On Tuesday, June 21, NAMM’s Museum of Making Music (MoMM) will join the global celebration of Make Music Day with free, participatory music-making activities and the launch of its new, interactive exhibit: “What Good is Music?”

Held on June 21, the summer solstice, the event is celebrated around the world in over 120 countries and 1,000 cities. To mark the day, the MoMM’s hands-on activities and new exhibit will open to the public, and for the day, the Museum will feature a “pay-what-you-wish” admission fee.

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Music-Making Activities

In celebration of the day, MoMM will present hands-on opportunities for visitors to make music in a variety of settings – no experience necessary! Interested participants are encouraged to RSVP here.

11AM — Interactive Drum Circle #1

We’ve got the drums – you’ve got the beat! Visitors may borrow a drum or percussion instrument from the Museum and join trained facilitators for a special drum circle that is sure to get you into the groove.

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1PM — Make & Play: Get Your Shake on with Studio ACE

Musicians of all ages, especially those little ones, will be invited to make and design a musical shaker with our friends from Studio ACE. The Museum will provide the supplies, with music-makers providing the design inspiration and the rhythm!

2PM — Interactive Drum Circle #2

We’ve got the drums – you’ve got the beat! Visitors may borrow a drum or percussion instrument from the Museum and join trained facilitators for a special drum circle that is sure to get you into the groove.

ALL DAY (10AM – 5PM) — Jam on the Lawn

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Want to share a song, sing, strum a guitar or jam with others? Musicians of all abilities are invited to bring an instrument to the Museum and join the jam session on the lawn. Along with an instrument, participants are encouraged to bring their own chair as seating is limited.

What Good is Music? New Exhibition Opening

To capture the spirit of the day, the MoMM will invite visitors to share their perspectives, thoughts, and emotions in a new, interactive exhibit: “What Good is Music?”

The exhibit will ask visitors to consider the questions, “What is music good for? What good does music do? What good is it for you, for us, and for the world?” and leave their feedback to share and connect with others. The littlest visitors can also participate by designing a magnet to incorporate into the display or take home as a valuable reminder of the power of music.

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MoMM’s extensive renovation

The MoMM Make Music Day celebration comes on the heels of the Museum’s extensive renovation, the first major redesign after the MoMM’s founding in 2000. The new MoMM takes visitors from near and far on an immersive journey of musical exploration and discovery as told through instruments, artifacts, and multimedia displays featuring video stories, photographs, performance clips, and interviews from the instrument creators, artists, and industry innovators.

Across the MoMM’s four new galleries, guests can experience key themes of “Making the Instruments,” “Providing the Instruments,” “Using the Instruments,” and “Beyond the Instruments” and develop a greater knowledge of how instrument creators and external events have brought us the music we make and enjoy.

Annually, the MoMM hosts thousands of school-aged children each year, many from Title I schools, for tours that provide educational enrichment. In 2018, the MoMM established a music program with San Pasqual Academy to provide the school’s foster youth with individualized lessons and opportunities to explore the larger world of music-making and careers in the industry.

North Coast Strings and New Horizons Band programs, musical ensembles designed to be an entry point for adults, are also hosted and organized by the Museum. MoMM galas have presented notable names, including Emmylou Harris, Graham Nash, and Mavis Staples, and its [email protected] concert series brings musical masters from around the globe as well as our backyard to perform in an intimate listening environment.

See you there!

The Museum of Making Music is located at 5790 Armada Drive, Carlsbad, California 92008, and open Tuesday – Sunday from 10AM to 5PM. Learn more here.

See you there, San Diego!