Auburn is set to take part in one of the largest international music festivals this month.
The free concert is planned for the Gay Street Municipal Parking Lot and more than 200 musicians are signed up to participate thus far.
The celebration, called Make Music Day, will happen for the first time in Alabama and is open to professional musicians, local artists and amateur musicians alike.
"June 21 is the perfect day to stop in to a local music store for some gear or to go out and play — whether it’s for the first time or the thousandth," said an OA Tourism press release. "Music has been shown to strengthen social connectivity, reduce stress, lower blood pressure, stimulate memory, and is integral to a well-rounded, enjoyable life."
Auburn's Make Music Day concert is the brainchild of Spicer Music Store, according to John Wild, president of Auburn-Opelika Tourism Bureau, but the event is planned in conjunction between Spicer's and OA Tourism.
The festival began in 1982 and is celebrated on the same day every year, June 21, a date usually near the summer solstice — the longest day of the year.
Make Music Day is a part of a worldwide music festival called the Fête de la Musique, which takes place in more than 720 cities in 120 countries across the globe.
Auburn is one of 35 cities hosting a festival and will host one of the thousands of free concerts in the United States on that day.
Organizers say anyone can perform and everyone is welcomed to this free event. There is no certain genre of music excluded from the event, as even rappers, instrumentalists and other types of bands are welcomed.
Spicer’s Music teamed up with OA Tourism to plan the event. They have also set a goal to break the Guinness Book of World Records record for the world's largest band.
“We are working in collaboration with Make Music Day to set a new world record for the largest rock band in history,” said Tim Spicer, owner and manager of Spicer’s Music. “Hundreds of musicians of all ages, skill levels, and instruments will get together ... to rock Lynyrd Skynyrd's Sweet Home Alabama."
To break the record, Spicer said they will need more than 520 people playing together at once. So far, approximately 200 people have signed up to play.
So far there is a great response of participants in the music festival. “We hope to make more of a visitor event out of it,” Wild said.
To be a participant in Make Music Day, go to spicermusic.com and sign up.
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