MAKE MUSIC DAY
KNOXVILLE
SUNDAY, JUNE 21 · FREE & OPEN TO THE PUBLIC!
8-HOUR DRONE · YOGA SOUND BATH
ELLIOT COLE’S FLOWERPOT MUSIC · FISHER/LAU PROJECT SHOWCASE
SONIC SCRIBBLES YOUTH WORKSHOP · HIGH SCHOOL OPEN SCORE WORKSHOP · NIEF-NORF FINALE CONCERT
8-HOUR MEDITATIVE DRONE
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM · GALLERY 1010, EMPORIUM ARTS CENTER
Experience sound at a different pace with our eight-hour drone. Come and go as you please, settle in for a moment or an afternoon, and let the slowly shifting textures create a unique backdrop for listening, conversation, reading, meditation, or simply being.
Hour-by-hour performance schedule & featured artists coming soon!
YOGA SOUND BATH
9:00 AM · CHARLES KRUTCH PARK
Begin your Make Music Day experience with a meditative yoga sound bath — combining gentle movement, meditation, and immersive live sound, this early-morning session invites you to stretch, breathe, and ease into the day through deep listening and calming resonance.
Led by Matthew Lau!
ELLIOT COLE’S FLOWERPOT MUSIC
10:00 AM · CHARLES KRUTCH PARK
A beloved Make Music Day staple, Elliot Cole’s "Flowerpot Music" invites participants of all ages and experience levels to make music together using simple clay flowerpots. No musical background is required — just show up with a flowerpot and join in for a fun, energetic, and community-centered contemporary music experience!
FISHER/LAU PROJECT SHOWCASE
1:00 PM · MAKER EXCHANGE
One of Nief-Norf’s Summer Festival guest ensembles, Fisher/Lau Project advances contemporary percussion music through the originality and flair that they bring to their performances — join us for a showcase of adventurous and avant garde percussion duets!
“SONIC SCRIBBLES” ELEMENTARY WORKSHOP
2:30 - 3:30 PM · LOCATION TBD!
Sonic Scribbles is a playful and inspiring workshop designed to introduce musicians age 4-12 to the adventurous world of new music through graphic scores and improvisation.
Participants will learn about the history and purpose of graphic scores in contemporary music, and how composers and performers use them as tools for expression, communication, and collaboration. Participants will explore graphic scores, create and perform their own alongside Nief-Norf musicians, and take part in a guided improvisation that celebrates imagination, creativity, and the many ways sound can tell a story.
RSVP REQUIRED!
HIGH SCHOOL OPEN SCORE WORKSHOP
4:00 - 5:00 PM · MAKER EXCHANGE
Join faculty from the Nief-Norf Summer Festival for a hands-on workshop exploring Julius Eastman's Joy Boy. High school students will learn and perform the piece side-by-side with NNSF Fellows, gaining firsthand experience with collaboration, creativity, and contemporary music-making. No previous contemporary music experience is required, and participants will share their performance as part of the day's closing showcase.
RSVP REQUIRED!
NIEF-NORF’S MAKE MUSIC DAY FINALE CONCERT
7:00 PM · MAKER EXCHANGE
To conclude Nief-Norf’s Make Music Day 2026 events, join us for a concert featuring Summer Festival repertoire selections, as well as a performance of Julius Eastman’s Joy Boy from our earlier High School Workshop!
Full repertoire list and selected performers coming soon!