Make Music Day is a free celebration of music making around the world, taking place on 21 June each year. Launched in 1982 in France as the Fête de la Musique, it is now held on the same day in more than 800 cities in 120 countries. And now for a fourth year in Australia. Different from a typical music festival, Make Music Day is open to anyone who wants to take part. It’s a DIY Music Festival! Every kind of musician — young and old, amateur and professional, of every musical persuasion — can organise their own gig, or join the many organisations that will host events, to share their music with friends, neighbours, and strangers. All of it is free and open to the public.
The international Make Music Alliance partners have come up with a host of projects this year which people all over the world can take part in. Whether it be entering a composition in the Young Composer’s Contest, sharing folk music traditions across the world in the Folk Music Challenge, getting together with other producers in MixMash Studios, making some noise in the International Drum Battle, Swapping songs with another Artist, or taking part in socially distanced performance for aged care facilities and more you can join in with other to make music.
We invite Australia to create their own music event or join one of the Make Music Day Australia initiatives that will take place either face-to-face or online on June 21, 2021. There are some exciting collaboration opportunities with our international friends this year. Check these out.
• Young Composers Contest
A composition contest for composers aged 13-21. In commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the Tulsa Race Massacre of May 31 – June 1, 1921, young composers are invited to write a song for an overdubbed, a cappella baritone singer, using text from a first-hand account of the massacre by B.C. Franklin. A panel of distinguished judges, including composers Hiroya Miura and Trevor Weston, composer/conductor Francisco Núñez, and soprano Talise Trevigne, will provide feedback and select 3 winning pieces. Submissions Close May 31.
• My Song is your Song
This Make Music Day, artists around the world are invited to the second annual global song swap! Learn a song by another artist, and hear yours covered in return. Songwriters and composers of all styles and walks of life are invited to participate. REGISTER HERE!
• MixMash Studios
Bringing producers and sound samplers together. We are looking for producers from around the world to be involved. will be soliciting sound submissions from MMD fans around the world for two weeks leading up to Make Music Day, and then distributing these sounds to participating producers on June 20th who will have 24hrs to complete a track using only the provided sounds.
• Global Folk Challenge
Make Music Day takes place in 125 countries across the globe. Each of these countries has its own unique folk music tradition which we want to share and celebrate on Make Music Day.
• International Drum Battle
Drum and percussion groups make some noise! The Make Music Day Drum Battle will bring together drum and percussion groups of all ages from around the world, celebrating our rich cultural diversity.
• Window Serenades
Socially distanced performances for care homes – Musicians will perform outside select senior centres and nursing homes while practicing social distancing. Residents may tape a piece of brightly coloured paper to their window to request a song.
• Junkophonics
Instruments from found objects. This Make Music Day, join Bash the Trash Environmental Arts in raising global awareness about household waste pollution by building fun instruments from found objects!
• International Leaf Music Symposium
Over Zoom, a special Track Meet featuring leaf musicians, and instructional videos to help you turn your own greenery into a symphony of sound. Join composers, producers and songwriters from around the world in the second annual collaborative race against the clock.
• Global Livestream
As a “Main Stage” for Make Music Day, the Make Music Alliance will organise an all-day video stream on June 21 showcasing the rich diversity of being made around the world. More details of new initiatives will be announced soon, but we encourage you to get creative with your own ideas for online and digital activities as well as in our streets, schools and public places! In this time of social distancing, music’s powerful role to bring us together as a community is more important than ever. We can still stay connected online and celebrate music should physical distancing be required by the regulations of the day. Of course, we still hope to come out together in public on June 21 — in Australia we have done much to ensure we can gather to make music on June 21, 2021 We are committed to supporting the health and well-being of the public during these challenging times, and will follow the guidance of government health departments to make sure everyone stays safe.
For more information, ideas for an events or to register for Make Music Day, visit the website https://makemusicaustralia.org.au/