April 14, 2026
Champions: David Francisco, Writing Songs and Letting Go of Perfection
In this interview, we talk with David Francisco, a Fullerton, California–based singer, songwriter, and producer who blends indie pop, alternative, and singer-songwriter influences. David shares how discovering guitar in high school sparked his love for music, how his personal journey shaped his songwriting, and how producing his own recordings helped him find his sound. He also reflects on the community spirit of Make Music Day, his approach to consistent songwriting, and what’s ahead as he prepares to release his upcoming album White Knuckle Thoughts.
I’ve been listening to your music this morning. It’s amazing. When did you first start getting into music?
Probably high school. I listened to a bunch of John Mayer, and I just fell in love with guitar. I did classical piano in middle school, but John Mayer in high school and the guitar were when I really first started loving music. Then I just kept playing in college. I was in a band and also studied electrical engineering. I would play in the evenings with the band, and we recorded a whole album. That’s when I fell in love with recording music.
So I’ve read a lot about your story online. It’s very inspiring. How has your journey shaped the way you write and perform your music today?
Yeah, I’ve definitely written a lot of songs about the injury, my whole book and album Lionheart. It’s definitely been a big part of my story. But these days, I try to get away from it. I don’t just live in the crash. I’ve also found a lot of other beautiful things in life to write about and talk about, but it’s still a big part of my story.
And other than John Mayer, what artists today would you say shape your sound, or that you take inspiration from?
I would say Jon Bellion is a big one. Still John Mayer a bit. Ryan Beatty is actually a big influence. Lizzy McAlpine, Phoebe Bridgers—indie songwriters, I would say—and then some pop and alternative. I was just listening to James Blake, and that felt super cool. Bon Iver too. Those are some of my go-to’s.
So how did you first hear about Make Music Day?
I don’t remember exactly. I think I saw little signs around our city, Fullerton, and I was like, “What is Make Music Day?” Then I did it and played at like four venues, and it was so fun. It’s great how it brings the community together. You get to hear other local acts. When the whole city has music going on everywhere, it’s like we get to be Nashville for a day—just a ton of live music.
And how is the experience different from a normal gig for you?
It feels more communal. It’s low stakes because it’s not paid, but it’s really beautiful how we get to share with our friends and neighbors. So yeah, it has that localized feel.
And what’s next for you? Any new music projects?
I’ve got a whole album coming. I’ve been releasing a single every month, and it’s been really fun. I feel like I’m finally getting into a sweet spot with my sound, voice, and lyrics. I’m really excited to be putting out an album called White Knuckle Thoughts later this fall.
And are you going to be including the songs you’ve been releasing these past months?
Some of them. Probably not all of them, but definitely a couple.
I find it amazing how you’re able to release one song every month. I think that’s very difficult for some artists. Do you produce it all yourself?
It is tough. I’ve got the drums here, the guitars, the piano—I can pretty much make any sound. I’m primarily a producer, actually. I’d say I’m an artist second to my production, as well as a motivational speaker now. I’ve been fortunate enough to learn production, and I’m getting to the point where I’m proud of how I can make something sound. So it’s a good place to be.
Have you also had the experience of writing for other artists?
I have, and it’s fun. Writing sessions are great in LA. But I’d also say that even if you don’t have other people around, writing alone is still a great challenge and exercise. Just write things, put them out, and keep moving because you need to build momentum. I heard a podcast yesterday with Charlie Puth, and he said being in the music industry is like getting to print free lottery tickets every day just by writing songs. You never know which one will be the winning song. So why wouldn’t you print those tickets every day? Being consistent is huge. Showing up every day and taking the pressure off makes it much more sustainable.
Last question: What advice would you give to someone who wants to become a musician or an artist?
I did a songwriting challenge last year—30 songs in 30 days. It was honestly pretty game-changing for me. Basically, you have to let go of perfectionism. The goal isn’t to write a great song; the goal is just to upload something every day. A group of us were doing it together, and that consistency was amazing. It felt like going to the gym every day, but for songwriting. Since then, I’ve written about 69 or 70 songs, and I’m going for 100 by probably May. What’s cool is that you gain perspective and learn so much about yourself when you write that many songs. You start noticing patterns and understanding how you write. It really opened my eyes. I used to not love writing songs, and now I actually do.
