On June 21, Cleveland will join over 700 cities around the world in celebrating International Make Music Day. Pioneered in France in 1982 as the Fête de la Musique, Make Music Day has spread to over 120 countries and continues to grow each year.
Completely different from the typical music festival, the free event gives every kind of musician — young and old, amateur and professional — the opportunity to take to the streets, parks, malls and porches to share his or her music and a love of music with friends, family and strangers.
In Cleveland and throughout Cuyahoga and Lorain Counties, over 40 amateur and professional musicians will join musicians around the world in performing at a number of venues during the day and throughout the night.
From Progressive Field to Happy Dog at Euclid Tavern and everywhere in between, you’ll be able to enjoy a variety of live performances in a celebration of music. If you’re a harmonica person, then you won’t want to miss the sunset sing-a-long and harmonica giveaway at Edgewater Park, but if trombones tickle your fancy then make your way to Lakewood Baptist Church for a trombone demonstration and a performance by Sousa Polooza.
Jazz enthusiasts won’t want to miss Kamal Abdul-Alim at the Euclid Tavern. A jazz trumpeter from Cleveland, Abdul-Alim studied composition at the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston. After his time at Berklee, Abdul-Alim continued to grow as a musician and composer by traveling and studying all over the world, spreading his love for African and jazz music wherever he went.
“Cleveland is a destination of musical excellence, and we’re excited to see how Make Music Day can bring different individuals and communities together,” says Hannah Santisi, program director for Make Music Cleveland, in a press release. “Most of our professional and educational music groups are already connected with their communities in one way or another. Why not combine each of those networks into one grand day of music making? Anyone can perform, anyone can listen — it’s going to be an amazing day.”
If you’re a musician who’s interested in participating, interested in volunteering or interested in participating as a venue, the organizers at Credo Music invite you to learn more about the event at makemusicday.org/cleveland.
Current venues and performers include:
First Evangelical Lutheran Church of Strongsville
6:15-7 p.m.: First Church Musicians
Happy Dog Euclid Tavern
7 p.m.: Kamal Abdul-Alim
Progressive Field
6 p.m.: Oberlin Percussion Group, Poor Ornery Sinners and Worldstock Entertainment
5th Street Arcades
Noon-1:30 p.m.: John Wallace, guitar and David Ellis, viola da gamba
Edgewater Park
10 a.m.: Stone Water Time Breath
6-9 p.m.: Performance of Terry Riley’s “In C”, Harmonica Giveaway and Sunset Sing- Along lead Lily Roberts and Harmonious (a capella group)
Bop Stop
9 p.m.: Jam Session
Toast
Cleveland Cello Quartet (Time TBA)
Stone Mad Pub
5-9 p.m.: Chris Allen and the Guilty Hearts
Phoenix Coffee Ohio City
10:30 a.m.: Poor Ornery Sinners
5-6 p.m.: Julia Wallace
Happy Dog
7 p.m.: Classical Revolution
Skyline Music Westlake
1 p.m.: Piano Jazz
2 p.m.: Pete Meeboer, singer/ songwriter
3 p.m.: Kathie Stewart
4 p.m.: Canterbury String Quartet
4:30 p.m.: Deb and Joan
5 p.m.: THRE3
6 p.m.: Instrument Petting Zoo
7 p.m.: Glenn Holmes Quartet on the Front Porch
Lakewood Baptist Church
6–9 p.m.: Sousa Palooza (brass and wind instrumentalists of all ages read Sousa marches), Lakewood Choir of Churches, Victor Samalot and Tower City Chorus
Root Cafe
7-8:15pm: TriHearn
Tappan Square
4:15-5pm: Alex Izekawa
This article appears in Jun 1-7, 2016.
Sounds like a great day in Cleveland!