Being There: Make Music VT 2022
BURLINGTON July 8, 2022: Big Heavy World, Vermont’s volunteer-run music office, brought Make Music Day to Vermont on June 21.
More than 150 musicians played at 93 events in 30 towns and 58 venues, as part of International “Make Music Day,” a celebration of music that began in France in 1982 as Fête de la Musique. Since then it has become a global phenomenon, with events occurring on every continent on every summer solstice. This year tens (if not hundreds) of thousands of musicians performed in 120 countries to celebrate how music brings people together.
Milton’s Farmers’ Market.
Vermont played its musical part. From theatrical musical performances at Burlington’s Junktiques, celtic music in Adamant, a fiddle orchestra on the statehouse lawn in Montpelier, a supermarket parade in Bennington, guitar soloists in Swanton and different song-writers, bands, solo instrumental musicians and choruses, performers offered a wide variety of musical genres throughout Vermont.
Music was played in Burlington, Bennington, Randolph, Springfield, Charlotte, Essex Junction, Fairfax, Ferrisburgh, Milton, Brattleboro, St. Albans, Swanton, North Hero and other Vermont towns. In fields, streets, churches, town greens, and radio and tv stations music filled the air and visitors and community members enjoyed free performances as they gathered to listen and dance along.
Kingsland Bay State Park.
The Community Experience
Some venues like Springfield’s SAPA TV commented on the sense of community and connectivity that was shared throughout the day. Vince Freeman, audio engineer at SAPA said, “People felt comfortable to approach us and talk about art, music, TV, or just their own passions. The music drew them in and human interaction soon followed.”
Vince added: “This year's Make Music Vermont - Randolph was the best yet! After having hosted 5 bands in 2021, Randolph hosted 15 performances at over a dozen different venues all across town, indoor and outdoor, energizing the whole community.”
The Underground Recording Studio in Randolph.
At the Milton Recreation Department, people were dancing. Jenna Tucker, recreation director, said: “We had kids, parents, and even an elderly couple at one point enjoying and grooving to the music. The kids were a hoot! They loved the high energy of the band and were dancing for the full hour that the band played until we got rained out.”
The Musician Experience
Entire families from Vermont had a ball. On Church Street there was a family of Honduran immigrants dancing in the rain to the music of Sambatucada, Burlington’s community samba band.
At St. Johnsbury an audience of 250 people was entertained by a diverse selection of performers, “from 4th graders playing fiddle tunes to an elderly gentleman playing jazz piano. Even a little rap. Someone also remarked how surprised she was at the amount of women represented on the stage,” said Andrea Otto from Catamount Arts.
The Fletcher Free Library in Burlington.
At Burlington’s City Hall Park, The Apollos’ music attracted visitors, some who sang along. “We had a great experience here in City Hall Park. Thank you, Big Heavy World and Make Music Day,” said Evan Warner, guitar player and vocalist.
“I was thrilled to send my Hypno-Jazz Jams out into the world! It was great to connect with other Burlington artists who came up after my performance to talk,” said Todd Smith after his performance at Battery Park in Burlington.
The Goals
Make Music Vermont actively demonstrated the heart and soul of the World Music Day concept which is to use music to bring people of all ages and cultures together.
With an audience estimated at 2,500 people, Big Heavy World organizers were impressed by how their goals for 2022 were actually doubled. “We were projecting an expansion to 15 Vermont towns, 50 acts and 80-90 musicians. Instead there were 30 towns, 58 venues, 93 acts and over 150 musicians involved,” Schein added.
And this year social media played a big part. Musicians and venues posted videos of the performances that happened all across the state. And, the huge event seemingly went off without a hitch. Schein was surprised and said, “I was expecting my phone to light up all day with calls from around the state about what went wrong… so and so didn't show up, there was no stage or PA, the bass player's beard caught fire when it rained on his Fender, etc. Not one call. Vermont musicians and venues took charge of their event in a remarkable way. What did we learn? That Vermont musicians are resilient and have huge hearts for their communities. And that we need to start gathering support for next year now.”
For next year, Big Heavy World has an immediate goal to raise money for signs and banners so that performers and venues can more effectively publicize the event locally and statewide. “We need to start gathering support for next year now so we can provide participants with more resources,” Schein added.
Make Music Vermont was made possible through the office of volunteer-based Big Heavy World, supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts. It is sponsored by the NAMM Foundation, Vermont Public, Front Porch Forum, 105.9FM The Radiator, and Burlington Record Plant.
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 day-long, musical free-for-all celebrates music in all its forms, encouraging people to band together and perform free public concerts. In 2022, over 100 U.S. cities organized Make Music Day celebrations, encompassing thousands of music making opportunities nationwide. Make Music Day is presented by the NAMM Foundation and coordinated by the nonprofit Make Music Alliance. For more information, please visit www.makemusicday.org.
About Big Heavy World: Big Heavy World is an independent, nonprofit volunteer-run music office serving the state of Vermont. Founded in 1996, it leverages a technology-heavy D.I.Y. ethic and inclusive philosophy to support musicians and advance the music sector, preserve Vermont’s music legacy, and empower young adults in an environment that focuses their passions and intellect. The organization was selected by an international jury to receive the 2020 Music Cities ‘Best Global Music Office Award.’