Fête de la Musique

by Ellie Markovitch
Hundreds of musicians and music lovers flooded the streets of Paris June 21 for the annual Fête de la Musique. Since the much-anticipated event began a quarter century ago, more than 300 cities have followed the Paris beat. This year, New York and Amsterdam were the latest to embrace the music.

The festival traces its roots to 1982 when honchos at the Ministry of Culture realized there were millions of musical instruments collecting dust across France. They envisioned a day when free music, by professionals and amateurs alike, filled the squares and arcades of Paris. (For more history: www.makemusicny.org/history.php)