Restrictions due to the pandemic are easing; that’s something to celebrate! Spring has brought boundless enticing scenes, a bounty of beautiful blossoms and aromas. Soon, we’ll experience summer in our community, with all of its appealing charms and opportunities; that’s something to celebrate! In recognition of and in tribute to the above facts, Darke County Center of the Arts is bringing Make Music Day to our community on Monday, June 21. And you can be a part of the celebration.
Make Music Darke County is seeking all types of soloists and groups of musicians to help demonstrate the joy derived and received through the power of music. This celebration seems an especially appropriate way to acknowledge the lessening threat of COVID, as well as the sunny, fun-filled promise of summer. You can sign up to participate by emailing [email protected] and filling out an easily accessible form to schedule your or your group’s performance time. Venues have not yet been finalized for these performances, but DCCA plans to present all applicants in 20-minute time slots from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m. in sites across the county.
You can even be a part of a truly universal ensemble playing a newly created composition by Elliot Cole whose percussion music has been described by Rolling Stone as evoking “sparkling icicles of sound.” DCCA Artistic Director David Warner, himself an accomplished percussionist, will conduct the local ensemble; participation will require one rehearsal period prior to the performance and a flowerpot! Mallets will be provided by well-known stick-maker Vic Firth at no charge to participants. If being a part of Flowerpot Music sounds like fun to you, email [email protected] now to become an integral part of Make Music Day in Darke County.
Make Music Day has been around since 1982 when Fete de la Musique was first launched in France; now a French national holiday and an international phenomenon, Make Music Day is celebrated by hundreds of millions of people in over 1,000 cities in 120 countries around the world. Some lucky Darke Countians stumbled upon the festivities during the 1990’s when Greenville High School French teacher Rebecca Maurer led her students on a tour to France during the Summer Solstice. “We happened on to Make Music Day when we were visiting the Louvre,” Becky explained, saying that her group first noticed musical groups assembling outside the massive art museum, and then saw musicians along the streets, playing in front of shops and cafes. The students (and their tour leader) were so mesmerized by the joyful noise that they almost missed the train returning them to their place of lodging far outside of Paris city limits.
During a later tour, Ms. Maurer and another group of students experienced Make Music Day in Nimes, France. She says that the celebration seemed a bit like Mardi Gras, with parades, fireworks, and music everywhere. “It was so much fun, and embraced by all kinds of people,” Becky said, adding that her students enthusiastically got caught up in the festivities, generating a plethora of happy memories.
More details will be revealed as they are finalized, but DCCA Executive Director Andrea Jordan is truly excited about what is known thus far. “DCCA exists to promote the arts in our community, a function that COVID has prevented us from fulfilling for over a year,” Andrea said. “By presenting Make Music Darke County, we will not only be serving our purpose, but also celebrating the value of the musical arts to humankind,” she concluded. Even if you don’t choose to join the band of performers, you can be a part of the joyful noise by going out to take in all the music around you. Notice of sites and times for performances will be forthcoming. So save the date—Make Music Day in Darke County on Monday, June 21!
