World Music Day: Celebrate with Music Activities and Educational Resources

Music is incredibly powerful in that it can transport to a faraway place, bring back treasured memories and even transform moods. It is a universal language which brings people together at concerts, places of worship and celebrations. Scientific research has demonstrated that listening to music supports our physical, mental and emotional health and can help to regulate emotions, enhance productivity and concentration and even improve sleep.

What is World Music Day?

World Music Day was the brainchild of Maurice Fleuret, the Director of Music and Dance at the French Ministry of Culture whose dream was for music to be everywhere. A survey by the government in 1982 revealed that five million people, including one person out of two, played a musical instrument, however a fraction of this number were involved in organised events. With so much undiscovered musical talent the ministry developed the idea of a festival for all musicians to be a part of.

The first nationwide music festival fete de la musique (translated both as festival or music and make music) launched on the 21st June 1982. As a new concept the Ministry were unsure of how much interest there would be in taking part. What happened exceeded all their expectations with musicians playing in streets, squares, gardens and train stations.

Over time the festival has developed into a national holiday where the country shuts down and musicians take over. Almost 11% of French people (approx. 7 million people) have played an instrument or sung in public for the Fete and 64% of the country (43 million people) came out to listen. By the 1990’s the Fete de la Musique was celebrated in eighty-five countries across five continents.

The History and Impact of Make Music Day

Make Music Day first came to the UK in 2012 and has developed each year since 2017. Last year a total of 12,800 musicians performed in front of 76,200 people in live and online performances. Today, Make Music Day is marked in schools, hospitals and prisons celebrating individual musicians, groups and even a whole community. Within four decades the annual day has spread throughout the world and is now celebrated in more than 1,000 cities in 120 different countries.

Celebrating World Music Day in Schools

Hands-on Workshops with School of Noise

To support with your planning for World Music Day we have partnered with School of Noise. They deliver hands-on practical workshops around the world, exploring sound and music. The workshops combine interactive presentations with hands-on play and investigation where students conduct scientific experiments on how sound is made (vibration, frequency, amplitude), explore how it travels (medium, longitudinal/pressure waves, vacuum bell jar) and where it ends up (hearing, absorption).

Students have the opportunity to experiment with a range of equipment including tuning forks, telegraph keys for sending Morse Code, Chladni plates to make patterns in sand using vibration, use fruit and vegetables to trigger musical sounds, play on a theremin, learn about Foley sound design and more.

"Dan came to visit us for the whole day and every child was mesmerised! The School of Noise comes with so much equipment and hands-on experience that the regular classroom just couldn't possibly provide. The workshop enriched our Science topic of Sound and gave the children a deeper understanding as to the effects of sound in the wider context. I would really recommend the School of Noise!" - Grovelands Primary School

Music Resources from Purple Mash

Our partnership with School of Noise means that you have access to fantastic to resources focusing on the science of sound, which can be used pre- and post-workshop.

These include sound diaries, sound matching and quizzes about the science of sound. There is also a teacher's pack which had lots of extra information in about the science of sound, including key terminology.

Don't forget to check out Purple Mash’s fantastic tools to teach music and sound in the classroom including 2Explore, 2Beat, 2Sequence and Busy Beats.

We would love to see completed work so please share on social media using #worldmusicday and by tagging us in @purpleMash on Twitter, @2SimpleSoftware on Instagram, or @2Simpleuk on Facebook.