World Music Day is a global celebration of music that encourages the world to spread the spirit of music by hosting free performances and discovering new listening experiences.
World Music Day – also known in some countries as Music Day, Make Music Day, Music Aid Day and Fête de la Musique – takes place every year on 21st June. Music Aid International NGO is a global co-ordinator of World Music Day events. We encourage everyone to get involved, and learn more about this international celebration!
History of World Music Day
The original idea for a World Music Day came over 40 years ago from Jack Lang, the former Minister of Culture of France, and Maurice Fleuret, a famous French musician. Fleuret organized a free city-wide festival on this day, where musicians would came to celebrate and create music without any profit or payment. Fleuret described it as “the music everywhere and the concert nowhere.” The first event took place in Paris in 1982. Since then it has grown internationally and has spread to over 130 countries worldwide.
In France the event is still called the Fête de la Musique, a homophone of the term “faites de la musique”, which means “make music.” The date of June 21st was chosen because it is the Summer Solstice, the day of the year with the most hours of sunlight, so the street festivities can go on for as long as possible.
CHARITY FUNDRAISER: If you are using the event to raise money for a registered charity we will permit you to use our well known trademarked Music Aid logo at your event to help raise its profile and get more funds for your chosen cause. The idea of World Music Day has always been that it should be non-profit and that it is not in the spirit of the event to charge a fee, but in the case of Music Aid branded fundraisers we understand that a small part of donations or funds raised may be used to cover necessary expenses if this is made known to everyone involved.
Here is some information about the history of the event and ways you can get involved no matter what country you are in.
Ways to Celebrate (THIS NEEDS REWRITING AS COPIED FORM ANOTHER SOURCE
If you’re an aspiring musician or a professional musician, you could host a free concert in a cafe, a bar, or even just play on the streets. We’re not saying you shouldn’t be paid for your efforts, but the idea of World Music Day is the accessibility of music, so it wouldn’t be in the spirit of the day to charge a fee. There are tons of ways to celebrate, and they can be as basic or extravagant as you want!
- Reorganize your record or CD collection. If you’re an audiophile with a record collection that’s dear to your heart, you can use this day to reorganize your collection and make new, creative displays. Set up a new record stand or get creative with a unique record craft to show off your favorites.
- Give your records a good clean. Your records need proper maintenance to stay high-quality for a long time. Give them regular maintenance and learn how to keep vintage records in mint condition.
- Make custom record jackets. Write the song list by hand or draw something yourself using Big Fudge’s customizable record jackets that make it easy to make your vinyl album covers one-of-a-kind.
- Try out a different culture’s music. Try out Rammstein-esque German techno-rock. Get into K-pop and watch BTS and Red Velvet on YouTube. Vibe to Mongolian throat singing. Enrich yourself with historical Chinese opera, also called Xiqu or Peking opera. Scroll through the international music charts and see what you can find!
- Attend the nearest city’s celebration. Over a thousand cities have World Music Day celebrations each year. Find the nearest city and plan a trip with friends or family. Make a big day out of it!
Have Fun Your Way
Everyone loves different music, and everybody loves music differently. Take this opportunity to celebrate music your way, whether it’s celebrating with live music, a jam session at home, or spinning your favorite LPs for your friends and family. Whatever you decide, we hope you’ll llet music enrich your life on June 21st.