WISCONSIN (NBC 26) — No matter your background or what language you speak or what country or city you live in, music is often a way to bring the community together.
On Monday, musicians across Northeast Wisconsin and across the world participated in ‘Make Music Day,' which is part of the international Fête de la Musique.
“Today is Make Music Day and it is part of an international opportunity for communities to come together and share and make music together. It’s taking place today in 1,000 cities in over 120 countries and we’re so excited to be part of this here in Appleton,” said Maria Van Laanen, Fox Cities Performing Art Center President.
Appleton and Green Bay are one of 100+ cities that have organized ‘Make Music’ celebrations. At Houdini Plaza in Appleton, IndUS of the Fox Valley performed some traditional Indian music.
Watch below to get a feel for the celebration:
“Make music Day gives us the chance to really shine the spotlight on the incredible community, the talent we have in this community, and the diverse range of talents. So to be able to learn a little bit about Indian music and all of these different traditions that are alive and thriving in this community,” Van Laanen said.
Musicians with IndUS of the Fox Valley poured their heart and soul sharing a piece of their culture. Spectators came out to Houdini Plaza in Appleton to check out the great music. #MakeMusicDay pic.twitter.com/D9IIGuLQ3o
— Valerie Mia Juarez (@ValerieJuarezTV) June 21, 2021
For Sandhya Sridhar, Vice President of Education and Outreach for IndUS of the Fox Valley, she says it was an honor being able to share a piece of their culture, especially as music is a big part of it.
“The culture means a lot to any community and for people who migrated from India to live here and call the Fox Valley their home, we like to share our culture.” Said Sridhar. “And this is one way of sharing our culture, dance, and music, we really enjoy it.”
For one 9-year-old girl who performed a traditional Indian violin piece, she said she’s proud to be able to share music that means a lot to her.
“I think music is very fun and whenever I’m in a bad mood, I can just play the violin and it’s like relaxation,” said Sumedha Sur.
Make Music Day originated in France in 1982 and is meant to be different from a typical musical festival. Concerts are performed by anyone who wants to take part and enjoyed by everyone who wants to attend.
“This might be the second or third year happening in Appleton,” Van Laanen said. “What a great way to kick off the summer and celebrate coming out the other end of Covid to be able to bring families and the community together to engage and make music together.”
Below you can see members of the community who spent Monday afternoon enjoying the traditional music:
Below are some photos from Make Music Day festivities in the Titletown district:
