Musicians are in a very difficult position right now. If you are a musician or want to support artists, this article presents some of the possibilities for doing so – connecting with other musicians affected by the pandemic, applying for reliefs and asking for more help from the government.
Sourced through Scoop.it from: www.kcrw.com
With more than half of the revenues of performers coming from their live performances, Covid-19 strongly affects musicians. Now would be a good time to show your favorite artists support! Here are some resources for musicians, as well as ways to help them.
If you are a fan, you can buy some merchandise and donate via Venmo, Paypal, or Patreon. You can also donate the ticket you bought (instead of getting a refund). Some patrons will give you a gift certificate in exchange, which could be useful for future events. You can also organize crowdsourcing to support your artists. A Bandcamp campaign recently allowed fans to buy nearly 800,000, or $4.3 million, worth of music and merchandise!
Additionally, you could support local artists and local venues. For example, take Skype lessons to learn an instrument – a win-win situation by helping to build resources for musicians! Or if you don’t have money to spare, you could share your favorite artists on social medias, create playlists, etc. Even without a large following, your recommendations could reach a wide circle.
If you are a musician, you can:
-Track your losses (count how much Covid-19 is impacting you) with the help for example of The Syrup Factory (free of charge advice) or ilostmygig.ca (read and share stories about the impact of Covid-19).
– Follow and support legislation in favor of self-employed workers.
– Make your voice heard by your congressperson to get more resources for musicians! You can also support groups such as Live Events Coalition or the Music Arts Coalition.
– Apply for relief. Look up the support offered in your region and apply for funds. Check out if you can get anything from the Facebook Small Business Grants Program. The Canadian Music Industry Association (CIMA) has a list of resources for musicians that might be of assistance for you. For mental health relief, you can try “”Come Together” COVID-19 Crisis,” a support group with weekly meetings organized by Team Backline and THRIV.
To find out more the resources for musicians available, check out the source information on the KCRW website and the Unison website.
Canyon Entertainment Group offers promotion opportunities to artists who are hoping to break into the music industry or to expand their audience. For more information, contact us at info(at)canyonentertainmentgroup.com.
