While it’s still not clear, at this writing, exactly how the federal and/or provincial governments will be helping musicians put out of work by the closure of music venues due to COVID-19 protocols, other forms of support are emerging.
While most of the support mechanisms are not direct cash payments and/or involve signing up for a proprietary service of some kind, they also don’t involve any immediate expenditures and can be accessed easily,
One example is the Bandzoogle Blog, which has a very helpful post giving artists ideas on how to ask fans for support during the pandemic. While some of the suggestions are fairly obvious, it still makes for a good checklist of what those with a fan base can do to generate some much needed income.
Another musical services company, Mixcloud, which operates Mixcloud Select, an online repository of original artists’ tracks, is waiving all revenue shares for the next three months, it says. Creators can learn more about the service on their blog and fans can look at their current roster of artists on their website.
A non-profit charity that helps musicians even in the “good” times (when, after all, many still have severe financial strains), The Unison Benevolent Fund has now created a special COVID-19 Relief Program for Canadian music industry participants, according to a report in Samaritanmag.com. The fund was launched with $500,000 from the UBF and Slaight Family Foundation and the UBF also plans a series of weekly live stream concerts beginning April 8 to raise money for the project.
Another significant non-profit charity that regularly helps members of Canada’s entertainment industry financially, the Actors Fund of Canada, has also launched a special COVID-19 assistance program. Although the number of applications for assistance so far during the pandemic “has already surpassed the number of applications received during the entire 2019” period, the fund says on its website, it is still helping musicians and others.
The fund doesn’t cover lost earnings, but help is available for those who need to pay rent, buy food or medicine for other urgent needs. Because of the volume of applications it is currently only covering items that need to be paid no later than 2-3 weeks in advance.
A less ambitious and more targeted but nevertheless significant support effort also comes from Roots-Rock songwriter and normally host of a weekly Saturday matinee show at Inter Steer Tavern, Bill Heffernan.
An anonymous donor put up $5,000 to kickstart a special fund aimed at helping any among the wide range of special guests Bill has featured at his weekly sessions over the past 16 years or at concerts for the Shine Youth Music Bursaries charity, about which we told you two years ago.
The donor “asked me to administrate the fund,” Bill tells us, because he’s connected to so many deserving artists. Operated with assistance from a pro fundraiser volunteer, Marie MacCormick, the fund will be making small grants of $350-$500 and larger ones of $750, depending on need, he says.
In addition to a donation he personally made, Bill is asking his fans to “think about what you would normally throw into the tip jar” at his Saturday Sessions and “multiply that by 4 or 5 weeks of missed gigs” as a guideline for donations.
You can donate by sending an e-transfer to [email protected] via credit card through the Square.com online portal, or you can provide cash or cheque to Bill directly by contacting him at [email protected].
If you know of other initiatives that help musicians through this difficult time please share them with me so I can make sure all TorontoMoon.ca subscribers are aware of them!
-By Gary 17, TorontoMoon.ca
[email protected] * [email protected]
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9:30am-1pm> Freewheelin’ Show hosted by Jim Marino @ 93.3 CFMU or cfmu.ca (Hamilton)
2-3> Blues Source International w Ken Wallis @ www.BluesandRootsRadio.com
2> Home Routes jamalong sessions with Shauna and Grant on Facebook
3> Jonathan Voyer & Shawn Mativetsky for National Arts Centre #CanadaPerforms series on Facebook live
5:39-6> Michel Neray of Jacques Russell Trio performs solo who on Facebook Live
7-12> BLUZ-FM with Danny Marks @ JAZZ.FM91
7> Sam Roberts; Bartees & The Strange Fruit; Royal Mountain; NPR on Royal Mountain Records Instagram Live page ~indie
8> Home Routes presents National Online Folk Festival streamed on Facebook, with Andy Cohen ~songwriter
Midnight (Sunday AM) – Midnight> York Region Virtual Open Mic -with host/moderator Steffi Postol Goodfield; post your performances on York Region Open Mic page on Facebook