April 9, 2026
Champions: Adryelle, Blending Retro Sounds with Whimsical Pop
In this interview, we talk with Adryelle, a California-based artist who describes herself as a “synth-pop fairy stuck in an 80s mall.” She shares how her love for retro electronic sounds and whimsical aesthetics shaped her music, how she began writing songs from poetry, and the artists that influenced her sound. She also reflects on her Make Music Day performances in Fullerton, discusses her self-produced single Bloom, and offers advice on building a sustainable path as an independent artist.
I love how you describe yourself as a synth-pop fairy stuck in an 80s mall. Where did that idea and aesthetic come from?
I really like retro. I’ve always been drawn to the ’80s sound and electronic music. I’ve always been drawn to older things, but I’ve also been drawn to more whimsical ideas. So I’ve kind of merged the two.
When did you first start making music?
I’ve been playing music since I was three. I grew up on a lot of Christian CCM, but I started to branch out more into grunge and goth sounds in high school. I had this random thought one day: what if I write a song? Or how can I write a song? I started writing poetry in high school, and then I thought, why not put the poetry to music and see if I can do that? It turned out awful, but I wasn’t going to give up. I just kept doing it because it was more of a cathartic thing for me. It felt like therapy. I liked the outlet it gave me for my emotions and feelings at the time. I was also in a band with my brother and a couple of friends, and we would always play music and hang out in the garage, all soloing guitars at the same time. That’s kind of how things started.
What artists or bands do you think have influenced your sound the most?
There have been a lot of different ones. The Cure, Depeche Mode, Kate Bush, Björk, a lot of older ’80s artists. Tears for Fears. And then more modern stuff too. I would say Nirvana has always been an influence, but not stylistically, if that makes sense. That’s more what I was listening to when I started writing music — a lot of grunge. And then Bob Dylan as well.
So on to a few Make Music Day questions. How did you first hear about Make Music Day?
I had someone reach out to me who was booking for the day in California, and they invited me to play. I had never heard about it before. It was really cool — it was the one in Fullerton. They shut everything down and opened up all the venues. That was two years ago, and then they booked me again last year. I had some friends who were also playing at the same time at the same venue. And yeah, I think Make Music Day is a really cool concept because you get to meet a lot of other artists, and it brings a lot of people out to appreciate music.
And how is it different from a normal gig?
It feels like a collective thing, like a community event, rather than just one gig at one place. It’s all over the city, and I think that’s really cool because it reaches the whole community.
Did you perform inside a restaurant or bar, or was it an outdoor space?
The first one was a pizza/bar space. I remember it was a really hot day, so it was nice and cool inside the venue. The second one was outside on a patio. That was really cool because somebody actually messaged me on Instagram from one of the apartments around the building. They were like, “I’m listening to music right now. I live in one of the apartments.” And I was like, what? That’s so crazy. They weren’t even in the venue — they were somewhere else listening. Also, it was near the train, so there were people hanging out who were also curious.
You recently released Bloom, which was written, produced, and mixed by you. I think it’s very hard for someone to do all that themselves. Can you tell us a bit about that project and what it means to you?
It’s more about blooming into a different person than you were before. You’re not the same person you were in the past — you’re changing and growing, morphing like a flower. I wanted to go for more of a minimalist electronic vibe for that song. I was just playing around with sounds on my computer, and I liked this one — it fit perfectly. Flowers are delicate, and I think transition is delicate as well. When you’re transitioning from one thing to another, it’s never fun because you’re in that in-between moment. But once you get there, you realize you’re already there and you can rest in who you are now. Like a flower transitioning from a bud to a bloom, the petals are opening. That’s what the project is about. The sounds I used were also meant to feel delicate.
Finally, what advice would you give to someone who wants to become a musician or an artist?
I would say diversify. Learn as much as you can in as many areas as possible. To be a full-time artist, you need multiple streams of income. Learning to produce is really important because it saves money and gives you control over your sound. Some people don’t like it because recording, mixing, and producing your own music can be daunting. But I’d still suggest learning as much as you can. There are so many different streams of income you can pull from, and all opportunities are good opportunities. You never know what might come from something small. If you’re doing it to express yourself, put out what’s in your heart, and don’t be afraid. Once you put a song out there, it’s no longer just your song — it becomes somebody else’s.
April 9, 2026
Champions: Vivienne Aerts, Exploring Sound from Loop Stations to Sailboats
In this interview, we talk with Vivienne Aerts, a New York City–based vocalist, composer, and producer known for blending voice, looping, electronics, and experimental performance. Vivienne shares how she first discovered looping technology and how it became a key part of her live performances. She also reflects on her path from studying psychology and jazz to teaching at Berklee College of Music, where she explores the connection between creativity, mindfulness, and musical freedom. Along the way, she talks about collaborative projects that mix music with edible art, the inspiration behind her large-scale album featuring 100 female musicians, and her unique upcoming project—an album recorded on a sailboat.
