December 20, 2019
MM Winter Spotlights: New Cities
Litchfield, CT
For Litchfield‘s first Make Music Winter event, Charym Yoga will host a Sound Healing March They are offering 3 free sessions of music and sound healing which will be followed by a community parade and yogi caroling. Participants are encouraged to bring their mats, instruments, and voice to this celebration!
Tucson, AZ
On Saturday, Make Music Winter comes to Tucson with multiple musical opportunities. There will be performances by Flutes for Vets, Native American winter solstice music, a variety of piano and guitar instrumentalists, ukulele tunes, and 15 local youth rock bands. A truly diverse lineup with music to intrigue a variety of interests!
Santa Fe, NM
The Candyman hosts Santa Fe‘s first Make Music Winter celebration from the fire pit on their porch, with free hot cocoa, apple cider, and light fare. All participants will receive a free rhythm shaker to play while singing along with classic Christmas carols led by The Candyman’s music teachers. Warm your hands, heart and voices on The Candyman porch!
December 5, 2019
40 Cities Celebrating Make Music Winter on Dec. 21!
Make Music Winter – the cold-weather counterpart to Make Music Day – hits a milestone this year with winter events in 40 cities on December 21st, arguably becoming one of the top “40”s in the world (after Days and Nights, Acres and a Mule, WD-, Ounces, and American Top).
See the latest national press release to see how other cities are celebrating, and be a part of the conversation with #MakeMusicWinter.
December 5, 2019
MM Winter Spotlights: Big Plans
Salem, Oregon
In organizing Make Music Winter for the second time, Make Music Salem has been thoughtful about including people of all ages.
On December 21, in the late afternoon, they will host a parade for families and kids that will burst with sound as participants sing and play bells of all types: hand bells, wind chimes, cowbells, and more.
Later on that day, the solstice celebration will continue at a pub crawl for Salemites aged 21+, with musicians performing at various downtown restaurants and bars.
Montclair, NJ
Montclair‘s third Make Music Winter not only brings music to the streets, but also highlights the community’s fantastic new public art.
The celebration will start in the early afternoon with a winter solstice parade through the Montclair Mural Project. The parade will make stops for musical selections at five murals along their route.
After adding new musicians along the way, the event will end at Cool Cat Music for a free indoor concert.
October 8, 2019
How To Make Music Winter
Fall is in full swing! If you are thinking about leading a participatory Make Music Winter event on December 21st, now is the time to start planning.
Want to start small? See how Southlake TX’s MusicMaker Arts Center coordinated “Bell by Bell” last year in a local market, for about 40 people to make music together.
Thinking a bit bigger? Crystal Lake IL’s Piano Trends Music organized a caroling parade ending in the city’s historic theater in 2018, and are building on their success with a ukulele camp and more for local singers this year.
Looking to do something unique? Land O’ Lakes WI has announced a “Music on Ice” program where people will play harmonicas, maracas, and tambourines — while ice skating!
And to further spark your imagination, check out our handbooks explaining how to lead an Electric Guitar Parade, Pilgrimage, Flatfoot Flatbush, Bell By Bell, and Winterize.
We would love to hear what you are doing! Please email matt@makemusicday.org about your plans, so we can begin supporting your events and spreading the word.
(PS — No, you do not need to live in a “Lake” city in order to participate.)
September 20, 2019
Dec. 21: Make Music Winter returns!
Make Music Winter – the cold-weather counterpart to Make Music Day – is coming back on Saturday, December 21!
Last year, our winter solstice celebration brought together people of all ages, musical abilities and genres to sing, play, march and dance in participatory events across 25 U.S. cities. From quiet ukulele parades to rowdy musical pub crawls, Make Music Winter offered dozens of joyful ways to ring in the longest night of the year.
Come out and join us again in 2019!
Create your own free, participatory Make Music Winter event!
- If you’re interested in leading an event for Make Music Winter, just fill out this form. We will get back to you right away.
- For more ideas of what Make Music Winter can look like, visit makemusicwinter.org for photos, videos, and press coverage from last year.
- Check out our handbooks describing five of New York’s most popular Make Music Winter projects. Take these ideas and run with them in your own city, or use them as inspiration for something new!
June 28, 2019
Make Music Day – thank you!