RESIDING> Drew Winters all ten tracks from Last Call In Montreal album on YouTube and on Spotify ~original Pop
RESIDING> Rob Minderman performs “Invisible Enemy” original song about COVID-19 on YouTube (0:4:00)
RESIDING> recording of Carmen Toth performing St. Patrick’s Day concert solo ~songwriter (1:10:23)
RESIDING> Wayne Neon and the Amazing Tubular Orchestra™ on Youtube: Social Distance Sessions live ~eclectic covers & originals (0:18:22)
RESIDING> Late Fakirs featuring Greg “Harpfool” Shields perform “Corona-chan Collection” of six original tunes ~videos link on YouTube
RESIDING> Susie Grooves & Company performs “Rhianna” at Southside Johnny’s on Facebook (0:3:44)
RESIDING> Eclectic Power Company featuring Graham Clarke covers “Wheat Kings (Tragically Hip) on InstagramTV (0:3:10)
RESIDING> recording of Carmen Toth performing “Way Too Early Show” March 29 edition on Facebook solo ~songwriter (1:31:48)
RESIDING> Josh Gordon on Koch guitar solo for “Koch Quarantine Sessions” on YouTube (0:1:33)
RESIDING> Howard Gladstone performs original Roots solo on Facebook ~songwriter (0:5:32)
RESIDING> Dougal Bichan performs original song “More Than 100” on InstagramTV (0:8:23)
RESIDING> Kathleen Lovett performs solo on Facebook live ~Pop Rock/Roots/Blues covers (1:52:53
RESIDING> David McLachlan performs two original songs recorded @ Bluebird Café, Nashville, on YouTube (0:8:02)
RESIDING> Alex Radeff & Donkey perform original song “Another Night At The Bar” on YouTube, recorded @ El Mocambo, December 1993 (0:4:20)
RESIDING> Howard Gladstone at Winterfolk XVIII performs “Crazy Talk” on You Tube ~songwriter (0:4:10)
RESIDING> Roger “Pops” Zuraw with Joshua-Walker & friends performs original song “Headboard Boogie” on YouTube (0:4:55)
RESIDING> “I Gotta Wash My Hands” Beatles parody COVID-19 video by Hobby Marketing on You Tube (0:2:30)
RESIDING> Barenaked Ladies “Selfie Cam Jam” together-apart performance of “Lovers In A Dangerous Time” (Bruce Cockburn); 0:5:15
RESIDING> Toronto Symphony Orchestra performs “Appalachian Spring” in remote ensemble on YouTube ~Classical (0:4:26)
RESIDING> Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield performs “Space Oddity” from International Space Station on YouTube via TorontoMoon.ca (0:5:30)
RESIDING> Eugene Smith recorded live stream show from March 27 on YouTube ~songwriter (1:13:55)
RESIDING> James Anthony performs original “Corona Blues” song on YouTube ~songwriter (0:2:39)
RESIDING> Jillian Bunting performing original & cover songs on Facebook ~songwriter (0:53:20)
RESIDING> “The Jukebox Hour” video from April 2 with Phill Hood and The Exclamation on Facebook ~covers and originals by request (2:37:50)
RESIDING> Marsala Lukianchuk performs “I Wish I Was Locked Down With You” Facebook video ~songwriter (0:1:49)
RESIDING> Reuben O’dell-Barkow with Marianna Lvovskaja recorded live (0:51:40)
RESIDING> Sarah Siddiqui video recorded live “Put The Worry Away (Isolation Sessions)” ~songwriter (0:25:28)
RESIDING> “10 Soothing Jazz Tunes…” (article with links) from Jazz.FM81 @ jazz.fm
RESIDING> Video of violinist Viera Zmiyiwsky performing for her 94-year-old grandmother, Anna, outside a retirement home in Mississauga on April 1 on Facebook ~classical; (0:5:38)
RESIDING> audio podcast episodes of “Q” with Tom Power and various artists streaming on request @ CBC Radio
RESIDING> Matt Groopie & David Grossman video performance of “Man On The Moon” (REM) acoustic outdoors from Facebook; (0:5:22)
RESIDING> Sam Roberts Band as Isolation Jubilation Sensation performing original song “We’re All In This Together” on YouTube (0:03:10)
RESIDING> Jessica Mondello performing covers & originals on Facebook ~songwriter (1:03:43)
RESIDING> “Austin City Limits” presents free concerts from Country greats and original acts on pbs.org
RESIDING> The Dexters R&B super group perform “Melon Collie Serenade” on YouTube (0:5:55)
RESIDING> Colin Brunton performs original song “Coronavirus Rhapsody” on Youtube (0:6:01)
RESIDING> Mark Malibu and the Wasagas perfom Rockabilly PSA “Fight Covid-19” on YouTube (0:0:53)
RESIDING> Michael Theodore performing covers & originals on Facebook ~songwriter (1:17:01)
RESIDING> Home Routes podcast Show #22 with host Tim Osmond & tunes by Kalyna Rakel [previous podcasts also accessible from page] (0:21:31)
RESIDING> Instructional video “The Coronavirus Explained & What You Should Do” on YouTube (0:8:34)
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