NAMM Supporting Make Music New York's Thousands of Free Concerts and Music Making Events On June 21

"Make Music” celebrations will fill the air with music worldwide in 460 cities across 116 countries on June 21, 2012. National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) is now lending promotional support to the growing Make Music New York celebration. Free concerts and hands-on, recreational music making opportunities will be open to all throughout the longest day of the year. Major participating U.S. cities include New York City, Chicago, and Pasadena, with new events launching in Denver, Los Angeles and Santa Fe.

NAMM supports a wide variety of programs such as Wanna Play? and Pledge to Play dedicated to increasing awareness of the proven benefits and joy of playing musical instruments. “Make Music” events around the country reinforce the benefits of making music with creative opportunities for anyone to pick up an instrument and play as a community on June 21st.

A collection of over 1000 outdoor concerts in New York City will offer a diverse and exciting array of music, from large-scale spectacles to street-corner concerts in 424 public spaces throughout all five boroughs. Any musician, amateur or professional, young or old, can join thousands on the streets of NYC and in other cities across the country for Make Music. The event began as a nationwide celebration in 1982 as France’s Fête de la Musique.

In addition to more traditional concerts, MMNY’s popular Mass Appeal events bring together hundreds of musicians and aspiring musicians in events designed for specific instruments or talents. From the rusty cellist to the professional bagpiper, everyone is welcome to join these events. All Make Music New York events are free to the public. Here’s a small sampling of the 23 scheduled Mass Appeal events in New York:

Cast-Iron Buildings: Daniel Goode leads participants on a "SoHo Gamelan Walk" aided by a neighborhood map and suggested hand rhythms, to turn the "best" SoHo cast-iron buildings into resonant gong instruments with hand clapping. The piece ends when a select number of buildings have been turned into instruments. Meet at Soho Square (Spring St and Sixth Ave) at 1:00 p.m.

Cellos: In honor of Millie Rosner, a beloved cello teacher and mentor who passed away March 10, 2012, the event will feature Rosner's arrangements of works by Bach, Faure, Bartok, Haydn and others, plus a few sonic experiments. Cellists of all ages and levels are encouraged to attend. Email James David Jacobs (jdj83061@gmail.com) to reserve a spot in the ensemble and please indicate your level of playing experience so you can be assigned an appropriate part. For more about Millie, visit http://www.sfcv.org/article/in-memoriam-milly-rosner-teacher-to-the-end. Event will be held at the Flatiron Building Plaza (Broadway and E. 23rd St) at 6:30 p.m.

Circuit Benders: Exploring the space at the Archway under the Manhattan Bridge, Hans Tammen's Third Eye Make Music NY Orchestra uses Earle Brown's open form composition idea as a starting point to create a large multi-movement piece, performed by a Circuit Benders ensemble. We strongly encourage those who enroll in the Circuit Bending Mass Appeal to take the workshop on June 20 from 6pm-10pm at Harvestworks. Contact Phil Stearns at phil@phillipstearns.com to register for the workshop and performance. Attend the event at The Archway under the Manhattan Bridge (Water St and Pearl St, DUMBO) at 6:00 p.m.

Flutes: This two-hour performance venue just for flutists, welcomes all ages and skill levels. The group will be led by Mary-Ann Tu, founder of MasterclassesNYC and Valerie Holmes from the Kaufman Special Music School. Sight-reading and prepared performances are on the agenda. Go to masterclassesNYC.com for details on how to join, or email maryann.tu@gmail.com. Bring your flutes and stands to Central Park: Great Hill (Enter at W. 106th and Central Park West) at 3:30 p.m.

Guitars: In conjunction with the Union Square Partnership's Summer in the Square series, guitarists of all skill levels are invited to convene at 4 pm for mini-lessons to prepare for a concert at 5:30, featuring classic (and soon-to-be classic) rock songs by Bob Marley, Oasis, America, Deep Purple, Jimi Hendrix, and Adele. The event will be capped by a 6 pm concert by guitar hero Alex Skolnick, whose work spans jazz, the metal band Testament, and the acoustic world music duo Rodrigo y Gabriela. Email massappeal@nycguitarschool.com or RSVP directly to register and receive all chords and charts. Meet at Union Square South Plaza (14th St and Broadway) at 4:00 p.m.

Harmonicas: This event is great for every music maker: kids, young people, adults, seniors, and whole families! Bring any type of harmonica, and world harmonica virtuoso Jia-Yi He will make a mini seminar for you, and lead you in a massed harmonica band. Sheet music indicating hole numbers will be ready for newcomers. Please contact Jia-Ye He at hejiayi@yahoo.com to RSVP and the first 100 will participants receive a free harmonica, courtesy of Hohner! Event takes place at Central Park: Dairy Lawn at 6:00 p.m.

Humming: Experimental composer John P. Hastings presents HUM 7 8 9, an homage to both La Monte Young and the late Max Neuhaus. Using the hum generated by the power station, the audience will join in a group hum, centered around the 60Hz tone that is emitted. Anyone can attend! The score will be easy to understand and potentially fit onto a 3'x5' card which can be handed out to the audience as they join in. Email John Hastings at johnphastings@gmail.com with questions. Event will be held at DUMBO ConEd Farragut Substation (Plymouth St btw Gold & Bridge St, Brooklyn) at 7:00 p.m.

Ukuleles: Discover why the humble uke is making a big comeback as the ultimate People's Instrument! Sing along from 5-6pm, then performances from 6-8pm from among NYC's deep roster of ukulele all-stars. For additional questions, contact event organizer Rick Bruner at rickbruner@gmail.com. To join, just bring a uke or just a love of good music and good cheer to McCarren Park: Field House (Lorimer St and Bedford Ave, Brooklyn) at 5:00 p.m.

Vocals: NPR Music, the Times Square Alliance, and MMNY invite choral singers and the public to participate in the world premiere of a new choral arrangement from composer Philip Glass called "The New Rule" and features text by the medieval Sufi poet Rumi. Singers (amateur or professional) who would like to take part in this event should arrive by 6:30 p.m., warmed up and ready to sing in Times Square (Broadway and W. 46th). Download the score here: http://media.npr.org/assets/music/blogs/deceptivecadence/2012/05/glass_new_rule.pdf.