Make Music Milwaukee

Jazz band performing

Make Music Milwaukee

Ring in the summer with a worldwide day of music! On June 21, celebrate Make Music Milwaukee on streets, sidewalks, and parks across the city, with music performed by anyone and free for everyone.

About

2024 is our eighth year for Make Music Milwaukee!  Whether virtually or in person, we always look forward to celebrating music in Milwaukee with you on June, 21st.

Make Music Milwaukee is part of Make Music Day, the worldwide music celebration held each June 21, the summer solstice. Featuring concerts, performances, music lessons, jam sessions and other musical events on streets, sidewalks, parks and public spaces in Milwaukee and across the U.S. Make Music Day encourages all people, of all musical abilities, to celebrate the joy of making music.

Over 1000 cities around the world have celebrated Make Music Day! 

It all started 40 years ago in France.

In 1982, Jack Lang and his staff at the Ministry of Culture dreamed up an idea for a new kind of musical holiday. They imagined a day where free, live music would be everywhere: street corners and parks, rooftops and gardens, store fronts and mountaintops.

And, unlike a typical music festival, anyone and everyone would be invited to join and play music, or host performances. The event would take place on the summer solstice, June 21, and would be called Fête De La Musique. (In French, the name means both “festival of music” and “make music!”)

Amazingly enough, this dream has come true. The Fête has turned into a true national holiday: France shuts down on the summer solstice and musicians take over. Almost 8% of the country (5 million people) have played an instrument or sung in public for the Fête de la Musique.

Four decades later, the holiday has spread throughout the world and is now celebrated in more than 120 countries. In the U.S., the presenting sponsor is the NAMM Foundation.

Check out highlights from Make Music Milwaukee HERE!


Participate

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER AS A PERFORMER OR HOST!

Want to play? There’s always room in the band. Join this Celebration of Milwaukee Music on June, 21st!

We invite musicians and venues of all kinds to collaborate on making June 21 a musical masterpiece. Singers, church choirs, jazz combos, rock bands, glee clubs, MCs, marching bands, mariachis, and every other kind of musician, of any age group or skill level, are all welcome! Make Music Milwaukee on June 21st, 2024 will be taking place virtually and in-person, so you can perform any time, from any where! Make sure to register so we can share your performance and tune in!

Get involved in Make Music Day as either an artist wanting to perform, or a venue looking to host artists in-person or online! All genres, all ages are welcome to participate.  If you have any specific questions about registration you can contact: milwaukee@makemusicday.org

Who Can Participate?

Musicians
All ages, skill levels, and styles. You can play one show or as many as you’d 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 Milwaukee
  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. If you already have your event planned and do not need the matchmaking tool, list your event following the video linked above.


Listings

2025 Listings: Saturday, June 21st

 

Support

The more people we can gather to make Make Music Milwaukee the best event it can be, the merrier!

Have a special skill you’d like to put to work volunteering with Make Music Milwaukee?

Would you like more information for PR?   Able to donate your time, finances, or instruments?

Email milwaukee@makemusicday.org


Contact

Whether it’s your first year or you’re a Make Music Day pro, we’re sure you may have questions!

Or, perhaps you’d like to find more ways to get involved in future efforts by Make Music Milwaukee?

Email us at: milwaukee@makemusicday.org 

We always need volunteers to host venues, perform, volunteer on the day of, or help plan!

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