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!
December 30, 2025
Make Music Winter: Photo Gallery
December 18, 2025
Make Music Winter: Press Previews
National
“Music Will Resound Outdoors In 10 States For The Winter Solstice,” by Gary Stoller, Forbes, December 3, 2025
Chattanooga, TN
“Make Music Winter Brings The City’s Vibrant Music Scene To Life,” Chattanooga Pulse, November 20, 2025
“Explore Chattanooga Musically With Make Music Winter’s CHA Music Passport,” Chattanooga Pulse, December 2, 2025
“Make Music Winter Chattanooga Is Back,” Chattanoogan.com, December 11, 2025
“Songs For All In Chattanooga As Make Music Winter Returns,” by Ray Bassett, Scenic Roots: WUTC, January 5, 2026
Denver, CO
“Things To Do In And Around Denver This Weekend – 12/17-12/21,” by Sarah Fisher, 303 Magazine, December 18, 2025
“‘Make Music Day’ concert celebration taking place at Union Station,” News 9 NBC (Denver), December 19, 2025
“Things to do in Denver this weekend, Dec. 19-21,” by Cassidy Ritter, Denverite, December 19, 2025
Fairfield, CT
“Make Music Fairfield Hosts ‘Solstice Stroll’ This Weekend,” by Alfred Branch, Patch Connecticut, December 17, 2025
Gig Harbor, WA
“Holiday Happenings | ‘Tis the season. Here’s how to celebrate in Gig Harbor,” by Charlee Glock-Jackson, Gig Harbor Now, November 28, 2025
Montclair, NJ
“Make Music Winter 2025 to Bring Music to Three Montclair Venues,” by Georgette Gilmore, Montclair Local, December 13, 2025
New York, NY
“Winter Solstice Parade Set to Fill Flatbush Avenue With Old-Time Tunes and Dance,” BK Reader, December 12, 2025
“Free kid-friendly events this week in Brooklyn,” Brooklyn Bridge Parents, December 14, 2025
“Make Music, Hanukkah, and More Things To Do in NYC this Weekend with Kids,” by Drew Kristofik, Mommy Poppins, December 17, 2025
“What’s Free to do in New York, the Week of December 19-21,” by Ashley Simpo, Okayplayer, December 19, 2025
“Ringing in the season: ‘Bell by Bell’ in East Village lets everyone jingle all the way,” by Bob Krasner, amNewYork, December 23, 2025
“A ghostly parade for long-lost local music venues,” by Stacie Joy, EV Grieve, December 26, 2025
“Is that a tuba in aisle 3? Renegade brass band performs in bygone Lower East Side landmarks,” by Hannah Frishberg, Gothamist, January 5, 2026
Oakland, CA
“Winter Solstice 2025 celebrations across the Bay Area,” by Anne Schrager, San Francisco Chronicle, December 17, 2025
Salem, OR
“Make Music Salem brings caroling to downtown on Winter Solstice,” by Whitney Woodworth, Salem Statesman Journal, December 20, 2025
December 2, 2025
Make Music Winter on Dec. 21!
We are thrilled to announce this year’s lineup for Make Music Winter: 15 cities with over 40 free, participatory parades and performances on Sunday, December 21!
- Nine winter parades in New York NY take over the city’s most iconic locations, from an immersive soundwalk on The High Line to a Hallelujah chorus at Grand Central, and from a parranda in the Bronx to an Appalachian flat-footing parade in Brooklyn.
- Chattanooga TN uses a passport to guide participants through the city’s musical landscape, from Christmas music at five churches to a titillating “pole ballet” at Scenic City Burlesque.
- Montclair NJ celebrates the season with Phil Kline’s classic boombox parade Unsilent Night, and a participatory jam of protest songs called The World Turned Upside Down
- Salem OR‘s “Yule Make Music” features an afternoon bell parade with holiday songs, Holiday Trivia with live musicians performing some of the clues, and a downtown band showcase.
- Rhythm Band Instruments partners for the sixth year, providing free hand bells and hand percussion for events in Germantown (TN), Macon (GA), Muskogee (OK), and New York (NY).
- And Slovenia’s Flight Ukulele joins Make Music Winter for the second year, donating ukuleles for events in Big Bear (CA) and Ossining (NY).
Of course there is much more, from pop-up jam parades to musical bar crawls to open mics. Visit makemusicwinter.org for the complete schedule!
December 2, 2025
Partner Spotlight: A Global Choral Celebration of Sir David Attenborough’s 100th Birthday
The renowned naturalist and broadcaster David Attenborough turns 100 next year. To mark the occasion, British composer Pete Wyer – along with colleagues Brian Eno and Pete Townshend – is organizing a birthday concert on May 9, 2026 for singers everywhere to join, with a new choral work on environmental themes called Natural World.
Participants are invited to join a “synchronized headphone choir” (a genre that Wyer has pioneered for Make Music Day), or submit a video in advance.
If you are interested in joining, as an individual or a choir, click here for details!
November 21, 2025
Support Make Music Day: grassroots music with a global impact
As 2025 comes to an end, we are thankful for all the supporters and partners who have made this a record-breaking year for Make Music Day.
- On June 21, 2025, Make Music Day featured over 5,471 concerts in the U.S., an all-time high, across 147 cities from coast to coast.
- The Make Music Alliance provided participants with 1,260 pairs of drumsticks, 80 pairs of mallets, 120 ukuleles, and 2,340 hand percussion instruments – all for free, so that anyone could participate.
- Roughly half a million people joined as performers, audience members, teachers and students.
- And thousands more concerts took place in Australia, Brazil, China, Cyprus, Ghana, Mexico, Nigeria, South Africa, Turkey, and the UK, in events all established through the Make Music Alliance.
While political forces pull communities and countries apart, Make Music Day continues to bring people together, across the ocean or across the street, to create connections and spread joy.
If you have enjoyed Make Music Day in any way – as a performer, host, or listener – or just love the concept, we invite you support the Make Music Alliance, the nonprofit organization that brings this celebration to the world.
Please consider a contribution to keep it going into 2026! Any amount, large or small, is very much appreciated.
November 21, 2025
A Not-So-Silent Night
Make Music Winter returns on Sunday December 21, with joyful, mobile events across the country that turn audiences into music-makers.
Stay tuned for the full schedule announcement on December 1!
November 21, 2025
Nonprofit Spotlight: Musicians for Overdose Prevention
Nearly 100,000 Americans die each year from drug overdoses – and every one of them had a favorite song, a favorite band, a favorite t-shirt.
This coming year, Musicians for Overdose Prevention is inviting bands, venues, and festivals around the country to host “100,000 T-Shirt Memorial” events. Fans bring a music t-shirt in honor of someone lost to overdose, and MOP will send the venue free naloxone (the overdose reversal medication) to distribute during the show, and help promote your event to local media.
Email John Kennedy at 505050john@gmail.com if you’d like to host a T-shirt memorial event. To order free naloxone for your tour or venue, fill out this form.