[Alert to Readers: I don’t usually post many pictures of myself. People who read this blog probably appreciate that very much. But, since this is about an event in which I like to participate, I must warn you that I am in most of the images. Also, this is more a lesson in history than a summary of recent family events. I apologize and hope that you will still read it, or at least be kind enough to pretend that you did.]
In 1982, a music festival, the Fête de la Musique, started in Paris, France. Unlike typical music festivals, this one was open to anyone who wanted to participate and they could share any kind of music. The popularity of this event soon spread to other cities and other countries. It’s known in English-speaking countries as Make Music Day, which is easier to pronounce, and it’s held every year on the 21st of June in more than 1,000 cities in 120 countries. All of the events are outdoors, they’re all open to the public and they’re all free. What a deal!
2013
We have friends who owned two coffee shops (now only one) on State Street. In 2013, they mentioned that the city was sponsoring a new event called Make Music Madison and they were planning to participate as one of the venues. They knew that I played guitar and asked if I’d like to play on the sidewalk in front of one of their stores. I said yes and signed up right away. Although I didn’t have much time to plan, I thought it would be fun to create a sign for my act. That would give me the chance to combine my interests of music and photography (maybe it was just vanity). So, I walked over to our neighborhood Good ‘n’ Loud Music store (may it rest in peace) and set up my gear for a selfie in front of their great mural (may it rest in peace). I thought posing with Keith Richards gave me more street cred.
I don’t remember how many songs I played or even if I created a set list. However, the guy who played before me was kind enough to let me use his mic and amp. That was helpful because, as some of you may know, State Street is not always very quiet. In case you’re wondering, Keith Richards was not scheduled to appear, nor did he.
2014
Having spent 20-30 minutes on State Street in Make Music Madison 2013, I was now ready for more. This time I signed up for an hour and created a set list with 14 songs. I don’t remember if I played them all; I usually prepare one or two songs more than I think I will need because I don’t want to run out of songs before I run out of time. Here’s my 2014 set list:
Car Wash Blues — Jim Croce
Norwegian Wood — The Beatles
Grandma’s Feather Bed — John Denver
House at Pooh Corner — Loggins and Messina
Sweet Misery — Hoyt Axton
Shirt Song — Donovan
Rainbow Connection — Kermit the Frog
Puff the Magic Dragon — Peter, Paul and Mary
Daydream — The Lovin’ Spoonful
Boa Constrictor — Peter, Paul and Mary
When I’m Sixty-Four — The Beatles
Don’t Worry Be Happy — Bobby McFerrin
Little Help from My Friends — The Beatles
Here Comes the Sun — The Beatles
I know it’s a little heavy on The Beatles, but they wrote the soundtrack to my life! By the way, I forgot to make a new sign.
This year more people showed up. That was nice to see. I encouraged people to sing along as if we were all sitting around a campfire. Friends and relatives stopped by even though I didn’t ask them … more than four or five times! My son, Eric, who is a real musician, came by despite having heard me play those old songs for many years. The best part was when passing strangers would stop for a song or two before continuing on their way.
2015
I was starting to hit my stride in 2015. Not only did I create a set list (20 songs) but I also remembered to take a new photo. In addition to the music, I paused four times during my set to ask musical trivia questions. Winners received $5 gift certificates to my friend’s coffee shop. I’m not a big coffee drinker but the pastries there are terrific! Quite a few friends and family showed up, including both of my sons, Eric and Matthew, so that really made it special.
Make Music Madison handed out “busker buckets” to performers so they could set them out for tips. I didn’t need tips so I put the bucket on top of my amp and told people that if they put in any money, I would match it and give it all to the American Cancer Society. Some people contributed and I ended up donating $60.
2016
This time I really got serious about creating a couple of guitar-related photos that I used to create a fancy sign. I posted it on Facebook for the world, or an extremely tiny fraction of the world, to see. I described my act as “playing my guitar and singing songs that get older every year!” That’s been true for quite a few years, actually.
I extended the set to 90 minutes and expanded my music repertoire by adding an extra instrument to my performance, a kazoo. The audience was quite impressed with my virtuoso kazoo solo in the middle of “What a Day for a Daydream” (do you remember John Sebastian and the Lovin’ Spoonful?) My trivia questions and fabulous prizes continued. Another addition to the 2016 show was that several of my neighbors were kind enough and brave enough to join me for a few of the songs.
There was one very important lesson that I learned that year. If a bus stopped in the street in front of where I was performing, it was best for me to continue strumming, but stop singing. When the noisy, smelly vehicle would leave and the strumming came back around to where it was when I stopped singing, I would resume my song. It seemed like the city had scheduled extra buses that day. But, it also seemed like quite a few people stopped by that day. They didn’t, however, arrive by bus. And, my donation to the American Cancer Society increased to $85.60.
2017
Where the heck was I on June 21, 2017? I was on a train with Kathy and Eric rolling into the Berlin Hauptbahnhof. We were visiting some friends in Germany. There was no convenient way for me to phone in my act, so I had to sit around and drink beer. Life can be tough some times.
(For 2018 – 2022, please see Make Music – Part 2)