Buildings and Landmarks Across the US to Shine Orange for Make Music Day

Niagara Falls, the Tennessee State Capitol and the Crazy Horse Memorial are among the more than 30 iconic buildings and landmarks across the U.S. that will turn orange in support of Make Music Day, the global music celebration held annually on June 21, the summer solstice. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s celebration has moved to a virtual and socially distanced experience to encourage all people, of all musical abilities, to celebrate the joy of making music. Over 85 U.S. cities and the entire states of Connecticut, Hawaii, Vermont and Wisconsin will participate in Make Music Day Day 2020, further highlighting the power of music to unite people across cultures and to comfort, inspire and lift the human spirit.

Completely different than a traditional music festival, Make Music Day celebrates and promotes the natural music maker in all of us, regardless of age, ethnicity, background or skill level. Make Music Day is an open invitation for everyone to make, enjoy, perform, teach and learn music on the longest day of the year and the first day of summer. Typically featuring over 5,000 free outdoor music-making events in public spaces across the U.S., this year’s celebration is being produced virtually and observing social distancing guidelines. Make Music Day is presented in the U.S. by The NAMM Foundation and coordinated by the non-profit Make Music Alliance.

U.S. buildings and landmarks shining orange – a color evoking the sun and the first day of summer – will include:

• Niagara Falls in Buffalo (NY)
• City Hall, Tower 280, Rochester Riverside Convention Center, Legacy Tower, Rundel Memorial Library, OneEast Ave., The Metropolitan, 3 Center City, and High Falls in Rochester (NY)
• FMC Tower, Cira Centre and Cira Garage in Philadelphia (PA)
• Stilts Building in Hartford (CT)
• Waterbury City Hall in Waterbury (CT)
• Portland City Hall in Portland (ME)
• Bennington Battle Monument in Bennington (VT)
• State Capitol Cupola in Nashville (TN)
• Tennessee Aquarium and The Block in Chattanooga (TN)
• The Wishing Tree in Rosemary Square in West Palm Beach (FL)
• The Pfister Hotel and the Milwaukee County Historical Society in Milwaukee (WI)
• Madison Municipal Building in Madison (WI)
• Nitschke Bridge and Walnut Street Bridge in Green Bay (WI)
• Crazy Horse Memorial in Black Hills (SD)
• Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center in Long Beach (CA)
• The Fountain at Hillcrest Park in Fullerton (CA)
• Union Street Railroad Bridge in Salem (OR)
• Aloha Tower in Honolulu (HI)

Music Day national highlights include Widow Serenades where musicians will serenade residents from outside nursing homes; 25x12 free online music lessons (12 hours of free lessons on 25 different instruments); This American Song capturing the stories and experiences of ordinary people from all 50 U.S. states at this unprecedented time, Bash the Trash instrument-making and performance; Bedroom Studios where producers will livestream their sessions from home; Flowerpot Music; a MMD Global Livestream; and Live from Home where people will record a musical performance at home and tag three pals to do the same.

Additional highlights are Mass Appeals bringing people together online to make music in large, single-instrument groups; a My Song Is Your Song global song swap; Track Meet featuring teams of four musicians racing against the clock to create brand new original tracks in a creative relay; the World’s Smallest Marching Band consisting of a brass and wind player parading outside solo; the debut of the Young Composers Contest winning pieces; and a YouTube Live with Eric Whitacre - “A Boy and a Girl” Online Rehearsal and a conversation with Alex Lacamoire.

Launched in France in 1982 as the Fête de la Musique, Make Music Day has become a worldwide phenomenon observed today by hundreds of millions of people in over 1,000 cities spanning 120 countries.

All Make Music Day events are free and open to the public. Participants who wish to perform, or to host musical events, may register at MakeMusicDay.org. A full schedule of in-person and virtual events is available on the website.

Official hashtag: #MakeMusicDay

For editorial photos of previous Make Music Day events, please visit https://assignments.gettyimages.com/mm/nicePath/gyipa_public?nav=pr645786678

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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. Over 85 U.S. cities and the entire states of Vermont, Connecticut, Hawaii and Wisconsin are participating in this year’s celebration, which is going virtual due to the coronavirus pandemic. Make Music Day is presented by the NAMM Foundation and coordinated by the non-profit Make Music Alliance. For more information, please visit www.makemusicday.org

Participating U.S. Make Music Day Cities in 2020 Include:

Allen (TX), Altoona (PA), Anaheim (CA), Appleton (WI), Austin (TX), Barron (WI), Black Hills-Rapid City (SD), Bridgeport (CT), Burnett & Polk Counties (WI), Charleston (SC), Chattanooga (TN), Chequamegon Bay (WI), Chicago (IL), Cincinnati (OH), Columbia (SC), Danbury (CT), Davis (CA), Denton (TX), Denver (CO), East Granby (CT), Fairfield (CT), Federal Way (WA), Fitchburg (WI), Fullerton (CA), Green Bay (WI), Hartford (CT), Hastings (MN), Hebron (CT), Issaquah (WA), Ithaca (NY), Iowa Corridor (IA), Kenosha (WI), Land O’ Lakes (WI), Las Cruces (NM), Long Beach (CA), Los Angeles (CA), Macon (GA), Madison (WI), Marshfield (WI), Miami (FL), Middletown (CT), Milford (CT), Milwaukee (WI), Montclair (NJ), Nashville (TN), New Haven (CT), New York (NY), Nicholasville (KY), Northwest CT, Norwalk (CT), Ossining (NY), Palm Beach County (FL), Peoria (AZ), Philadelphia (PA), Phoenix (AZ), Pittsburgh (PA), Platteville (WI), Portland (ME), Provo (UT), Reedsburg (WI), Ridgefield (CT), Rochester (NY), Salem (OR), St. Louis (MO), San Jose (CA), Seattle (WA), Sheboygan (WI), Southeastern CT, Stamford (CT), Stratford (CT), Temecula (CA), Tucson (AZ), Washington (DC), Waterbury (CT), Waupaca (WI) and West Bend (WI). Also participating are the states of Connecticut, Hawaii, Vermont and Wisconsin.

About The NAMM Foundation

The NAMM Foundation is a non-profit supported in part by the National Association of Music Merchants and its 10,300 members around the world. The NAMM Foundation works to advance active participation in music-making across the lifespan by supporting scientific research, philanthropic giving and public service programs. For more information about The NAMM Foundation, please visit www.nammfoundation.org.