4 Fun Ways to Celebrate World Music Day!
This Friday, June 21st, is World Music Day or Make Music Day! In October 1982, World Music Day, known originally as Fête de la Musique, originated as an all-day musical celebration on the day of the summer solstice. Maurice Fleuret, Director of Music and Dance at the French Ministry of Culture, had “dream[ed] of a way to bring people out on the streets.” The resulting celebration - one that urges people to play music outside in their neighborhoods and public spaces - is now celebrated in about 120 countries around the world!
As always, Center Stage Music Center implores students and parents to explore their varied interests in music. In particular, here are four fun ways to celebrate World Music Day outside:
1. LISTEN TO MUSIC DIGITALLY:
Listen to our World Music Day playlist on Spotify! Here, you will find songs from countries around the world [Editor’s Note: Please note that this is not a playlist curated for children]. As suggested in the past, Radiooooo is also a fun app to explore music genres popular throughout the globe. Spend some time exploring some new and old sounds on June 21st. Leave a comment with some songs that you think we should add to our playlist!
2. LISTEN TO MUSIC OUTSIDE:
World Music Day is all about listening to and playing music in public spaces. Enjoy these free concerts and musical events, curated through the Make Music Alliance, HERE and HERE.
Additionally, for those in the neighborhood, the Queens County Farm is hosting the Sing for Hope Piano, where visitors can play their favorite tunes on the museum grounds. Don’t forget that World Music Day is about celebrating and sharing music with others; find your community through music celebration!
3. LEARN MORE ABOUT MUSIC:
Pick up Center Stage’s Musical Word Search and World Music Trivia sheets by the Front Desk at our Massapequa Park and Westbury locations (or print it from this blog). Can you name the continent where the banjo and xylophone originated? Challenge your friends and family to solve the puzzles and post about it on social media!!
4. MAKE MUSIC:
Let’s also not forget that another name for World Music Day is 'Make Music Day'. Time to make your own music! As we’ve mentioned, World Music Day is all about listening to, and playing music in public spaces. Can you use your environment to create a special musical piece? Challenge yourselves to create instruments and listen to the natural world around you. Do you hear something that you could transform into a lyric? Or into a rhythm? Leave us a comment to let us know how you made music on World Music Day!
World Music Day is a broad celebration that can be interpreted in various ways. But the bottom-line is: Get outside and celebrate the joyous, communal nature of music! We are intrigued to see what you come up with! Enjoy!