The Australian Music Association (AMA) has been named as one of 23 music-making organizations around the world to receive a grant from the NAMM Foundation. With this support, the AMA will continue its campaign to celebrate and promote music making, centred around Make Music Day on 21st June.

“Programs supported by The NAMM Foundation, including a grant to the Australian Music Association, advance music learning for people of all ages and abilities,” said Mary Luehrsen, Executive Director of The NAMM Foundation, “Together, we advance a more musical world based on a shared belief that music is a force for good and connections in our world.” The grants serve to underscore the Foundation’s mission to advance participation in music making and offer quality access to all people. Read More

Australia kicks off the global live stream at 8pm on June 21. Following the Australian stream it will feature contributions from in order – India | Cypress | Nigeria | Germany | UK | USA

Watch the livestream HERE

This year Make Music Alliance countries from around the world are celebrating the 40th Anniversary of the first Fete de la Musique initiative in France.

In the 40 years since it began on June 21, 1982, France’s Fête de la Musique has become one of the country’s most important cultural events, with millions taking to the streets to make music on the summer solstice. Ever since, countless other countries have been inspired to do the same.

To honour the Fête’s 40th anniversary and its French origins, the Make Music Alliance announces a special international series called Faire la Fête – 40 free concerts in 40 countries on June 21 featuring the music of French songwriters and composers.

In Sydney, Australia will celebrate with a free concert at the Pheonix Central Park presented by the French Embassy and featuring Chris Cody, international pianist and composer, performing his jazz suite Astrolabe inspired by La Perouse.

Tickets are free but should be booked HERE

Several other events will take place celebrating the heritage of Fete de la Musique including Fete de la Musique at Consulat General de France, Fete de la Musique Manly – Sydney Music Fest, French Music Day at Alliance Française de Canberra and Fete de la Musique at MCA

For the second year running, Hal Leonard Australia has produced a Make Music Day 2022 songbook in partnership with a group of publishers to encourage people to make music and to celebrate Make Music Day 2022. It is available for FREE download at this link CLICK HERE.

We’d like to acknowledge the support of Mushroom Music and Universal Music Publishing for making this possible as well as our friends at Hal Leonard. The songbook contains the following classics – . Eagle Rock, Geronimo, I am Woman, Riptide and Where I Stood | Fantastic resource for your Make Music Day performance!

The month before Make Music Day on June 21 is when our events program starts to take shape and at this point we get a glimpse of what is going to be on around the country. It is a very varied program highlighting the creativity of people and the want to get out and celebrate live music. Included so far is an Acoustic Jam Session on the beautiful Queensland island of Coochiemudlo, where the community is invited to join in. Each year, local Camden businesses in NSW open up their doors in celebration of Live and Local for a week long activation of live music events, including events on Make Music Day. In Gunnedah, NSW, local musicians will be performing down the main street at various shops and cafes from 9am. You can then make your way down to The Smithhurst Theatre where a free outdoor concert will be held from 11am till 2pm. Join in at Bernie’s Music Land, Ringwood, VIC, to celebrate the benefits of making music together! with a Make Music Day Players Morning followed by an afternoon session as well for Pop Piano and Organ Players. The beginner ensembles of the New England Conservatorium are looking forward to performing for their families and friends. The Jazzuleles In-house Ukulele Jam will be celebrating Make Music Australia Day by hosting a ‘Beatles’ themed online jam. Post fire, floods and covid, the musicians will emerge from their hiding places to collaborate for a morning of performances and song at Club Lithgow in NSW.  Many musicians have done it tough over the last two years, and especially small community choirs and bands.  We aim to kickstart their events calendars! Hosted by organic and bizarre ukulele and bass trio Goats Can Eat Anything, the performers will be located in the foyer of the Club. Many more events will be registered over the near days and weeks as we head toward Mark Music Day 2022. To keep up with the latest postings CLICK HERE

Take part in the Global Folk Challenge by swapping folk songs. Share a folk song from our country, and in exchange, learn and perform a different folk song submitted by another participating musician. The songs will then be performed and shared on Make Music Day.

If you are a musician or group and up for this global challenge, sign up by 23 May to take part!

Our global Make Music Alliance has organised several great opportunities for Australian musicians to collaborate with colleagues from around the world.

Young Composers Contest

The Make Music Alliance is thrilled to announce the third annual Young Composers Contest, in partnership with world-renowned vocal group The Swingles.

Composers aged 13 to 21 are invited to set the text of the poem “A Jelly-Fish” by Marianne Moore to music for The Swingles. A panel of distinguished judges will select a winning composition, which will be recorded by The Swingles and released on June 21 for Make Music Day.

The submission deadline is May 22nd – full details are available on our website. Please spread the word among students and young friends!

#MySongYourSong

Registration for 2022 is now open!

This Make Music Day, artists around the world are invited to the third annual global song swap! Learn a song by another artist and hear yours covered in return. Songwriters, composers, and bands of all styles and walks of life are invited to participate.

Registration closes May 20th, and in early June participating artists will be paired together. They have two weeks to learn their partner’s song and make it their own before sharing their videos on June 21st!

Nearly 200 artists participated in the second annual #MySongIsYourSong for Make Music Day 2021. Check out many of their amazing covers below, and join the conversation following #MySongIsYourSong on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram.

Click here to register!

Timeline:
May 20th: Registration closes
June 3rd: Partners will be introduced
June 21st: Videos are shared with the public

For more information, email:
USA: catherine@makemusicday.org
International: andria@makemusicday.org

Global Livestream
As a “Main Stage” for Make Music Day, the Make Music Alliance organised an all-day video stream on June 21, 2021 showcasing the rich diversity of being made around the world. Australia featured strongly in the Global Livestream, In 2022 the Global Make Music Day Alliance will be  livestreaming in a sun relay for 24-hours of Make Music Day on June 21. More details to follow.

FAIRE LA FETE

In the 40 years since it began on June 21, 1982, France’s Fête de la Musique has become one of the country’s most important holidays. Nationwide, millions of people take to the streets to make music together on June 21, in a completely free and open event experienced annually by 64% of the population. And it has inspired countless other countries who now celebrate their own June 21 musical holidays, including the United States, Nigeria, China, Australia, UK, Germany, Italy and Brazil, to name a few.

To honour the event’s 40th anniversary in 2022, the Make Music Alliance is organizing a series called Faire La Fête with 40 concerts in 40 countries on June 21, each featuring the music of French songwriters and composers, and bringing attention to the event’s origins and rapid international growth.

From Jean-Philippe Rameau, Claude Debussy and Pierre Boulez to Django Reinhardt, Françoise Hardy, and Zaz, Faire La Fête concerts will showcase the rich variety of French music, interpreted by orchestras, ensembles, or bands from each of the 40 countries. Just like the rest of the Fête de la Musique, all performances will take place on June 21, free to the public and in front of a live audience. They will also be livestreamed – or recorded with high-quality video and sent in the same day – to be shared with the world.

For more information, contact Andria Nicodemou (andria@makemusicday.org), and watch this space for full details!