I’ve seen you perform using vocals, keys, and looping. How did you start using looping in your music?
I was always singing, and I actually went to the conservatory to study all that. But then in 2009, there was an app for looping on the phone that I saw on TV. And I’m like, wow, that’s great. So I got the iPad and started looping myself on it, and it was very fun. Then I made an a cappella record. My first album was with a band, like a jazz quintet, and the second album was completely vocal. So I needed a way to be able to perform it, and I went more and more into looping. Now we’re years later, and I still really like it and keep experimenting with it.
You teach at Berklee. How does teaching music influence your own work as an artist?
I grew up playing piano and singing, and then I studied psychology and went to the conservatory for choir conducting and singing. At the same time, I did my bachelor’s and master’s in clinical psychology. In the daytime, I was a psychologist in the Netherlands, and in the evenings I had five choirs. On the weekends, I would perform with my band. Then I went to Boston to study more at Berklee in 2012. I decided to write more original works, and I started performing more. After I graduated, I was hired at Berklee right away to work at this institute, which focuses on mental health while performing. By now, I teach my own classes, which focus on experimental performance but also mindfulness. If you really feel free with your music, it has a lot to do not just with technique and your ears, but with you as a person as well. I teach all the different instruments how to just be free within their music. Obviously that influences me. It’s all related to how I work as an artist, because I have two main projects. One is me as a singer-songwriter, which is more jazzy. The other project is with desserts, with my husband, who is a pastry chef. We collaborate on projects that involve edible artwork and sound.
So how would you describe your music to someone hearing it for the first time?
People have described it as angelic. The last album I produced was all original songs that I wrote. I hired a hundred female musicians. It’s all my compositions arranged with different groups of people performing on them. One song became a Cuban big band bolero, another became more like an experimental string quartet, and there’s one song with a choir. In between, there are sounds from 1,500 women in Congo. We worked with this chocolate brand that’s good for people, good for nature, and good for quality—Original Beans. One of their projects is a female cacao collective in Virunga National Park in Congo, and I was able to get some sounds from them and integrate that into the album. So that album is really like a collage of different flavors. Generally, all my songs are hopeful, I would say. I hope people can listen to them and feel a little bit better about themselves and about the world. The new album has just been recorded, and it will come out in June. It was recorded on a sailboat. The album is going to be called Current. My husband and I lived on the boat for two weeks while recording. We love to work together, and by now we collaborate on all these different projects. So yes, we were on this boat for two weeks and recorded the environment—the water, underwater, and above the water, birds—and used a lot of synthesizers, electronics, and loop stations. I recorded my voice in layers. This album sounds a little more electronic than the previous one. So I would say maybe it has a bit of a Norah Jones meets James Blake vibe.
Did you learn to produce yourself, or did you have to go to school for that?
Well, nowadays you can learn a lot online. But in my case, I grew up going to the conservatory, and there wasn’t so much computer-based music when I learned my craft. At Berklee, I was mainly focused on singing very complex avant-garde jazz because I was in the Global Jazz Program. But after graduating, I felt I needed to write more. I started getting more into the production side—like, let me just make my own things and then tweak them. Especially with the women and chocolate album, all of that was done remotely because there were 100 women from 40 countries sending in their parts. Over the years, I also took several courses at Berklee—more geeky classes like mixing and mastering and digital signal processing. I also took classes on sound design and modular synthesis.
Was last year your first time participating in Make Music Day? How did you find out about it?
I think I connected through one of these Facebook groups. I saw it in my timeline and it caught my attention. I had also seen a couple of friends perform in it in previous years. Normally I tour in Europe in June, but last year we were in New York for a change, so it worked out with the dates. I checked out the website and the different locations there were.
How was your Make Music Day performance?
I had the most wonderful experience. In the morning, I performed at the Naval Cemetery Landscape Memorial Park, which was such a beautiful space. They had this little platform that looked out onto a sea of grass, which was super nice. Then, in the afternoon, I was at Prospect Heights Community Farm. People were so nice, and it was a collage of different artists, too, so I got to see a little bit of what they were doing. I was performing with the loop station in that community garden, and at one point the birds started echoing one of my voices. It was really cool to engage with the community like that.
So what’s next for you? Any new music or shows coming up?
