Photo Credit: Meaghan Hardy-Lavoie
Suzanne Karioki

School’s out, the weather’s heating up and you’re looking at months of sunshine and adventure. But after a few days of soaking up the sun, what can you do to make the most of summer before the sky shutters again and the cold rushes back in?

Worcester’s musicians have got you covered with two big events right at the heart of the season. On June 21st and 22nd, Make Music Worcester and Central Mass Jazz Fest aim to welcome people from inside and outside the city for two days of live music.

Love to play music? You don’t have to be a pro to participate in Make Music Worcester, an all-day festival that allows musicians of all skill levels to perform at venues all over the city. From the first Make Music Day in Paris in 1982 – then known as Fête de la Musique — the event has grown into an international phenomenon, celebrated in over 700 cities worldwide.

Make Music Worcester, organized by the Worcester Arts Council, provides the space for venues and musicians to match up and schedule free performances for the general public. Although organizing performance times and equipment is up to the performers and venues, Make Music Worcester still deals with a lot of moving pieces to make sure the matches actually happen. Meaghan Hardy-Lavoie, Chair of the Worcester Arts Council, explained some of what happens behind the scenes. “Finding musicians and securing places for them to perform is just one portion,” she said. “We have to take in a lot of considerations regarding electricity, noise pollution from passing vehicles that might interfere with a performance, timing, etc.” Plenty of pros and long-time performers attend, but for Make Music Worcester and the Arts Council, the most important thing is making sure that everyone who wants to be heard, actually is. “For us, the organizers, it isn’t about vetting out the “best” bands or the “coolest” music – it is a chance to create an opportunity for everyone to see what their friends, neighbors, and fellow citizens can offer our wider, cultural community.”

The event is “a labor of love” for the team, she added, which aside from a paid intern consists of a team of dedicated and passionate volunteers.

Make Music Worcester is now in its third year and is only gaining momentum. “People remember us now from years past,” said Hardy-Lavoie. The event has helped forge relationships with musicians and other organizations in the city, which has been a huge help in growing the festival. This year will see Queen Mother Francesca Abby, an artist who specializes in African, Caribbean and World Beat music, as well as four a cappella groups ready to perform both classical and contemporary work. “We are really proud that we get to provide an outlet for the community to experience it,” said Hardy-Lavoie.

With an average of 60 performers in past years, this summer looks to be the festival’s best yet — and not even rain will stop them.

If a city-wide festival doesn’t sate your musical appetite, Worcester Community Cable Access (WCCA) is holding the Central Mass Jazz Fest the very next day on June 22 at Cristoforo Colombo Park. Sponsored by Pulse Magazine and FMG Financial Services.

Mauro DePasquale — committee member and Executive Director of WCCA — was first inspired to hold the festival last year. A jazz musician himself, and member of the group Jazzed Up Trio (which took home the prize for Best Jazz Act at the Worcester Music Awards in April), DePasquale wanted to create an event that would make jazz accessible. “It’s always been a dream of mine to have a world class jazz concert,” he explained, especially for people for whom attending a jazz concert is physically and financially out of reach. Originally planned for October 2018, the committee realized that they needed more time to create the event they imagined.

“[There are] so many moving parts,” said DePasquale, especially for an event of this scale. “I have more acts than I have time on stage,” he laughed.

The festival has caused him a lot of sleepless nights, but DePasquale and the committee are determined to see it through. WCCA TV was established with the intention of providing ordinary people with the space to be heard, and they want to bring the same opportunity out of the studio and into the festival, to support local musicians and aspiring youth. After all, an outdoor public event like this “gets [the kids] out of the house,” explained DePasquale. Even better, the event is completely free, with an encouraged donation of a non-perishable food item for the benefit of Worcester County Food Bank. Profits from WCCA’s sponsors will go towards supporting WCCA TV, which will allow them to continue to provide free, diverse programming.

The festival performers themselves are a fascinating collection of new and old pros, including Dave Frank, founder of the New York School of Jazz, and youth group Isosceles Groove. It promises to be a remarkable event, with both local and international, world-renowned talent, made free and accessible to the people of Central Massachusetts.

They’ve already got big plans for next year.

Make Music Worcester goes live on June 21st. Check out makemusicday.org/worcester for more info.

Central Mass Jazz Fest kicks off at Cristoforo Colombo Park on June 22. For more info about performers, sponsors and more, visit centralmassjazzfest.com.