Phayvanh Luekhamhan
Monteverdi Music School presents Montpelier’s Make Music Day for the third year in a row on Saturday, June 21. Make Music Day is a local iteration of a global celebration of music making. The community-wide effort takes place from 5 to 8 p.m. in downtown Montpelier and leads into Montpelier’s vibrant weekend music scene.
Held annually on June 21, Make Music Day is part of the international Fête de la Musique, taking place in over 2,000 cities across dozens of countries. The daylong musical free-for-all celebrates music in all its forms, encouraging people to band together and play in free public concerts. Last year, over 141 U.S. cities organized Make Music celebrations. Monteverdi’s executive director Jolynda Burton says that when they organized the 2023 event, it was the first time there was a coordinated effort in Montpelier to present music all around town in conjunction with the internationally designated day. Producing the event seems a natural fit with their mission “because we wanted to provide a platform for people in all walks of life to make music,” Burton said.
The celebration will feature three dedicated stages: on Main Street on the lawn of the Kellogg-Hubbard Library, on State Street in front of Naive Melody Instrument Exchange, and in the courtyard of Christ Church. Community members can sign up for any 15-minute slot to sing a cappella, riff on a keyboard, debut a song they wrote, or jam with friends.
While everyone is encouraged to make music where they feel comfortable, the stages provide a ready platform for folks to experiment and perform, with instruments, microphones, and other tech provided.
“We want to remove all the barriers,” Burton said, and to encourage folks “to make music when you otherwise may not do that.” The event is supported by Montpelier Alive, which provides tents and other assistance. Monteverdi also relies on volunteers to produce the event.
The folks who have participated in Montpelier’s Make Music Day in past years have included students who wanted to share what they were learning, professional and hobby singer-songwriters, or folks who perform covers, and others. Burton says a local musician who showcased their work for the first time during the 2023 event has since gained an audience and is now gigging in the area, encouraged by the reception at the event.
Advance sign ups can be made at monteverdimusic.org. A waitlist will start once slots are full.
This event kicks off Monteverdi’s summer programming, which includes the Brown Bag music series that takes place on Wednesdays at noon at the Christ Church courtyard.
Burton encourages everyone to “find your inner musician if you have one, and if you don’t, support your neighbor’s inner musician.” By participating in the day, she feels it’s one of those special moments “where you are locking arms with people who are doing it all over the world.”
All performance stages will have room for the community to sit and enjoy the performances.
