Montclair To Host Free ‘Make Music Winter’ Events Dec. 21 for Solstice Celebration

Montclair will host Make Music Winter on Saturday, Dec. 21. Free performances will happen at three spots around town. The event marks the winter solstice with live music and gatherings organized by Indie Arts Montclair.

Make Music Winter started in New York back in 2011. It turns audiences into music makers. Outdoor musical parades happen every Dec. 21. Montclair joined in 2017 and has grown this tradition since then.

The Make Music Alliance coordinates things across the country and welcomes all genres. Indie Arts Montclair organizes the local celebration. This nonprofit was formed by artists, musicians, and activists who support DIY, emerging, and outsider creatives.

The Space at 356 Bloomfield Ave., Loft 2, will present The World Turned Upside Down from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Indie Arts Montclair, Outpost in the Burbs, and The Space will host. Guests can sing along with traditional zydeco, Appalachian, and folk protest songs.

House Freya at 205 Glenridge Ave. will open from 12:30 to 5 p.m. Live music will fill the venue. Attendees can set intentions for the coming year.

Phil Kline's Unsilent Night will start at 7 p.m. at the Wellmont Plaza. Artist Charlie Spademan will lead this year. The nationwide program turns public streets into a roaming sound sculpture as participants play one of four musical tracks on Bluetooth speakers or boomboxes.

Phil Kline created Unsilent Night. He wrote it specifically to be performed outdoors in December. Each participant plays a different part. The overlapping tracks create the piece's signature shimmering sound.

The group will walk a planned route through town after gathering. The walk will fill the night with layered music.

Attendees should bring a charged Bluetooth speaker or any device that can amplify sound. Tracks can be streamed, downloaded, or accessed through the mobile app. The app is available on Apple iOS and Android.