Annual Make Music Detroit Event Returns On Wednesday

DETROIT (WWJ) - On Wednesday, Detroit will join 749 other cities around the world in hosting an all-day festival that aims to raise awareness about music education.

The event, titled Make Music Detroit, will feature 30 different stages and 150 different performances across Detroit. The venues range from restaurants, bars and coffee houses to concert halls. Make Music Detroit is free and open to the public. The event will also feature workshops.

"We are open to anyone who wants to play," fonder Larry King told WWJ. "We'll find them a place to play. Young people are playing with some of the great music masters in the city ... sort of side by side with legacy heritage artists that have made Detroit music so great. "

King added that anyone -- of any age -- who wants to play in the festival is invited to do so.

According to the Make Music Detroit website, the event is geared toward not only making great music but also raising awareness of the importance of early music exposure for kids and the benefits of music in people's daily lives.

"What we really want to do is promote the idea that every child deserves music education and that's why Detroit became such a great musical city," King said. "That support for music education has declined over the decades so we are trying to do our part to promote it's resurgence and commitment to giving every child a chance to learn."

The event will include artists from a wide variety of musical genres. A full list of the participating artists and schedule can be found here.