Mark your calendars, Make Music Day is back for another year! Make Music Day is a global celebration of music which takes place on June 21, in over 1000 cities across 120 countries. Beginning as the Fete de la Musique in France in 1982, it has now grown into a worldwide event, with Australia celebrating its third year of participation in 2020. 

It is a free-for-all day, in which anyone and everyone is invited to participate in or organise their own activities for making and sharing music. Make Music Day is open for musicians and enthusiasts of all capabilities, young and old, professional and amateur, presenting self-organised programs of activities ranging from flash-mob choirs in train stations to lunchtime school band performances, balcony jam sessions, community ukulele get-togethers and professional performances alike. 

Due to the impacts of COVID19 social distancing measures, Make Music Day will now focus more on music-making activities within the digital and online space in 2020. 

This year will see exciting activities across the country including: 

  • Isabella Manfredi and Josh Pyke kicking off the #livefromhome challenge 
    • Participants film and upload a video of themselves performing their favourite song to social media, and tag three other mates to do the same 
  • Make Music Day at the Art Gallery of NSW 
    • As part of the AGNSW’s #TogetherInArt project and in celebration of Make Music Day 2020, ARIA award-winning, art-pop singer-songwriter Montaigne will share a special live-streamed musical performance from the Gallery on Sunday 21 June, 7.30 pm AEST.
  •  Zoom Zingalong, VIC 
    • Melbourne based Elwood Community Choir and ZING! The choir are combining for two hours of song sharing, singalongs, musical games and vocal frolics on Zoom. 
  • Creative Arts Alliance Young Mic Online, QLD 
    • Young musicians, singers, bands, rappers and beat makers are invited to participate in an online version of the popular Caboolture Club open mic event series 
  • Sydney Youth Orchestra’s Classical Karaoke, NSW 
    • Tuning in LIVE on Facebook, Classical Karaoke will connect musicians of all levels and ages from across the globe, tuning in to play an arrangement of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, conducted live by world-renowned conductor Brian Buggy OAM, all in the comfort of their own homes 

Find a full list of events and activities here: https://makemusicaustralia.org.au/events/ 

How can you join in on 21 June? 

You can register your event or activity HERE! If you don’t know where to start, here are some creative ideas to get you started: 

  • Create a live-streamed event on social media 
  • Post pre-recorded content on social media 
  • Create your own Make Music event where you live 
  • Create your own Make Music Day event at your school 
  • You could be a community music club or group that could promote a big annual event among its members 
  • Contact your local council and ask if you can have a spot to play? Parks, Plazas, and Shopping Centres etc. 
  • Join an existing community event and add to the numbers