Frequently Asked Questions

Where did the idea come from?

Make Music Los Angeles is based on France’s Fête de la Musique, a national musical holiday inaugurated in 1982.  The festival has become an international phenomenon celebrated on the same day in more than 460 cities in 110 countries, including Germany, Italy, Egypt, Syria, Morocco, Australia, Vietnam, Congo, Cameroon, Fiji, Colombia, Chile, Nepal, and Japan.

Who can participate?

Anyone and everyone can participate.  All musicians whether they are amateurs, professionals, students, or established artists are welcome.  Make Music Los Angeles is open to artists of all ages, genres, and levels of ability. Not interested in performing?  Volunteer as a Neighborhood Organizer and help make your neighborhood part of the celebration!  Neighborhood Organizers are the backbone of MMLA and we would love to have your help in organizing events near your own home.  See below for more details.

How do I sign up to perform / host a concert?

Follow our instructions here.  For musicians without a venue (and venues without musicians), we maintain a matchmaking tool, Matchlist, to help you find and make concert arrangements with each other.

Where do the musicians play?

Many of us are used to hearing music played indoors, but one of the unique aspects of Make Music Los Angeles is that all of the concerts are played outside!  Possible locations for musicians include sidewalks, parks, plazas, schools, courtyards, or community gardens. Get creative!  If you want to use some other kind of outdoor location — such as a cemetery, bridge, subway platform, pier, or bus or train — send an email to d.dujon@makemusicla.org with a detailed proposal of what you want to do and who you have already spoken to at the location.  We make no promises but we’ll see what we can do.

Who will provide a stage / backline / tuned grand piano / for my concert?

Make Music Los Angeles is about people getting together in their neighborhoods to put together their own musical events in a do-it-yourself fashion.  Our organizers set up the framework for concerts — the rest is up to you!  Musicians and venues collaborate to produce the events, find electricity, and provide whatever equipment is needed. Unlike most music festivals:

• Los Angeles is your stage.  We’re not constructing stages (though some local promoters are doing so and securing additional permits as needed).  Performances generally take place at the same level as the audience.
• You have complete artistic control.  It’s your concert.  If you want to perform with a different guitarist than previously announced or take an extended 20 minute bass solo, you don’t have to ask our permission!  (Do let us know if we need to update your concert description.)
• Everyone can take part.  From professionals to amateurs, from the mainstream to the unfashionably bizarre — if you can find a workable spot for your performance, you can be part of Make Music Los Angeles!

How do I sign up to perform with my friends? How do I curate a show with multiple artists?

Great idea!  Each artist should sign up separately — we need to have a unique musical description and web address for everyone.  Then have each one match themselves to the same location, at different time slots.  If the entire program has a particular theme or title, put that in the venue’s description box.

How do I register more than one location on the website?

If you manage more than one location that you want to offer to musicians, you can simply sign up twice, once for each venue.

What if my band signs up now, and has to back out later?

We are counting on you to perform!  If you do need to cancel, it is your responsibility to find another performer to take your spot.  Please let the venue – and us – know about all program changes ASAP.

What if I play an instrument, but don’t have my own band?

Join one of our Mass Appeal events!  We are organizing events where hundreds of musicians band together to perform pieces written for a single type of instrument.  Each performance works differently, depending on the genre, instrument, and location.  More information will be available on our Mass Appeal page once registration is open.

Will musicians be paid to perform?

Our organization does not pay musicians — nor do musicians pay us.  We are simply setting up the framework by coordinating the concerts and publicizing the event citywide with tens of thousands of posters, earned media stories, concert listings with our media partners, an interactive website, and a volunteer street-team. Most musicians perform for free.  But, artists and venues are welcome to make any financial arrangements they wish as long as the concerts are outdoors, free, and open to the public.

How late in the evening can my performance go?

If your music is unamplified (meaning you don’t use any electricity), musicians can perform outside until 10pm.  If it’s amplified, it depends on where you are.

How can I close my street for a block party concert?

If you want to close off a street for a block party you must apply for a Special Event Permit.  Apply online at http://bsspermits.lacity.org/spevents/.  The applications must be submitted 45 days before the event.  Event permits are issued by Street Services Investigation & Enforcement Division.   Fees/Cost associated with the permitting of the event will be provided once the application has been reviewed by all affected City Department. Call 213-847-6000 for more details.

Can MMLA performers sell CDs, or ask for donations?

Musicians are not allowed to solicit donations nor can we provide the permits to allow vending at your event.  On the other hand, musicians are encouraged to pass out fliers to promote their upcoming shows and recordings, ask listeners to sign their mailing list, and generally promote themselves.

What will MMLA do to help promote my concert?

We list all concerts on the MMLA website (with descriptions and artist websites).  Our MMLA program will be distributed citywide, publicized in LA Weekly and the METRO, and promoted over various forms of social media.  We will pitch stories about noteworthy concerts to the press and MMLA Neighborhood Organizers also promote the performances in their area with fliers, posters, postcards, etc. We are counting on musicians and venues to promote their own shows in all the ways they normally would — sending out email blasts, putting up notices on websites, calling up their friends, etc.  Everyone who signs up on Matchlist is asked to describe what they will do for promotion.

Can I charge admission for a Los Angeles concert?

No.  All Make Music Los Angeles concerts are free, outdoors, and open to the public.

Can my concert be “invitation only”?

No.

Can I create a MMLA event that does not include any live music?

No.

Can I have my event indoors?

Only if it rains.

Is this an annual event?

Yes, this year is the inauguration of an annual festival which will take place every June 21st.  It is our hope that Make Music Los Angeles will eventually expand to the point where, like Halloween, Los Angeles residents will organize themselves largely without prompting.

Who puts this all together?

Make Music Los Angeles is a non-profit, volunteer-run organization.  Click here to see a list of the Board of Directors.  Over 100 volunteer organizers will work throughout the city to help recruit musicians and venues, handle permits, and promote the concerts.  If you’re interested in joining us, see below!

How can I get involved as a volunteer?

Hundreds of volunteers will come together to put on Make Music Los Angeles — what will be the largest musical event in Los Angeles history.  MMLA Neighborhood Organizers are needed to inspire and coordinate dozens of MMLA concerts.  Working about six hours a week, organizers meet musicians, develop relationships with local venues, decide on a promotional plan, collaborate with other organizers throughout LA, and (some) create a mini-MMLA festival of their own design.  No prior organizing experience is required — if you commit the time, we will guide you through it. To learn more, please download the MMLA Neighborhood Organizer Handbook (PDF). Then email d.dujon@makemusicla.org to get started!

Where can I donate to Make Music Los Angeles?

We’re glad you asked!  We need your support to grow and expand as we transform into an annual cultural landmark.  Make Music Los Angeles is soon becoming a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.  Once our 501(c)(3) status is established, we will list our tax ID number on this site and all contributions will be 100% tax-deductible.  Thank you for your interest in Make Music Los Angeles!