Queens Tribune

Add Make Music New York to your Queens summer to-do list. Alongside trips to the Lemon Ice King, Rockaway Beach and Citi Field, the largest music and arts festival in the City is bound to become a favorite summer tradition. And, if you’re a musician, artist or business owner, consider the festival a golden opportunity to showcase your venue, gain exposure and, well, make great music.

Now in its third year, the festival of free concerts will take place Sunday, June 21 at public spaces – sidewalks, parks and community gardens – throughout the five boroughs. Venues in Jackson Heights, Flushing, Astoria, Long Island City and Woodside have already signed up to become part of the one-day extravaganza and – if last year is any indication – music lovers can expect to be entertained by everything from African percussion in Jamaica, a Tamil Church choir in Middle Village and local rocks bands in Astoria. Last year’s turnout included 875 free performances by 3,200 musicians, ranging from high school bands to seasoned professionals.

“It’s a ‘self-generated’ festival,” said Chris Henderson, city-wide field director for MMNY. “Anyone and everyone can sign up to host a location for the festival. There are no judges – anyone can play.”

The last day to sign up for the festival – either as a vendor, performer or sponsor – is Tuesday, April 21. Thanks to the cooperation and support of community leaders, arts and cultural organizations and elected officials, the festival continues to gain a strong following in Queens. For the first time this year, several Irish bars in Woodside have signed up to host acts and MMNY is even hoping to put a Queens spin on the event by creating an Irish festival.

“We encourage all the talented New Yorkers out there to register by April 21 and participate in Make Music New York,” said Councilman John Liu (D-Flushing). “This year’s festival will be bigger and better and we look forward to joining other Queens neighborhoods in this joyous celebration of everything that makes New York unique: our talented artists and rich culture.”

Performers and venues use MMNY’s “matchmaking” Web site, developed and hosted by Time Out New York. After creating an artist account, performers can contact places of interest and request a slot in their schedule. MMNY organizers then secure all the necessary permits, coordinate performances with others in each neighborhood and promote each concert through full-page ads in Time Out New York and Metro New York, the Time Out New York Web site, customized posters and postcards.

“There wasn’t much of a presence in Queens last year, but there’s such a push this year because Queens is so diverse,” said Victoria Lebron, a volunteer Queens director for MMNY. “This is a real celebration of the different types of people, ethnicities and music in the borough.”

To participate in the festival, register online at timeoutnewyork.com/makemusic by the April 21 deadline. For more information about Make Music New York, visit makemusicny.org.