One of Carlsbad, California’s best kept secrets is sandwiched away between the Flower Fields and Legoland. It’s the Museum of Making Music in the headquarters of the National Association of Music Merchants at 5790 Armada Drive Carlsbad, CA. Don’t let its drab business park location fool you. If you care about music, you’ll love it.
This month, there’s even more to see. Adding to an already cool, interactive space illustrating the history of making music, the museum is launching a new exhibit celebrating the 40th Anniversary of MIDI. What is MIDI? It is an acronym for Musical Instrument Digital Interface–an electronic music communication standard created by Dave Smith and Chet Wood that is arguably the single most important invention in the history of sound.
In the 40 years since its introduction, MIDI continues to create new ways to perform, record, and teach music. It also has helped promote accessibility, inclusivity, collaboration, and more. . . The exhibition explores the history and inspirations behind MIDI. It also includes a variety of interconnected interactive instruments! Plan a visit to the Museum of Making Music to discover this brand new exciting exhibition!
The new MIDI@40 exhibit opens Friday, April 7, 2023. If you haven’t ever been to the Museum of Making Music then now is the time. If you haven’t visited in a while, then this exhibit is the perfect reason to see it again. Museum members will get a preview of the show Thursday night, April 6, 2023. For all the detail, please click the link.
After several years of planning and a complete remodel of the Museum of Making Music’s physical space, guests are invited to celebrate the museum’s grand reopening to the public on JUNE 15!
The Museum of Making Music is an inviting and engaging place for families and individuals alike. It’s a destination. A place of inquiry. A place of discovery. A place where the creative relationship between people, musical instruments, and music is explored. And a place where your imagination takes flight.
On June 15, 2021 normal hours of operations will resume. The Museum will be open Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM, but will be closed on Mondays and major national holidays. But reservations will be required and youncan make one starting June 1, 2021. For all the details please click the link.
Local musician Marklyn Retzer is bringing his trio to Lola’s 7UP Market and Deli on Saturday, April 3, 2021 at noon for a two-hour live set of acoustic guitar based groove rock. The show will be outside on the steps of the museum across from the store. There is plenty of room to sit outside and spread out, and even some picnic tables and chairs available. Bring a lawn chair and make it easier to get your own space.
Why Lola’s? Here’s what Marklyn has to say:
Lola’s has legendary burritos and tacos. My kids started eating burritos there before they could even look over the counter. I’m stoked to be bringing music to support them and I’m looking forward to getting the songs out in the air.
Lola’s is located at 3292 Roosevelt St, in Carlsbad. For more info please click the link.
In a June 27, 2020 letter to friends and supporters of the Carlsbad Music Festival Founder and Artistic Director Matt McBane lamented the cancelation of the 2020 festival and 17 consecutive years of music in Carlsbad and looked forward optimistically to 2021 when he says the festival will return.
After much creative brainstorming, discussion and reflection, we determined that with the pandemic and the restrictions in place, there was no way for our small organization to hold the Festival or alternative programming this summer. But don’t worry, we will be back in 2021!
For more info, please click the link (warning it’s a facebook link). If you’d like to help the Carlsbad Music Festival put on events like this, please volunteer to help. You can get more information on volunteering here.
The Carlsbad Music Festival’sEclectic Lawn (a three-Sunday series) kicks off this Sunday, March 31, 2019, with North County’s own anti-folk legend Cindy Lee Berryhill. The Red Fox Tails, Son de San Deigo, and Sunny War will follow her on the lawn. Concerts are from 1-5 PM at the St. Michael’s by-the-Sea Lawn. Admission is free and food and beverages will be available for purchase at a beer garden & food trucks. For more information please click the link.
The Carlsbad Music Festival Presents Sonic Chapel with cellist Ashley Bathgate Friday, February 15, 2019.
The desire to create a dynamic energy exchange with her audience and build upon the ensuing chemistry is a pillar of Bathgates’s philosophy as a performer. Her affinity to dynamism drives Bathgate to venture into previously uncharted areas of ground-breaking sounds and techniques, breaking the mold of a cello’s traditionally perceived voice. Collaborators and fans alike describe her vitality as nothing short of remarkable and magical for all who are involved. Bathgate is a member of the award-winning, internationally acclaimed sextet Bang on a Can All-Stars, the chamber music group HOWL, and is also a founding member of TwoSense, a duo with pianist Lisa Moore, and Bonjour, a low-strung, percussive quintet.
For more info and to buy tickets, please click here.
The Carlsbad Music Festival is celebrating its 15th anniversary during its annual weekend festival set for August 24-26, 2018. In recognition of this milestone, the Sahm Family Foundation has awarded the Festival a $40,000 grant including $20,000 of matching funds for new and increased donations as a means to encourage community support of the festival for years to come. This is the single largest source of funding in the Festival’s history.
“This grant from the Sahm Foundation is a transformative moment for our organization. It provides a tremendous opportunity to grow our organization’s community of support to ensure the Festival’s sustainability and longevity. It is an honor to have such incredibly generous funding for our community of musicians and music lovers that gather every year to celebrate music with open minds and ears. I’m thrilled to share another year of adventurous music by the beach in August and look forward to 15 years more.”
This is great news! For more information visit CarlsbadMusicFestival.org. For the official word from the Carlsbad Music Festival, please follow the jump.
On Sunday, May 6, 2018 the streets of downtown Carlsbad will be transformed into a walking plaza packed with all your friends and neighbors along with booths from 800 vendors as part of the The Carlsbad Village Faire.
The Carlsbad Village Faire – the largest one-day street fair in the nation – will take place from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Sunday, May 6. The fair stretches 14 blocks. Grand Avenue from Carlsbad Boulevard to Jefferson Street, and all of the cross streets in between, will be closed for the event. Each year, the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce hosts the fair in May and November. Now in its 44th year, the free event has grown to be so popular that it not only continually attracts people from all over Southern California, but also from other states.
We used to visit the Carlsbad street faire every year. To see what Carlsbad Village Faire looked like nearly a decade ago, click here for 2011 or here or 2009. For the official details from the Carlsbad Village Association, please follow the jump.
Marklyn Retzer, a Carlsbad, California based singer, songwriter (and surfer) has released a collection of new songs titled, Dandelion Tattoo. The five track EP features songs that range from the uplifting and affirming, gospel tinged vibe of Fly Free, to heart filling pop love songs like She Calls Me Love, to light hearted metaphorical reflections on love and loss in the title track. The EP, produced by San Diego’s Ben Moore features Matt Lynott on drums, Chris Swann on bass, and backing vocals by Lacy Younger and Krista Richards.
Marklyn will be hosting a CD release party/show from 5:30 to 8:30 PM on March 24, 2018 at The Pour House in Oceaside. Here are the details from Marklyn:
I’m playing with my trio featuring Rhythm Rose Turner on drums and vocals, and Chris Swann on bass. I’ll have special guests stopping by to play some of their songs or to jam with me including Nina Francis, Savannah Philyaw, Sarah Rogo, Dave Boodah, and others to be added. This will be a fun night of music and friendship. CDs will be available for purchase for those of us who like a physical thing of music to hold.
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