在每年的6月21號(剛好與北半球夏至時間點相同)，世界各地都舉辦一場特別的音樂饗宴，英文上稱作“Make Music Day”，中文稱作「夏至音樂節」。
概念是源自於美國的音樂家喬爾˙柯恩，當時他在法國公共廣播電台(France Musique)工作，也因此提出了音樂團體能夠在夏至時令的第一個晚上表演的節目，當然這個節目成功的使前任隸屬法國文化部一員的莫里斯˙傅樂雷(Maurice Fleuret)印象深刻，加上捷克˙朗(Jack Lang)的幫助，成功的這個想法實現，因此首屆的夏至音樂節在1983年的6月21號登場，再過來的幾十年樂節讓音樂以兩種不同的形式展現，一方面是能鼓勵與業餘的音樂家能夠中，音樂節帶來的歡樂成功地受到公眾的迴響，也迅速的影響其他國家。直到現今，今已超過700個城市、120個國家舉辦(當然包括新加入的台北)。
音樂節讓音樂以兩種不同的形式展現，一方面是鼓勵職業或業餘的音樂家都能在街頭上展現音樂才藝，使音樂大眾化；另一方面是讓民眾受益，免費地欣賞不同音樂風格的美(從古典樂、爵士樂、饒舌樂或是流行音樂)。
當然，在音樂節的旅程中，你可能會在街頭上發現寶藏，因為一些業餘音樂家以及隨機地在音樂節中表演，當然不管是否遇到很合你胃口的音樂或是對你來說其實很吵雜，夏天的來臨永遠是個好消息。
The “Fête de la musique” or “Make Music Day” is a music celebration taking place throughout the world on 21 June(coinciding with the summer solstice in the Northern hemisphere).
The concept was originally imagined by american musician Joel Cohen who was then working for french radio station “France Musique” and created a program where music groups would play on the first evening of Boreal summer. The show made good impression to former member of French Ministry of Culture Maurice Fleuret which, with the help of minister Jack Lang, set up the idea to a national scale in 1983’s first official edition. It has enjoyed ever increasing success among the general public during the following decades, quickly becoming famous abroad.
At the present time, the festival is held in more than 700 cities(including newly integrated Taipei) through 120 different countries.
Make Music Day purpose is to promote music in two different ways. On the one hand, amateur and professional artists are encouraged to perform in the streets for free and, on the other, the audience can attend gratuitous concerts of all kinds and origins(from classic and jazz to rap and pop)and in all languages.
Of course, considering the amateurism and the randomness inherent in the festivity, your journey on the streets of your beloved city might resemble a gold rush in some respects.
But it doesn’t matter that you find the new jewel of your favorite musical genre or just another loud and lousy band, because Summer has arrived, and this is always good news.
