2021

Got music? We wanna hear it! Make Music Day arrived just in time for the re-opening of Hartford and a low COVID-19 case count. Musicians and audiences of all abilities and ages were able to partake in an entirely in-person celebration, including an Afro-Cuban masterclass + workshop, Sousapalooza, and guitar lessons!

2018

Where it all began With help from the Connecticut Office of the Arts, Hartford joined other select towns and cities across the state to bring Make Music Day to our state. From the first kazoo parade down Pratt St. to bands performing by the river and under the highway, our first MMH was a smash hit. We started with an 8am jazz session at the Bushnell Park Sculpture Garden and played all the way through 9pm with DJ Connie Carmona in Parkville, Liviu Pop’s Jazz Invitational at Black Eyed Sally’s, and more. Almost 70 bands and musicians participated in Year One!

2020

The pivot to a virtual MMH Like every other arts organization, we were sad to have to change our plans on a dime because of the incoming pandemic. However, we changed a crisis into an opportunity by supporting local artist livestreams with Make Music Mondays, and partaking in national virtual events like Bash the Trash instrument tutorials and 25x12 International Music Lessons! Out of 200 participants from around the world, 9 local artists participated in a #MySongIsYourSong global song swap, covering each other’s music. Dr. Dann Broyld, an associate professor of history at CCSU, was selected as the subject of CT’s submission for This American Song, a national initiative pairing songwriters with people of all ages with a story to tell.