Make Music VT, June 21: The International Festival of Music in 8th Vermont Year!

Above: Brass Balagan perform on the Church Street Marketplace during Make Music Day, 2022. Photo by David Schein.

Big Heavy World announces the annual international Make Music Day festival in Vermont: Make Music VT, June 21, 2023 in locations all over the state.

BURLINGTON June 8, 2023: Big Heavy World, Vermont’s volunteer-staffed, independent music office, is proud to announce the upcoming 8th Make Music Vermont Celebration on June 21. This event is part of the World  Music Day held annually on the summer solstice, when musicians from more than 1,000 global cities celebrate how music brings people together. Concerts will occur in towns and venues all over Vermont. Last year, more than 150 Vermont musicians; 94 acts; 57 locations; and 29 Vermont towns participated. Big Heavy World coordinates Make Music Day in Vermont, creating a map of live music sites and bringing exposure to the artist participants.

Make Music Day is a celebration of music that began in France in 1982 as Fête de la Musique, a way to celebrate how music brings people together across historical, linguistic and cultural differences. Ever since, the festival has become an international phenomenon, celebrated on the same day in countries including India, Germany, Italy, Greece, Russia, Australia, Peru, Brazil, Ecuador, Mexico, Canada, the United States, the UK, and Japan. Any musician, amateur or professional, young or old, from across Vermont is invited to take part by signing up at bigheavyworld.com/makemusicvt where a full schedule of events can also be found. Likewise, businesses, buildings, schools, churches, and other institutions can visit the website to be a part of the festival as concert locations.

Above: Linda Bassick and Greg Rothwell perform as the Busy Morning Duo at the Fletcher Free Library during Make Music VT in 2022. Photo by Priscila Aguilera.

Eight years ago, Big Heavy World, Vermont’s de facto volunteer-run music office, brought Make Music Day to Vermont, a state with the population of a mid-sized American city. Vermont made history as the first full state to participate. In recent years cities across the U.S. have signed on to create their own "Make Music" celebrations, each with hundreds of concerts on June 21 that are free to audiences and open to all who wish to sign up and perform. On June 21, 2022, 104 U.S. cities organized 3,819 free concerts, with over 100 each in Cincinnati, Kansas City, Madison, New York, and Salem, Oregon… all on a single day!

Big Heavy World and Vermonters are celebrating music and community this June 21. In locations from libraries to state parks, to gardens, clubs, living rooms, and in local TV and radio studios, Vermonters will enjoy musical parades; bands and solo performances of all kinds including Americana, folk, classical, bilingual singing, a piano open mic, songwriters and more. Music will fill the air on Make Music Day from Springfield to Franklin and Bristol to St. Johnsbury. The church bells of Randolph will kick off Make Music VT on this summer solstice, and The Monteverdi Music School is hosting performances by artists of all kinds in the state’s capital city as they host the first Montpelier Make Music Day for the school’s 40th anniversary. Find more information about artists and performance locations at bigheavyworld.com/makemusicvt, where musical artists in Vermont can also register their own free public performances.

Vincent Freeman, owner and audio engineer of The Underground, a recording studio in Randolph, and a member of the Randolph Arts & Culture Committee, said, “I’m super excited for this year’s Make Music Day in Randolph! After last year’s turnout I’m very much looking forward to the lineup we’ve got in store, with yet again more venues and a great selection of talented performers. You’ll be sure to find a performance to enjoy.”

David Schein, coordinator of Make Music VT at Big Heavy World, says, “We’re proud that Big Heavy World continues to link Vermont musicians and venues to the worldwide community that participates in international Make Music Day. Big Heavy World is dedicated to the principle that music builds community. It’s an opportunity for us all to find peace and to feel good about life, art, each other, and the state we live in!”

Juliet McVicker and Mary McGinnis at Burlington’s City Hall Park during Make Music Day, 2022. Photo by Kate Bouton.

Make Music VT is made possible by the presenting sponsors Vermont Public; Front Porch Forum; and the NAMM Foundation. It is also assisted by the Vermont Department of Libraries; and Vermont State Parks. The volunteers of Big Heavy World coordinate the festival with Vermonters and institutions across the state. Media support is provided by 105.9FM The Radiator.

For more information contact David Schein at mmvt@bigheavyworld.com or at 716-640-4639.

About Big Heavy World: Big Heavy World is an independent, nonprofit volunteer-run music office serving the state of Vermont. Founded in 1996, it has leveraged a technology-heavy D.I.Y. ethic and inclusive philosophy to support musicians and advance the music sector, preserve Vermont’s music legacy, and empower young adults in an environment that focuses their passions and intellect. The organization was selected by an international jury to receive the 2020 Music Cities ‘Best Global Music Office Award.’ Its programs are supported by the National Endowment for the Arts; the Institute of Museum and Library Services; the USDA; U.S. Department of State; Vermont Arts Council and Vermont Humanities. bigheavyworld.com

About Make Music Day: Held annually on June 21, Make Music Day is part of the international Fête de la Musique, taking place in over 1,000 cities across 120 countries. The daylong, musical free-for-all celebrates music in all its forms, encouraging people to band together and play in free public concerts. This year, over 100 U.S. cities are organizing Make Music celebrations, encompassing thousands of music making opportunities nationwide. Make Music Day is presented by the NAMM Foundation and coordinated by the nonprofit Make Music Alliance. For more information, please visit makemusicday.org.

Download print-resolution images at https://bigheavyworld.com/press-images.