CINCINNATI — Tuesday marked the first day of summer and the longest day of daylight. Bands across the country brought people together for Make Music Day, a day to celebrate the love of music. 

Wild Carrot, a contemporary folk band, had the crowd going during the Make Music Cincinnati event at Farbach Werner Nature Preserve. People danced and sang along as band members Pam Temple and Spencer Funk strummed the tunes.

“Just always kind of grew up with the folk tunes, and the strumming the guitar around the family gatherings and things,” said Temple. “So singing has always drawn me in.”

The love birds met nearly 30 years ago and have been sharing their love of music together ever since. 

“The music just kind of grew,” she said. “I quick my day job and we’ve been doing what we’re doing now.”

For the past 20 years, the husband/wife duo has toured across the country and even in South America, performing a variety of contemporary folk tunes and so much more. 

“We do some swing, some blues, some flavored things, some bluegrass, especially when we have our band with us,” she said. 

But performing for Make Music Cincinnati has by far been their favorite experience. Temple said that’s because they can better connect with crowds and heal people through music. 

“You know you’ve reached somebody, you’ve touched somebody, you shared something and there’s been an exchange of energy and that’s kind of what we’re about,” she said. 

Wild carrot is among hundreds of bands to perform on international Make Music Day and Cincinnati is one of 700 cities across the world to participate in this day-long festival. It’s one of the largest annual music events, with performers from around the world sharing their love of music with the community for free. 

“It’s a great day, a great way to check out different things that you might not normally see,” she said.