Global Music Festival Comes To Los Angeles
Make Music LA, Los Angeles’ affiliate with the Fete de la Musique International, announced its inaugural celebration on June 21, 2012. The festival, which celebrates the summer solstice with musical performances around the greater Los Angeles area, is part of a global musical festival based on France’s Fete de la Musique, a national musical holiday inaugurated in 1982.
The festival has become an international phenomenon celebrated on the same day in more than 460 cities and 110 countries, including Germany, Italy, Egypt, Syria, Morocco, Chile and Japan. The festival is open to all to participate, amateurs, students, professionals and established artists are all welcome. Musicians and other participants volunteer their time and talents and admission to all events is free.
The event date – Summer Solstice, June 21, 2012 – is significant symbolizing rebirth and renewal. “Our hope is to inspire new creative works, develop new audiences and celebrate our cultural differences by crisscrossing the county and discovering the hidden musical gems L.A has to offer,” says MMLA Founder Executive Director Dorsay Dujon.
“I’m thrilled that Los Angeles is joining the global community of Make Music, and I’m looking forward to the event on June 21 when Angelenos will be able to enjoy creating and listening to music at venues across the city,” said L.A. City Councilmember Eric Garcetti.
Unlike many music festivals, Make Music Los Angeles is about neighborhoods and about people getting together in their neighborhoods in a do-it-yourself fashion, putting together their own musical events.
“This inspiring event brings everyone together to share their heritage, music, art and food with family, friends and neighbors,” said Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas. “Los Angeles is rightly acknowledged as a world center for art and music; it’s true cultural wealth, however, lies in its communities. This is the beginning of what I hope will be a wonderful new tradition.”
Artists and locations collaborate to produce the events, find electricity and provide whatever equipment is needed. Angelenos can participate as musicians, volunteers and hosts by using MMLA’s matchmaking tool located on www.MakeMusicLA.org to register and make concert arrangements with each other.
A variety of locations are possible for concerts, including sidewalks, community gardens, plazas, schools, courtyards and parks. Other outdoor locations, cemeteries, bridges, subway stations, piers, busses or trains may be arranged by contacting MMLA.
Relationships are developing with talented local artists, local businesses, community leaders and other amazing MMLA organizers throughout the county. The City and County of Los Angeles are showing support by drafting resolutions declaring June 21st as Make Music LA Day.
“Make Music festivals thrill and delight audiences the world over,” says Dujon. “At Make Music LA, we want to encourage the relationship between our culturally diverse communities’ residents and visitors to hear and play music for one another.”
Source: Make Music LA
