complex as renting a stage and sound equipment. Hosts control the location, performance times, and list available equipment. Sites must:

1. Be within the City of Monona
2. Be free and accessible to the public
3. Maintain space on the sidewalk for pedestrians

What is the Matchmaking System?

The Matchmaking System connects venues and musicians. After creating an account, venues and musicians can browse each other’s profiles to request a booking.

Where is Make Music Monona?

Any site in the City of Monona that can be open to the public, including:

• Community centers & gardens: Organizations that run these sites may list them in our matchmaking system. If a site isn’t listed, ask them to consider signing up to host.
• Parks & plazas: Make Music Monona makes some of these sites available to request in our matchmaking system.
• Private businesses: Restaurants, coffee shops, retail stores, and others may host music. If your favorite spot isn’t listed, ask them to consider signing up to host.
• Private homes: Garages, back yards, front yards, porches, etc.
• Sidewalks: Once you have identified a sidewalk, notify any neighbors or nearby businesses. Maintain a path for pedestrians to use the sidewalk safely.

Who can host?

Hosting can be as simple as providing space on your porch or as complex as renting a stage and sound equipment. The host controls the location, length of performance, and what they are able to provide. Sites must:

1. Be within the City of Monona
2. Be free and accessible to the public
3. Maintain a clearance on the sidewalk for pedestrian passage

Create your host profile.

Who can perform?

Make Music Monona is open to musicians of all ages, skill levels, and styles. Students, amateurs, first-timers, part-time professionals, and established musicians are all welcome. There is no audition process, all you do is register, match with a venue, show up, and perform!

How do I register to participate?

1. Create a profile with as much information as possible.
2. Search for a musician or venue to match with.
3. When you find a good fit, send a message with a booking request.
4. Schedule as many shows as you like.
5. Both host and musician must confirm your show before matchmaking ends.
6. Stay in touch with your matches as the day approaches.

Create your performer profile.

What if I already have a plan and I don’t need to find a match?

Create an EVENT PROFILE in our matchmaking system. It will appear on our website, and be visible to audiences looking for performance locations.

How long will each performance last?  

Musicians and hosts will agree to the length of each performance. Stick to your advertised times so the schedule on our website is accurate. 

How many performances can I schedule?

As many as you’d like. If you perform at multiple sites, allow time for travel & set-up.

Can dancers perform on Make Music Day?

Yes, but the performance must be to live music, not recorded music. Consider space constraints and flooring needs.

What if I sign up now, and have to back out later?

Once the host and musician confirm the show, we will publicize your event and secure permits. If you need to cancel, it is your responsibility to find a replacement. Inform us about all program changes, then update the status to ‘cancelled’ in the matchmaking system.

Who will provide a stage/amplification system?

Make Music Monona is a do-it-yourself event. Each venue will list the equipment and electrical access they have in their profile. Musicians should review this before sending a request.

Will there be a main stage?

No, the city is the stage on Make Music Day. Have a venue in mind? Ask that location to host!

What if it rains?

There is no rain date. This event happens in 1,000+ communities around the world on June 21, and so will ours. If it rains, shows at an exposed site may move inside. We ask that you open a door/window so the music can be heard outside. Venue hosts should list in their profile what will do in case of rain. Park shelters are great rain or shine locations.

Can I charge admission?

No. All Make Music Monona performances are free and open to the public. Musicians may accept donations or sell merchandise.

What is the matchmaking system?

The matchmaking system connects musicians & venues. After creating an account, you can search for a matching musician or venue and request a booking. A few tips:

• Create a profile with as much detail as possible.
• Don’t be shy! It helps to put yourself out there, so send as many requests as you’d like.
• Respond to requests quickly. If it’s not a good fit, let the other party know so they can move on.
• Stay in touch. You can send messages through the system or connect by phone or email.

What does the “Accepting Requests” toggle button mean on my profile?

You may want to toggle this off to stop accepting requests if:

1. Your schedule is full.
2. You’d prefer to have control over who requests shows and don’t want anyone to reach out.
3. You have your lineup planned and don’t need any one to request a show.

Why am I restricted to three choices for the type of music I perform or that my venue will accept?

This limit makes it easier to find the right match. Use the “Other” choice and the description box to override this limitation. If you represent a venue open to all types of music, use “open to anything.”

What will Make Music Monona do to promote my concert?

We list concerts on our website, and on social media.

I’ve signed up as a musician or a venue and I’m ready to make a match. Can you break down the approval process in the software for me?

You can use the search option to filter to the available artist/venue who fits your criteria. Use the triangle to the left of the name to see all of their profile. You can see all available venues and performers by selecting the browse feature.

I’ve requested some bookings, what happens now?

After you send a booking request, that entity will receive an email. Both sides need to confirm, modify or decline the opportunity. If you wish to modify, you specify with the other party what you want to change. When you confirm a match it will be sent to Make Music Monona to review. Your desired match will appear on your “Account” page under “My Performances”; note that until all three parties have approved, the match is “pending confirmation”. After approval by the artist, venue, and Make Music Monona, the status will say “confirmed”.

Do I need to check in with my “Account” page to see if there are any pending matches?

When someone requests a match, you will be emailed a notification to log in and check the match.

Get in touch with us at monona@makemusicday.org or laura@mononaeastiside.com