The Well-Tempered Ear

Classical music: Applications are now being accepted for the fifth Make Music Madison on Wednesday, June 21. Read all about it and tell us what you think

By Jacob Stockinger

Doing something for five years in a row is certainly enough to qualify it as an annual tradition.

So it is with Make Music Madison, the successful day-long, community-wide festival of free music performed outdoors by students, amateurs and professionals as individuals and in groups.

It takes place on the Summer Solstice, the longest day and shortest night of the calendar year. That means the event this year will happen on Wednesday, June 21, 2017. 

So far, there are 178 artists and performers  participating in 85 venues, which you can check out on the event’s website. More than 400 concerts in more than 100 venues are expected. (Below, in 2016, is the Oaknut Duo.)

For more background about the event  that started in Paris, France, and now takes place nationwide, listen to the YouTube video about the 2013 celebration at the bottom.

Of course The Ear is well aware that most of the events are not classical music. But there will be some classical music. And it is clear that many students who start off in classical music often migrate to jazz, folk, pop, roots, blues, rock, swing, big band, rap, hip-hop and other kinds of music.

Some music almost inevitably leads to more music. (Below is keyboard artist Zuzu.)

Also needed are donations to the non-profit organization that organizes the event every year for less than the cost of a traffic light -or about $45,000. That’s a lot of bang for the bucks.

For more information about participating, donating and attending as well as seeing a photo gallery, go to:

http://www.makemusicmadison.org

What do you think?

Have you ever attended Make Music Madison?

What did you see and hear?

What did you think of individual performances and the entire event?

Leave word in the COMMENT section.

The Ear wants to hear.