Music is a powerful tool that has the ability to appease, motivate and unite us. No wonder we have World Music Day to highlight the power it holds.
“Music is a world within itself. It’s a language we all understand.”
– Stevie Wonder
What is World Music Day?
World Music Day is an annual event dedicated to sharing and celebrating music! This day is meant to honour musicians and their way of making life a little more harmonious.
Where does World Music Day come from?
World Music Day was first celebrated in 1982 thanks to Jack Lang, the former French minister of art and culture. He requested that Maurice Fleuret, a composer and radio producer at the time, become the Director of Music and Dance at the Ministry of Culture.
Maurice accepted and began his studies on cultural habits around music during which he discovered that 1 in 2 French men played an instrument. This led to the idea of creating an event in order to honour music: World Music Day. It’s celebrated on June 21st because it most often coincides with the summer solstice, making it one of the longest days of the year.
Who celebrates World Music Day?
Although the celebration was born in France, it quickly spread to other parts of the globe. Over 120 nations now recognize and celebrate World Music Day!
The festivities aim to promote music and make it accessible to all by inviting amateur and professional musicians to share their talent and perform on the streets. Therefore, all concerts are free on June 21st and artists perform free of charge. The French term for this day “Fête de la Musique” has also been turned into “Faites de la musique” which translates to “Make music”.
The benefits of music
We celebrate this day to emphasise the value of music, as well as its benefits. Not only is it a fantastic outlet for many people worldwide, it has also proven to provide many health benefits.
Certain songs have the power to put you in a good mood, to motivate you or bring back a happy memory. It has been known to enhance exercice performance and help reduce stress levels. Music is also a great way to help people connect with one another through a shared love and appreciation.
How to celebrate world music day on your radio?
Dedicate your day to music
If you’re not already a full-music radio station, now’s your chance! Take advantage of this celebration to honour music on your radio. There are so many different ways you could organize your playlists and schedule, for example:
- By year, BPM or genre
- Top hits from different generations
- Music from around the world
- Listener suggestions
However you choose to organize your broadcast is up to you, the important thing is to share music and make it accessible to all.
Educate your audience
Sharing music is great, but if you can teach people something new along the way it’s even better! You could dive into the history and evolution of a particular musical genre, talk about the musical influences of a particular country, artist or album or even share fun facts about musical instruments for example.
If you’re a rap radio station, why not shake things up by broadcasting other genres that you think your listeners could enjoy! It’s an opportunity for people to discover something new.
Share your love for music
Use this celebration as an opportunity to get closer to your listeners by sharing your own stories. If you have your own radio station, we imagine that you have a love of music that was born at some point in your life. So tell your listeners about it! Tell them about where your love for music comes from, and even broadcast those early tracks that marked your life. We’re sure it will resonate with a lot of your listeners, or inspire them to go back and listen to music that they maybe haven’t heard in a while.
Offer games around the theme of music
No celebration is complete without a game or two! Use your radio station to offer games around the theme of music to your listeners, for example:
- Blind test: play the first few seconds of a song and allow your listeners to call in and guess the song title and artist
- Finish the lyrics: play a few lines of a verse or chorus and get your listeners to finish the next line
- Backwards play: play a song backwards on your radio station and see if your listeners can guess the title
There are so many different ways to celebrate and honour music on this special day. Be a part of the festivities, whether you’re a listener, a musician or a radio host, this day is for everyone.
Don’t have a radio station yet? Now is your chance! Launch your free 14-day demo today.
