Make Music Cambridge: Volume 2

Harvard Square hosts the second edition of Make Music Cambridge, a free, outdoors, live-music festival featuring more than 150 local bands. Starting at 1pm, musicians take over the streets of Harvard Square, in 22 different designated performance pitches, to celebrate the first day of summer with music. Musicians play for the enjoyment of new fans and old fans that come to hear new sounds and meet new people. Make Music Cambridge engages everyone from confirmed music-lovers to those just out for a stroll. The event will be held on June 21, 2009.


Last year, more than 75 bands performed covering all styles: rock, Caribbean, blues, r&b, electro, latin, gypsy, folk, world fusion, jazz, a capella singing, and much more. Approximately 50,000 people came to Harvard Square and enjoyed the experience.


Make Music Cambridge is an outdoor acoustic event, so selected artists will be asked to play unplugged or to bring their own battery powered amplifying system. Sets range from 30 minutes to more than one hour. Make Music staff provides each band with an official Make Music Cambridge box with a logo on it from which the performers can sell CDs and collect donations from listeners, which the musicians keep for themselves. Musicians will be acknowledged in an on-line Make Music program on both the Make Music Cambridge web site; the Harvard Square web site and in the printed event program. No performers are paid to perform at Make Music Events.


The Passim Folk Music and Cultural Center will host another Kids Make Music block-party on Palmer Street chock full of entertainment for kids and families featuring an instrument petting zoo, an “open mic” for young children, group sing-alongs and a Make Music Kids Parade!


Make Music Cambridge is inspired by the “Fête de la Musique” a street-music festival which started 27 years ago in Paris. The “Fête de la Musique” is now celebrated, under many names, in more than 300 cities in 108 countries, from London to Beijing to Buenos Aires, all on the same day. Cambridge is now a part of this worldwide celebration!


Make Music Cambridge is made possible through a special partnership and the support of the Harvard Square Business Association, a partnership with the Passim Folk Music and Cultural Center (Club Passim), as well as the financial support of the Cultural Services of the French Consulate in Boston, Marie Landel & Associates, Delta Capital Partners, the International School of Boston (located in Cambridge), Boston Accueil, and Boston French Party.