Congratulations to all who took part in last Friday’s record-setting Make Music Day! More than 5,100 music-making events took place around the U.S. on June 21, along with tens of thousands of musicians in 120 countries around the world who celebrated the day.
2019 was the biggest Make Music Day yet! Read all about it on our press page, including new coverage in the Associated Press, Travel + Leisure, and Vox.com.
And check out the footage from our international livestream on June 21st, with 12 hours of live performances from Hong Kong, Sydney, London, Argentina, France, Germany, the U.S., and so much more.
Finally, mark your calendar for Make Music Winter on Saturday, December 21, 2019, and the next Make Music Day on Sunday, June 21, 2020!
June 28, 2019
NAMM and the Make Music Experience
Make Music Day’s growth would never have been possible without the leadership support of NAMM and the NAMM Foundation, which advances active participation in music making across the lifespan by supporting scientific research, philanthropic giving and public service programs.
We cannot thank them enough.
NAMM is famous for its two annual, members-only music conventions in Anaheim CA and Nashville TN. This year, Summer NAMM will open its doors to the public on July 20th for the aptly named Make Music Experience at Music City Center in Nashville TN: an all-day, all-access event for music enthusiasts to demo the latest music and pro audio gear from top manufacturers. Enjoy career-enhancing education sessions, demo products and enjoy fun, interactive events and performances!
Purchase your Make Music Experience passes here!
June 20, 2019
Press Previews for Make Music Day
Selected National Coverage…
"Ready to Start Making Music? You Can Join the Jam on 'Make Music Day'," by Laura B. Whitmore, Parade Magazine, June 20, 2019
"June 2019: A taste of what's happening around the world this month," Delta Sky Magazine, June 2019
"Make Music New York," by Jay Ruttenberg, The New Yorker, June 19, 2019 "Festivals worth traveling to this summer," by Harriet Baskas, CNBC, May 12, 2019
"'Make Music Day' 2019 Details Free Events, Concerts Nationwide," by Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, March 29, 2019
"Music & Arts Announces Make Music Festivities," by Brian Berk, The Retailers, May 13, 2019
"International Make Music Day Returns in June For Its 21st Year of Interactive Events," by Ana Yglesias, Recording Academy Grammy Awards, March 29, 2019
… and ten stand-out local previews:
- Bethlehem, NH: "Bethlehem becomes part of a national effort to bring free music to all"
- Chattanooga, TN: "All styles for all ages: Make Music Chattanooga features dozens of performers"
- Chicago, IL: "Preview: Make Music Chicago Celebrates the Solstice on Friday"
- Columbia, SC: "One Columbia Readies Fifth Year of Make Music Day, Sticking to Event's Core Ethos"
- Connecticut: "Make Music Day to ring in summer with hundreds of live, free concerts on the streets of Connecticut"
- Durham, NC: "What's going on this week? Here are 13 of our Best Bets"
- Milwaukee, WI: "5 Acts to See When Make Music Returns to Milwaukee"
- Provo, UT: "For more than 60 years, Bill Harris ran a music store in Provo. Here’s how his 27-year-old grandson is continuing his legacy"
- Portland, ME: "Organizers gearing up for Make Music Portland's 7th year"
- Worcester, MA: "International Make Music Day welcomes summer Friday across Worcester"
Visit our media page (link) for even more press coverage from around the U.S.!
June 20, 2019
60-Second San Jose Songs
For the third annual Make Music San Jose, the San José Chamber Orchestra had the brilliant idea to curate and perform new one-minute musical works, written by community members and inspired by the city itself.
The My San Jose Song project has received 27 submissions, to be performed tomorrow afternoon at the City Hall rotunda.
Like many of Make Music Day's participatory projects, My San Jose Song is being supported by the Music Performance Trust Fund, a longstanding Make Music Day partner that provides admission-free, live, quality music, performed by professional musicians, to people of all ages and backgrounds across North America. Many thanks to the MPTF!
June 20, 2019
pBuzzing Around the U.S.
Warwick Music joins Make Music Day this year with an unusual new instrument.
In nine U.S. cities this year, groups of elementary school students will perform with pBuzzes, an introductory brass instrument (made of plastic) with a slide.
After a fun time of learning, students will play a few simple songs on Make Music Day to celebrate their musical achievements, such as a version of James Brown’s “I Feel Good” with pBuzzes playing the famous horn line.