About
How did it start?
It all started 41 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 music would be everywhere, all around each city: street corners, parks, rooftops, gardens, and store fronts.
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: the country shuts down on the summer solstice and musicians take over. Almost 11% of French people (7 million people) have played an instrument or sung in public for the Fête de la Musique, and 64% of the country (43 million people) comes out each year to listen.
Four decades later, the holiday has spread throughout the world and is now celebrated in more than 1,000 cities in 120 different countries.
How did it come to the U.S.?
Fifteen years ago, the Fête de la Musique crossed the Atlantic with the debut of Make Music New York.
Starting as a grassroots initiative by a team of volunteers, the event quickly became a critical and popular success. Today, thousands of New York musicians – amateurs and professionals, of all ages and musical persuasions – perform in hundreds of free, outdoor concerts each June 21, earning praise for their “inspiring” (New York Times) and “thrilling” (New Yorker) performances.
In recent years, cities across the country have launched their own Make Music celebrations on June 21, making this musical holiday a truly national phenomenon. On June 21, 2023, 117 U.S. cities organized 4,791 free concerts all on a single day.
Make Music Day is a celebration of music on the summer solstice that is performed by anyone and enjoyed by everyone. On Friday, June 21, 2024 more than 1,000 cities across 120 countries worldwide will be participating in and celebrating this global music event. This day is set aside to celebrate music in all its diverse forms and encourages people to come together.
The City of San Antonio’s Department of Arts & Culture is starting outreach to encourage San Antonio music organizations and venues to participate. The Department of Arts & Culture is partnering with Texas Public Radio to host a free, live concert featuring multiple San Antonio bands from noon to 10 pm at Texas Public Radio headquarters downtown.
We hope you join in the celebration and sign up today!
Participate
Make Music Day is a celebration of music on the summer solstice that’s performed by anyone and enjoyed by everyone. You’re invited to take part in the festivities and help show off our local talent and join the public celebration. The festival is on June 21st and goes all day. It takes place in over 1,000 cities around the world.
Please click here to sign up as a performer or host a free music event!
FAQ
What is Make Music San Antonio?
Completely different from a typical music event, Make Music San Antonio is open to anyone who wants to take part. On June 21, every kind of musician — young and old, amateur and professional, of every musical genre — shares their music with friends, neighbors, and strangers. Thousands of amateur musicians take the opportunity to play in public spaces. Professional musicians perform for new audiences, who come out from under their headphones to hear unfamiliar groups. And everyone is invited to sing along and enjoy the first day of summer.
Where did the idea come from?
Make Music San Antonio is based on France’s “Fête de la Musique,” a national musical holiday inaugurated in 1982. Ever since, the event has become an international phenomenon, celebrated on the same day in more than 750 cities in 120 countries, including Germany, Italy, Greece, Russia, Lebanon, Ivory Coast, Australia, Peru, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Nigeria, Canada, and Japan.
Why is the City of San Antonio celebrating Make Music Day?
We wanted to join cities around the world celebrating summer via the universal language of music. We are a global city, and we want to celebrate our diverse communities with the joy of music!
Who can participate?
Anyone and everyone! Amateurs, part-time professionals, and established artists are all welcome.
Is this an annual event?
Yes, Make Music San Antonio will take place every Summer Solstice, June 21st.
Who puts this all together?
The City of San Antonio’s Department of Arts & Culture is coordinating the City’s Make Music Day celebration. We invite you to help recruit musicians and venues!
How can I get involved?
Everyone is welcome to promote the day and all the events from now to June 21. On Make Music Day, we invite you to join an event, host an event and definitely post pictures and videos from events. Don’t forget to tag @GetCreativeSA.
I want to play in Make Music San Antonio. What do I do?
Welcome on board! If you are a musician and would like to perform on June 21 as part of Make Music San Antonio, please go to makemusicday.org/sanantonio and get started. You can create an artist profile and use the matchmaking tool to make arrangements with locations. If you already have an event planned, please list your event!
When you are making plans, remember that Make Music San Antonio is not a typical event, and most locations are not traditional music venues. Not every location will be able to provide power, and in most situations you — the artist — will be responsible for bringing your own equipment (such as amps, mics, and whatever else you need in addition to your instrument).
We also encourage artists to create their own performance locations — see below!
I want to host a Make Music San Antonio concert. What do I do?
Welcome on board! If you have an outdoor location where you’d like to host a concert (such as the patio at your building, office garden/plaza, etc.), you can create a venue profile for your location, and use the matchmaking tool to make arrangements with artists on makemusicday.org/sanantonio.
If you are not in the habit of hosting live music, take a moment to think through the logistics — what kind of music makes sense for the space? Where will artists set up? What kind of sound equipment can you offer? How many hours of music makes sense for your location?
What you decide to provide to artists is up to you; at a minimum, most locations provide access to electricity and a glass of water.
We also encourage locations to register their own artists — see below!
Can I register multiple locations or artists to participate in Make Music San Antonio?
Absolutely! You are welcome to create multiple venue profiles on makemusicday.org/sanantonio if you would like to host concerts in more than one location. And, if you play in more than one ensemble, or are curating a show with multiple bands, you can create profiles for each one. Just be sure to create a separate profile for each location and each artist, so that each one can be officially matched in the system and included in our promotions.
What happens if I want to play at a location that is not listed?
That’s great! We encourage musicians to create their own performance locations, especially when they have an existing relationship with the space. Perhaps you’d like to perform on your stoop, in front of your office building, or outside the bar where you have a regular gig. In any case, make sure it’s OK with the location first, then log in, and list your event!
Contact
Get in touch with us at sanantonio@makemusicday.org