The boat album is coming out this summer, and there will be concerts on boats as well. For obvious reasons, that’s what we need to do. We’ll do some boat concerts in America, where the audience can come onto the boat, either docked or floating somewhere. Then we’ll also do some in Europe at the end of August.
Finally, what advice would you give to someone who wants to become a musician or artist?
Just don’t give up. Trust yourself and find your audience—find the people who like what you do. Don’t focus on going viral. Find yourself a little niche, and that bubble will grow because those people will stick with you and support you in different ways. And don’t let anybody tell you what to do. Just be a good person.
April 8, 2026
Champions: Jacob Khalil, Building a Career Through Enthusiasm and Perseverance
In this interview, we talk with Jacob Khalil, a New York City–based singer, songwriter, and pianist whose music blends pop, soul, and gospel influences. Jacob shares how growing up in a musical household and singing in church shaped his sound, and how his journey from studying opera to performing original music led him to the New York City scene. He also reflects on the opportunities that come from putting yourself out there, his experience performing across the city during Make Music Day, and what’s ahead in a big year filled with new albums, global touring, and songwriting collaborations.
Singer, songwriter, pianist. When did you first start playing music?
I pretty much came out of the womb as a singer. My mom and my grandparents are singers and musicians, so I grew up in a musical household. I was writing songs at an early age, and then by the time I was about 15, I taught myself how to play piano. Then I went to college and studied opera, which is extremely different from what I do now. I realized I just wanted to do other things with singing, but I still do a little bit of classical singing. I sing in a few choirs and stuff like that. My earliest memories of singing are from church and from singing in a boy choir in Houston, Texas, where I’m from.
You’ve played at some great venues in New York, and you were even part of the vocal group that accompanied Sam Smith on SNL. How has the New York City music scene been for you as an artist?
The music scene in New York has been everything, because there are so many cool opportunities here. I feel like it’s endless. I’ve been able to play at Birdland, I’ve been able to play at Joe’s Pub, and I was on Saturday Night Live. What I love about New York is that if you put yourself out there, play, and do your best, you meet people, you impress people, and you get opportunities that lead to other things. I’m a songwriter, and I’ll play an original piece at a venue, and people will say, “I love that—can we talk about doing something together? Or can you do a show with me, or play at this venue, or play my wedding?” A lot of things just kind of pop up from anywhere.
What artists or bands have influenced your music the most?
People often cite Billy Joel and Bill Withers when they think about my music. But there are modern artists I really resonate with too, like Lawrence, Vulfpeck, Lake Street Dive, or Ben Rector—he’s an awesome singer-songwriter in Nashville. But I think my biggest influences, whether or not you can hear it in my music, are probably Stevie Wonder and The Beatles. They’re the two I turn to all the time. Then also the Beach Boys, Queen, Frank Sinatra, Mel Tormé, and Erroll Garner. I feel like I’m a bit of a hodgepodge, because I grew up in a household where my mom loved music and played very eclectic artists, like Erykah Badu and things like that. We’re talking late ’90s, early 2000s, lots of jazz and R&B.
I was listening to your music on Spotify this morning, and I kind of got the sense that there’s a bit of gospel in there too, right?
Absolutely—gospel. Those are my earliest influences, singing in church and doing numbers there. I was doing solos in church by the time I was eight years old, so that’s been part of my life the whole time. That influences all my music, and I think that’s why there’s an uplifting element to a lot of it. I try to make joyful music that has meaning, and I think that comes out of a church context, in a way.
How did you first hear about Make Music Day?
I think it was a Google search—or a ChatGPT search, actually, which is nuts, right? It’s kind of crazy.
And what was your Make Music Day performance like?
It was awesome. I did four in one day. I did one at noon, then we packed up and went over to the Lower East Side. Then we went up and played on the Upper West Side. There was music going on throughout the entire city, out on the streets and in lots of public places. That was pretty cool. There was another one I did a couple weeks after, and I think it was right in front of the Apple Store. That was a really cool one. I was like, “I’m kind of doing an Apple gig”—but it wasn’t, it was Make Music New York.
What’s next for you? Any new music or upcoming shows you’re excited about?
This is probably my biggest year yet. I have two albums coming out, and I have tour dates all around the world. I’m going to the UK, I’m going to Asia, and I’m going all over the US too. I’m also writing a lot of songs for other artists that will be released on their projects. So it’s a big year in a lot of ways, and I’m really excited about it.
And how different is it writing for yourself versus writing for a different artist? Is there a different process?
