National Hug a Musician Day

National Hug a Musician Day - Wednesday, November 13, 2024

Cultural Friendship Music

What is National Hug a Musician Day?

National Hug a Musician Day comes around annually on November 13. A lot of work goes into being a musician, and not everyone‘s aware of it. If you know a musician who spends hours a day practicing and hours a night playing at bars, clubs, and concerts, envelop them in a big ol’ loving hug and let them know they’re appreciated. 
 

History of National Hug a Musician Day

Musicians have been around for as long as there has been music to play. However, the origin of music itself is unknown, as it’s been around longer than the ability to record history. Prehistoric music includes all of the world’s music that has existed prior to any historical references. This includes traditional music apart of Native American and African cultures. However, it is more common to refer to prehistoric music as folk, indigenous, or traditional music. 
 
Archaeologists continue to speculate over whether the “Divje Babe Flute” is indeed the oldest musical instrument. It’s dated to be approximately 43,500 years old and is made out of a cave bear femur. The quarry lies in whether or not this item was actually used as an instrument or just gnawed on by carnivores.
 
When people think of worldly musicians who have made a huge impact in the way music has formed, they’re likely to think of people like Mozart and Beethoven. Classical music was fashioned by musicians who lived during the rising of the middle class. Many of the middle-class in France lived under long-time absolute monarchies, so music was performed in environments that were more constrained than they were in eras like the Baroque and Renaissance. The popular instrumental music was dominated by several well-defined forms: the sonata, the symphony, and the concerto though none of these were defined or taught as they are now in music theory. 
 
The 20th century brought major musical changes. Musicians strove to represent the world the way they perceived it. Where past eras of music concentrated on spirituality, this new modern period emphasized the physicality and the concrete. The invention of audio recording caused a boom in all genres of music, especially pop, rock, folk, country, and all forms of classical. 

National Hug a Musician Day timeline

1968

Greatest drummer of all time

John Bonham, considered by many to be the greatest drummer of all time, (reluctantly) accepted Jimmy Page's offer to join his new project, Led Zeppelin. 

1964

Father of Chicago Blues

Howlin' Wolf released the recorded version of "Killing Floor", one of the defining classics of Chicago electric blues.

1948

Award winning flautist

Auéle Nicolet won first place at the international flute competition in Geneva

1761

Child prodigy

Mozart, at age five, composed his first piece of music.

National Hug a Musician Day FAQs

What does it mean to be a musician?

A musician is a person who plays a musical instrument as a profession or hobby, or is musically talented. 
 

Is a musician an artist?

Since music qualifies as a form of art, a musician is absolutely an artist! 
 

Is musician a career?

Being a musician is a very specific career path. You can be a musician for hire that tours with different bands and records specific needed parts in studios, or you can be a part of a band that specializes in a particular genre and release your own albums. Either way, it takes a lot of hard work and commitment.

Fun Hug a Musician Day Statistics

—  6% of Earnings from Recordings
Ever wonder why musicians sell merch, go on tour, and lend their face to commercials? Well, the average musician only earns about 6% from sound recordings, and less than a cent per stream. Most of that money nowadays goes to record labels and streaming companies, meaning they make more money off of musician’s work than the musician themselves. 
 
– 90.7% Are Undiscovered Geniuses
90.7% of all artists are undiscovered, meaning there are billions of potential favorite songs out there that may never bless our ears! If you know a talented musician, don’t let them go unrecognized. Do what you can to help them bring their gifts to the masses! 
 
41% fewer paid musicians in last 20 years
Today, there are more musicians than there has ever been before, creating art and trying to find ways to live off of what they love. However, there are 41% fewer paid musicians today than in 1999.

National Hug a Musician Day Activities

  1. Go to a show

    If your musician friend is constantly inviting you to their gigs, now is the time to go. We know schedules get in the way, and the want to attend conflicts with the desire to stay home. But we promise you that not only will you actually enjoy yourself, but your musician friend will be incredibly grateful to see you there!

  2. Share music with friends

    Nothing helps your musician friend more than sharing their music with people who would really enjoy it. Word of mouth is still the most effective form of advertising. So help them follow their dreams by recruiting them some new fans. 

  3. Give them a good ol' squeeze 

    Being a musician is hard. Not only are there more musicians in the world than there are gigs, but not every show you get will be your favorite. Sometimes, at the end of the day, musicians just need a well meaning, stress-relieving hug. 

Why We Love National Hug a Musician Day

  1. They create our music

    What's the last song you listened to? A musician made that. We know it's obvious, but your favorite song wouldn't exist without the innovation and dedication of the musician behind it!

  2. They spend all their time practicing

    Practicing is a fundamental part of being a musician, and if you want to be a really good one, it requires hours of doing the same thing over and over and over...you get it. 

  3. They work odd hours

    Whether you're a musician full time or you also work a standard nine to five, music requires you to conform to some pretty odd hours. Some people can be up until 5am playing a show or recording at the studio before they have to be up only a few hours later to start their day all over again! 

Also on Wed Nov 13, 2024...