Hohner Celebrates Make Music Day

Elizabeth Dale

For the eighth straight year, Hohner donated thousands of free harmonicas across more than three dozen cities, allowing first-time music makers an opportunity to develop their skills and inspire them to make music year-round.

Hohner, the German musical instrument manufacturer, has been producing harmonicas, melodicas, accordions, recorder flutes, among a wide variety of instruments during its over 160-year tenure. Founded in 1857 by Matthias Hohner, Hohner states that “Our instruments have strongly influenced the development of the Blues, become a vital part of Folk music traditions around the world, played a significant role in the ongoing evolution of Jazz and found their place on the Classical concert stage.” The team at Hohner combines modern production technology with traditional handiwork to produce instruments of the highest quality. This passion combined with a commitment “to offer you more than just an instrument: We want to welcome you into the world of music and invite you to join the ever-growing circle of musicians everywhere who are playing together, learning from one another and just having a great time,” makes Hohner an ideal participant in Make Music Day.

Hohner - Share Our Passion

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Make Music Day is the global celebration of making music held each year on June 21. Inviting participants worldwide to enjoy the benefits of music regardless of age, ability, and musical persuasion, Make Music Day went online for the first time in 2020 with a commitment to celebrating music safely in the time of COVID-19.

One new initiative for this years Make Music Day was the launch of “25x12: Live Online Lessons” which allowed musicians an opportunity to sharpen their skills or pick up an entirely new instrument. Receiving lessons from the comfort of their own home over the course of twelve hours and on 25 different instruments, Hohner endorsed artists including Ronnie Shellist, Tim Gonzalez, Adam Gussow, Gary Allegretto, Nic Clark, Dennis Gruenling, and Rob Paparozzi participated.

We spoke with Drew Lewis, brand manager for Hohner Harmonicas and Melodicas about their Make Music Day experience and the importance of encouraging new music makers not only on June 21 but year-round.

How long has Hohner been involved in Make Music Day?

Hohner has been involved with Make Music Day for at least eight years now and has participated in a variety of settings. Most of our involvement stems from their Mass Appeal initiative, which harmonicas are uniquely suited for due to their easy access and portability. Each year we donate thousands of harmonicas to create the next generation of music makers. We have also participated in various Melodica events, such as the Melodica parade in NYC with Jon Batiste (2012-2013). In 2018 and 2019 we put on performances around Nashville, Tennessee, showcasing the accordion in a Norteño setting with legendary Bajo Sexto Player Max Baca.

What was the company’s perspective on Make Music Day 2020 compared to previous versions of the celebration?

We applauded the efforts to continue this event through the pandemic. The ability to pivot and host inclusive digital events on such short notice was amazing. Putting together an event like this was, no doubt, labor-intensive. The participation in the mass appeal this year on the digital platform didn’t have the same participation as previous years in the physical events, which was disappointing. However, this came as no surprise as the harmonica events tend to be more spontaneous and placed in locations where people naturally gather. We are hopeful that next year’s event, we will be able to see the same excitement as previous years in this great celebration.

Hohner 25x12 NYC

Why is involvement in Make Music Day important to Hohner?

The harmonica is an instrument with a low barrier to entry. We find that most of our customers are first-time music makers. The ability to play music in a communal environment is a unique experience that can be transformative and has the potential to create a life-long passion for creating music. With that in mind, MMD provides us a unique opportunity to introduce the harmonica to thousands of non-musicians and give them a quick introductory class, so they are playing music together in a matter of minutes.

Utilizing Make Music Day as a vehicle to create awareness for the brand, and the instrument is also paramount to our strategy. The amount of regional and national press that we tend to garner cannot be bought for 100 times the cost we spend each year. Make Music Day is an irreplaceable experience, both for the ability to introduce music to the world and for the brand equity we earn in the process.

Hohner - Enjoy Music

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Do you have any advice for NAMM Members looking to get involved with Make Music Day?

There is a place for you and your brand or category in Make Music Day. Try and define what you would like to get out of the event; is it exposure? awareness? new content? Reach out to the coordinators and brainstorm different ideas. Make Music Day has a very creative team that will work with you to create something that will achieve your goals and be fun for participants.

One of the most refreshing things about Make Music Day from a brand perspective is that there is no-pressure. No one is trying to sell you something. Your level of involvement is determined by you and your brand. Make Music Day has a national ground team of volunteers that can, and will, help where you need it. Depending on what you are trying to accomplish and the event that you are working to create with them, your hands-on involvement may be negligible, but you will still see the rewards at the end.

For more information about Hohner please visit them at https://www.hohner.de/ and to get involved in future Make Music Day celebrations visit http://www.makemusicday.org/.