All About World Music Day
We think everyone should learn more about this international celebration! Let’s walk you through a brief history and ways you can celebrate no matter what country you’re in.
The History of World Music Day
The idea behind World Music Day came from France, where it’s called the Fête de la Musique, a homophone of the term “faites de la musique”, which means “make music.” June 21st was chosen as it’s around the Summer Solstice, so the street festivities can go on for as long as possible.
It was invented by Jack Lang, the former Minister of Culture of France, and Maurice Fleuret, a famous musician, back in 1981. Fleuret organized a free city-wide festival surrounding this day, where musicians came to celebrate music itself without profit or payment. Fleuret had an interesting concept: “the music everywhere and the concert nowhere.”
The first celebration was in Paris in 1982, and since then, it’s spread to over 130 countries worldwide. One of the aims is to make music more accessible to everyone, so learners and professionals alike go out to perform and share their knowledge under the common umbrella of loving music.
Ways to Celebrate
If you’re an aspiring or professional musician, host a free concert in a cafe, a bar, or even just on the streets. We’re not saying you shouldn’t be paid for your efforts, but the idea of World Music Day is the accessibility of music, so it wouldn’t be in the spirit of the day to charge a fee. There are tons of ways to celebrate, and they can be as basic or extravagant as you want!
- Reorganize your record or CD collection. If you’re an audiophile with a record collection that’s dear to your heart, you can use this day to reorganize your collection and make new, creative displays. Set up a new record stand or get creative with a unique record craft to show off your favorites.
- Give your records a good clean. Your records need proper maintenance to stay high-quality for a long time. Give them regular maintenance and learn how to keep vintage records in mint condition.
- Make custom record jackets. Write the song list by hand or draw something yourself using Big Fudge’s customizable record jackets that make it easy to make your vinyl album covers one-of-a-kind.
- Try out a different culture’s music. Try out Rammstein-esque German techno-rock. Get into K-pop and watch BTS and Red Velvet on YouTube. Vibe to Mongolian throat singing. Enrich yourself with historical Chinese opera, also called Xiqu or Peking opera. Scroll through the international music charts and see what you can find!
- Attend the nearest city’s celebration. Over a thousand cities have World Music Day celebrations each year. Find the nearest city and plan a trip with friends or family. Make a big day out of it!
Have Fun Your Way
Everyone loves different music, and everybody loves music differently. Take this opportunity to celebrate music your way, whether it’s celebrating with live music, a jam session at home, or spinning your favorite LPs for your friends and family. Whatever you decide, we hope you’ll llet music enrich your life on June 21st.
Are you an audiophile? Join a community of music lovers and record collectors at Big Fudge!