let's make music

Worldwide DIY music festival brings Central Texas into harmony in June

There are more than 25 musical events happening around Central Texas on June 21.

makemusicday.org/sanantonio

There's plenty of places to experience music in Austin. That either makes it very odd or totally normal that the capital city does not have a chapter for Make Music Day, a worldwide music festival organized in tiny pieces by regular people on June 21.

On one hand, it is a little strange that a city known for its scrappy music scene and festival greatness hasn't hosted the event since 2021. On the other, we can't blame Austinites for being festivaled out. This is a good opportunity, then, to get to know the smaller towns around Austin a little better through their many musicians. There are active chapters in College Station, Salado, San Marcos, and San Antonio, plus 10 other cities farther away. (A chapter in Hutto appears on the site but does not appear to have any events lined up.)

On the longest day of the year, Make Music Day emerges in cities around the world, from Ghana, to Italy, to small American towns you've likely never heard of. This DIY festival transforms all kinds of spaces into performance venues, be it parks, libraries, record stores, or others.

The purpose, as it was 41 years ago in its first iteration in France, is to make a truly egalitarian music festival, where performers don't need clout or experience to get out there and enjoy their craft. In 2023, 117 cities across the United States played 4,791 concerts on Make Music Day.

Some places take "everyone" more literally than others, offering audiences a chance to play music in addition to enjoying more standard concerts. (The festival is organized by the National Association of Music Merchants, so it follows that some cities offer a strong emphasis on getting to try new instruments.)

As of June 3, there are more than 25 Make Music Day events in Central Texas. More may be added as folks sign up:

College Station: There will be three free concerts in College Station, including a jazz quartet at Century Square
Salado: About a dozen events are dotted around Salado, with every one of the town's music venues participating. The main event is a drum circle using buckets or any other resonant household item
San Marcos: Four venues in San Marcos are hosting concerts, including a Latin jam led by Kirsten Boynt of the local group Los Gatos 512
San Antonio: The largest nearby event, and the one with the largest number of community music making opportunities, is of course in San Antonio. Among its seven events are a day of musical experimenting at the park and 10 hours of programming at at Texas Public Radio Headquarters, including a drum circle and karaoke

Musicians (professional or otherwise) who would like to see their name on the schedule can enter their information via each city's official page. They will get a music profile, which will make them available to match with venues to make independent arrangements. It's not necessary to find a willing venue. Creatives can list their own spaces — the website suggests a front stoop — and get right to playing.

Doers who would like to get involved, but would prefer to build on someone else's idea can check a list of national projects on the project's broader schedule. Examples include downloading sheet music for a school band performance, a song swap for artists to make covers of each others' music, and a group project setting up flower pots to be played on. The deadline has passed on some of these projects, but now you know for next year!

There are 15 Make Music Day celebrations in Texas, including Dallas, Houston, and Laredo. Remember, though, that they all take place on the same day — so you'll probably have to choose just one. If you're outside a city core (or want to get Austin involved again), you can even sign up to create a new local chapter.

More information about Make Music Day is available at makemusicday.org.

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New

Historic Austin museum will close for more than a year for restoration

Photo courtesy of the City of Austin

The Elisabet Ney Museum will close at the end of 2024 and reopen in mid-2026.

Every building needs some maintenance here or there, and the historic Elisabet Ney Museum needs some extra-special care. Formerly the art studio and residence of its namesake, it's been standing since 1892. It'll spend 2025 in relative solitude, as it undergoes renovation for a year and a half with no visitors allowed.

The museum will close to the public December 30, 2024, and open again in the summer of 2026 if all goes according to plan, a news release from the City of Austin shares. It'll be a quiet period compared to the 21,000 people visiting from around the world each year.

According to a museum overview on the city's website, Elisabet Ney, a European portrait sculptor, bought the property and called her new studio Formosa. She worked on sculptures depicting important Texans like Stephen F. Austin and Sam Houston, and collected works of European contemporaries.

The building at 304 East 44th St. includes 3,700 square feet of museum space, which was converted by Ney's friends after her death in 1907. It retains its unique look that juxtaposes a Neo-Classical main studio from 1892 with a later addition from 1902 including a tower for her husband, Edmund, to write in. It is also on 2.5 acres of land, which has largely been restored to its natural state with native species.

A press release lists these tasks (verbatim) within the scope of the new work, referred to as the Capital Improvement Project (CIP):

Restoration of original exterior wood doors and windows
Upgrades and replacement of the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system
Replacement of the exhibit and general lighting systems
Repairs to the roof, masonry, plumbing, and interior finishes.

There will also be work to do outside of the building. Workers will replace the pedestrian bridge across Waller Creek, stabilize a 20,000-square-foot portion of the bank, and make the grounds more accessible by adding new pathways.

Funding comes from several sources, according to a release: "the 2012 Bond, Proposition 14, the Parkland Dedication Fund, the Historic Preservation Fund, Partners in Preservation through the National Trust, and contributions from the Friends of the Elisabet Ney Museum."

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