Today, in cities across the country, we're making music.
Make Music Day is a daylong celebration that encourages everyone to participate. Throughout the day, there will be concerts, work shops and "Mass Appeal" events during which everyone plays the same instrument at the same time – and it's all free.
“The spirit behind Make Music Denver … is just to encourage people from professional levels all the way to just music enthusiasts to engage with live music, whether it’s in a single city or throughout the world,” said Barry Osborne, marketing manager for Swallow Hill Music, which has been organizing the event for three years.
“We feel like Denver is a very diverse music city,” he added, “and we’re just excited to get to showcase that.”
The event started in France in 1982, and there are now celebrations in North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, North and South America, Asia and Europe. In the U.S., 39 cities are participating this year.
Denver is celebrating in a distinctly Mile High way, with a lot of bluegrass, Americana and folk, in addition to some rock, blues, soul and funk. And while other cities are choosing to let a bunch of bagpipes be played at once, we opted to get together Mass Appeal groups of ukuleles, drums and harmonicas. Headliners include local mainstays Dan Treanor & His Affrosippi Allstars, ATOMGA and Color.
It all begins today at noon. Here’s the full schedule of events:
Curtis Park
31st and Curtis streets
Noon- 1 p.m. Maya Bennett (blues, Americana/bluegrass, indie folk) on the West Stage
12:30-1:30 p.m. Jeffery Hsu (experimental, electronic, classical) on the East Stage
1-1:30 p.m. Jeffery Hsu (experimental, electronic, classical) on the West Stage
1-2 p.m. Ryan Flick (folk, country, Americana/bluegrass) on the East Stage
3-3:30 p.m. Mass Appeal: ukulele strum-along on the East Stage
3:30-4 p.m. Mass Appeal: drum circle on the East Stage
4-4:30 p.m. Mass Appeal: harmonica lesson on the East Stage
5-5:45 p.m. Color (soul, R&B, funk) on the Main Stage
6-7 p.m. ATOMGA (Afrobeat) on the Mainstage
7:15-8:30 p.m. Dan Treanor & His Afrosippi Allstars w/ Erica Brown (rock, blues) on the Main Stage
Denver Performing Arts Complex
1400 Curtis St.
11 a.m.-noon Kelly Triplett (indie folk, singer-songwriter, pop)
12:30-2 p.m. The Bad Ideas (Americana/bluegrass, indie rock, indie folk)
2-3 p.m. Victoria Lundy (experimental, electronic)
3-4 p.m. Mile High Elements (singer-songwriter, folk, pop)
4-5:30 p.m. South To Cedars (singer-songwriter, Americana/bluegrass, indie folk)
5:30-6:30 p.m. Josh Galvin (Americana/bluegrass)
7-8 p.m. Arizona Pinstripe (blues, rock, folk)
8-9 p.m. Jeffry Hsu (experimental, electronic, classical)
Skylight Station
910 Santa Fe Drive
6:30-7 p.m. TSUB Analysis (indie rock, singer-songwriter, Americana/bluegrass)
7:30-8:30 p.m. Andy Ard (rock, singer-songwriter, folk)
9-10 p.m. The Skyliters (rock, pop)
Classic Pianos Denver
1332 S. Broadway, Suite 200
10 a.m.-7 p.m. Learn to play at the Clavinova Cafe
The Spot Studios
6006 W. Jewell Ave., Lakewood
Noon-1 p.m. Amy Kress (electronic, R&B, singer-songwriter)
3-3:45 p.m. Open to the House (experimental, rock, indie rock)
5:30-7 p.m. Jeffery Dallet (rock, singer-songwriter, folk)
Audubon Nature Center at Chatfield
11280 S. Waterton Road, Littleton
Noon-2 p.m. Anna Robinson (sing-songwriter, Americana/bluegrass, rock)
3-5 p.m. Nearly There (folk, rock)
For more information, visit swallowhillmusic.org.
