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PROGRAMS SUPPORTING THE HEALTH AND WELLNESS OF THE MUSIC INDUSTRY CONTINUE AS MUSICIANS GET BACK TO WORK
SANTA MONICA, CALIF. (JUNE 14, 2021) – MusiCares®, the leading music charity supporting the health and welfare of the music community, announced today that it is distributing a final round of funding for COVID-19 Relief. The effort continues the support for music professionals, concluding upon distribution of the $2 million raised during Music on a Mission, to be directly distributed to 2,000 eligible applicants. Although the pandemic relief will be coming to a close, the need for support remains high, and MusiCares is dedicated to helping all professionals in the industry through existing and new mental health and hardship grant programs and virtual support groups, among other programs.
At a time when many in the industry dealt with financial insecurity due to shuttered venues and canceled tours, MusiCares acted quickly to support the music community by launching MusiCares COVID-19 Relief. Since March 2020, MusiCares has distributed more than $25 million directly to more than 34,000 music professionals in need.
"The pandemic has been devastating to musicians, tour managers, stage crews, and so many others that are involved in making music happen. We heard from our community that many are experiencing elevated levels of depression, financial insecurity and low levels of confidence that they could pay for basic living expenses during the pandemic," said Laura Segura, Executive Director of MusiCares. "It is encouraging to know that music people turned to MusiCares in their time of need and we hope they continue to do so as we reacclimate post-pandemic."
Following the nearly year and a half of COVID-19 Relief, MusiCares will help the music community transition back to business, with an emphasis on prioritizing mental health. MusiCares also continues to provide support through the many services they are known for including medical, dental and hearing programs, mental health and addiction recovery services, preventative clinics, unforeseen personal emergencies, and disaster relief, treating each case with integrity and confidentiality. Music professionals who already received assistance from MusiCares COVID-19 Relief are eligible to apply again.
"As it's often said in our biz, 'the show must go on,'" said one MusiCares grant recipient. "Thank you for all that you did during this most difficult of years to sustain a vital forum for artists, live music and community, and for supporting me through your COVID-19 Relief program. Besides being much needed good news, it was a great encouragement and inspired me to stay creative and courageous."
For anyone in the music community looking for support, please contact MusiCares at musicaresrelief@musicares.org or visit https://covid-19-relief.recordingacademy.com/(opens in a new tab) to apply for a hardship grant.