I mean, it’s a little bit different, but it’s also kind of the same. The actual writing process is the same, but when it comes to the content, it changes. When you write for yourself, you can write about whatever you want. But if you’re writing for another artist, it becomes about finding their truth—what they want to say—and helping bring that out. One of my favorite things is having a conversation with them about their life or whatever they want to write about. There’s almost always a line they say casually that makes me think, “Oh wow, that could be a lyric or even a song title.” That usually gets things going, which is really cool. In some ways, it’s almost easier to write for someone else because those conversations give you so much material. I write on my own every day—I write a song every day, no matter what—but that’s a different process than writing with someone else.
Last question. What advice would you give to someone who wants to become an artist or a musician?
If you just want to play music, focus on getting really good at your instrument or your voice, and then go perform as much as you can. If you’re not in a major city like New York or LA, go play at a retirement home or anywhere you can. If you learn a few songs or write a few songs, just go play them for people. Be playing all the time. The only thing you can’t manufacture is enthusiasm. As long as you keep your enthusiasm high, you’ll figure everything else out. The hardest part about being a musician is dealing with setbacks. You might be incredibly talented, but not have the opportunities you deserve yet. If you can find a way to maintain your enthusiasm at all costs, eventually those opportunities will come. If you finish a gig and still want to go home and play music, then you’re already winning—you haven’t lost that enthusiasm. And if you have that, you’re going to go far, because people want to work with others who are truly enthusiastic about what they do.
April 3, 2026
Make Music Day Returns!
This Make Music Day, musicians of all ages and skill levels will ring in the summer with a day of connection, collaboration, and mentorship, participating in thousands of free music-making events on June 21.
In the US, over 150 communities are gearing up for Make Music Day, with thirty new celebrations launched so far this year, joining over 2,000 Make Music cities around the world. Find your local celebration here!
April 3, 2026
#MySongIsYourSong:The Global Song Swap
Registration is open for Make Music Day’s seventh annual global song swap!
For #MySongIsYourSong, songwriters and composers of all kinds are invited to sign up to learn and perform a song by an artist from another part of the world, and hear one of your original songs covered by them in return.
In recent years, this truly global project has attracted hundreds of talented artists from Nigeria, Australia, Turkey, the UK, the US, and beyond. This year it is being jointly organized by Make Music Nigeria and Make Music Long Beach.
Click here to register for #MySongIsYourSong! (Registration deadline is May 4.)
April 3, 2026
Make Music State of the Week: Tennessee
The State of Tennessee’s legendary music scene needs no introduction. Several major cities, from Nashville to Chattanooga, have been celebrating Make Music Day for years.
In 2026, the Tennessee Entertainment Commission has stepped in to bring Make Music Day to the rest of the state. Through their efforts, an incredible 15 cities and towns are starting new Make Music Day chapters, bringing the whole state together through music.
See the full list of Make Music TN chapters!
April 2, 2026
Champions: Simmerr, Stirring Funk, Soul, and Joy into Every Show
In this interview, we talk with Jairo Campo and James Robertson from Simmerr, a New York–based band blending funk, soul, pop, and Latin influences into a lively, collaborative sound. They share how their friendship goes back to middle school, how the band came together through the New York music scene, and how their playful stage presence shapes the way they write and rehearse songs. They also reflect on the community moments that make events like Make Music Day special, the artists who inspire their sound, and what’s ahead for the band, including their upcoming EP and their much-anticipated “Simmerr Summer” shows.
I saw that your shows have a really fun vibe. When you’re writing or rehearsing songs, do you think about how they’ll translate to a live audience?
James: That’s the thing we have the most fun with. We’re a seven-piece band when we’re at full size, and we try to interact as much as possible, joke around, and do fun bits of theater. When we’re rehearsing and writing, we’re thinking, “You know what would be fun here?” So if somebody in rehearsal comes up with something in the moment, that’s something we wind up using in future shows.
That’s awesome. Does anyone in the band have an improv background?
Jairo: Well, James and I have done theater in the past. I’d like to one day be brave enough to try some stand-up myself. I haven’t gotten the courage just yet, but I think we’re just a band that really appreciates laughing, fun, and joy, and you can see that translated onstage. I will say, just as a note that we get from our friends or people who come out to the show, is that they often think that we’re all— which we are at this point—but even since the beginning, they’ve said, “Man, it really feels like you guys are actual friends up there.” It’s not just a band that plays together from time to time. You can feel the joy radiating because we’re having fun together.
That brings me to my next question. How did you guys first come together? Did you meet in college or through the New York music scene?
James: Jairo and I go way back to middle school. We went separate ways for high school and college and then reconnected as adults, as musicians. We did a couple of jam sessions together and started writing music, which prompted us to take this more seriously. When it comes to the rest of the band members, those are people we know from college, people from the New York scene—kind of all rolled in together to form our extended family.
And what are the artists or bands that have shaped your sound?
Jairo: To begin, some of the classics that James and I both grew up with—think Earth, Wind & Fire, that heavy horn, funky sound. I’d also say The Doobie Brothers, especially with Michael McDonald on “What a Fool Believes.” That’s a big influence on our vibe.
James: The Beatles and Billy Joel are big influences for us, that classic American and British rock sound. There are also bands in New York that inspire us, like Lawrence, for example. It’s a big soul band that puts a modern spin on a lot of the sounds that we wind up using as well. As Jairo mentioned, we love Latin music. Salsa definitely comes to mind—Willie Colón was the first person I was thinking of.
Jairo: Ray Barretto is huge. I’m currently deep diving into the discography and finding hidden gems from 1979. Nineteen seventy-nine seems like a particularly good year. We love Héctor Lavoe. We love Bad Bunny, to bring a modern artist into the mix. We’re huge fans of Latin music, so we try to incorporate that into our sound as well to make a kind of hybrid—funky, Latin, jazz—a mix of all of those together.
How did you first hear about Make Music Day? Was last year your first year?
James: Yeah! We were invited by our friend Jacob Khalil. He’s the kind of guy who’s always got a smile on his face, and he’s always sharing music with people. So if he’s suggesting something to us, we know it’s good. And you guys have a great mission. We were excited to perform.
That’s awesome. And how was that experience? How do you think it was different from a normal gig?
James: It was really fun. The community was so awesome. All around you, people are stopping, listening, chatting, and singing along. In particular, there was this gentleman, Leon, and when we started playing the song “Easy” by The Commodores, I heard him around the corner like, “Oh, that’s my song!” And he comes up and starts singing along. He was like, “Can I get on the mic?” So I handed it to him, and he sang the rest of the song.
Jairo: It’s one of those things you can’t manufacture; it was like something out of a movie. You could see how much joy was on his face and how much passion he was singing with. We made a new friend that day. This is why we do this—to create community just like that.
What’s next for Simmerr? Any upcoming music or shows you’re excited about?
Jairo: Yeah, our next show is actually at Baby’s All Right on March 29. We’re opening for an awesome DC band called Strutman Lane, which is very much in a similar lane to our genre: soulful, pop, funky music. We’re also going to be releasing an EP in late April or early May, with one more single coming out soon. The biggest thing for Simmerr—which is now a running gag, but it’s actually very much a real occurrence—we like to call it Simmerr Summer. Simmerr Summer is a great time where we get to play all over the place; it’s kind of our touring season. We’re playing down the shore in Jersey, and we might get opportunities to hit up upstate New York, Long Island, and Boston as well.
James: I think that captures it perfectly. We’ve been working hard on this EP—it’s called Soup, which is what we’ve been simmering this whole time. One thing that’s fun about it is that I think it’s really like a soup: it brings together all these different ingredients to make a great meal. We’re featuring a lot of different styles of music, such as indie rock and indie pop elements that we were talking about before, but we’re also releasing a salsa song in Spanish, and we’re including some kind of throwback sixties, Frank Sinatra–type songs. So we’re really showing a whole sample of the music that has inspired us. In the future, we might not get to do that again, because when you start a band, there is a lot of pressure to focus on a very specific sound. But we thought that for our first EP it would be really important to show all of our influences.
Last question. What advice would you give to someone who dreams of becoming a musician or artist, or starting a band?
Jairo: It is possible, and you should absolutely do it. You can do it. It is one of the most fulfilling things you’ll ever do. Do it with friends—collaborations will always make the best results. It’s going to be a lot of hard work, but it’s absolutely worth it.
December 31, 2025
Save the Date: Make Music Day on Sunday, June 21, 2026
December 31, 2025
Thank you for Make Music Winter!
On December 21, thousands took to the streets to celebrate the holidays through music and community, with boombox parades, ukulele jams, caroling, bell-ringing, bluegrass, and much more.
Many thanks to our partners at Rhythm Band Instruments, Vic Firth, and Flight Ukuleles for generously supplying winter instruments in nine cities.
And thanks to everyone who came out to make music with us!