New England Musicians Relief Fund (NEMRF) announced its hopes to distribute $300,000 to musicians in need via a new fundraising drive. The funding would apply to any musician in New England and New York’s Upper Hudson Valley, facing financial difficulties due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The New England Musicians Relief Fund’s mission statement explains that the organization aims to foster long-term security for professional musicians throughout the New England area by providing financial assistance and critical resources as a safety net for musicians experiencing unexpected or catastrophic income loss. The partnership between New England Musicians Relief, Sweet Relief, and NEMRF was able to raise emergency relief funds for musicians in a campaign that ran from July 1, 2020-August 29, 2020 and raised over $20,000.
The COVID-19 pandemic has been extremely hard on the live entertainment industry. The New England Musicians Relief Fund hopes to help lessen this financial strain musicians are experiencing, especially with money from the CARES Act, which has run out. Additional government support doesn’t seem likely, anytime soon.
“Without assistance, some musicians will leave the industry, which could devastate our once-vibrant New England arts scene. Helping musicians today is an investment in the quality of life we all hope to return to,” said Hazel Dean Davis, a horn player and one of the founders of NEMRF. “We created NEMRF to help musicians weather the COVID-19 shutdown, but even as we devote all our resources to this current crisis, we realize the need for a safety net will extend beyond the virus. Whether it is long term side effects from COVID, a car accident, a lost instrument, or another nationwide shutdown, the New England Musicians Relief Fund will be here to support musicians in crisis for years to come.”
While New England Musicians Relief’s Fund 501(c)(3) status is pending, all donations will be processed by the NEMRF, and will be tax deductible retroactively after the federal approval of their tax exempt status. If people would prefer their donation be deductible immediately, please donate through our fiscal sponsor, Arts and Business Council of Greater Boston. Money donated to A&BC with the button below will be earmarked for NEMRF. People interested in donating can do so here. Musicians interested in applying for a grant can apply here.
For more information visit New England Musicians Relief Fund’s website.
Marble Eyes announces their new weekly livestream series, ‘Marble Eyes Mondays.’ The streaming series will start on January 4, 2021 at 8 PM EST on Nugs.tv as well as the Nugs.net Facebook and YouTube pages.
A newly formed band during the pandemic era of music, Marble Eyes is a collection of national artists Eric Gould (bass, Pink Talking Fish), Adrian Tramontano (drums, Kung Fu), Mike Carter (guitar, The Indobox), and Max Chase (keys, Amulus). The band is based in Portsmouth, NH and has a soulful sound, hoping to bring joy to people across the country by creating brand new inspirational music and want to share this new music with people in this weekly series.
The band is teaming up with Nugs.net to present a livestream series which will take place every monday ergo the serieses name, “Marble Eyes Mondays,” Marble Eyes will perform a brand new concert every other Monday at 8PM ET. The performances will be hosted at The Press Room in Portsmouth NH. The concerts will be aired on Nugs.tv as well as the Nugs.net Facebook and YouTube pages. The series will be taking place every week through April of 2021.
With the pandemic looming over the music industry still, this will be a very different kind of winter for live entertainment. Just like most of 2020, most live performances are seeming unlikely for 2021. Because of this, Marble Eyes is giving music lovers an opportunity to get to know a new band during this time of livesteams via this series. There will be unique production added to the shows each month and, along with the existing collection of fresh material, the band will be introducing at least one song debut during each show.
For more information on the the series and the band visit their Facebook page.
The new stimulus deal approved by Congress will include $15 billion of aid for live venues, independent movie theaters and cultural institutions. The entire stimulus bill will include $900 billion in aid in its entirety including expanded coverage to the self employed, “gig” workers and others in nontraditional situations applying for unemployment. The Senate voted on December 21, 2020 and passed the stimulus bill as well. The stimulus deal will now just have to be sent to the President before finally officially passing.
The State Theater of Ithaca lit up in red during the “Red Alert” demonstration in support of Save Our Stages.
The stimulus bill has been in the works for a long time with the last aid package for American citizens and businesses being passed back in March. The CARES Act was a $2.2 trillion economic stimulus bill passed by the 116th U.S. Congress and signed into law by the President on March 27, 2020 and served as a stimulus package. Since then there has been very little aid and with the end of the year quickly approaching this deal could serve as the much needed aid people and businesses need during these trying times.
The $15 billion in the deal being allocated for live venues, independent movie theaters and cultural institutions will make a huge impact on the entertainment industry. One of the big pushes behind this aid came from the Save Our Stages campaign and act put forward by the Nation Independent Venue Association. NIVA represents more than 3,000 independent venues and promoters in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. The Save Our Stages became a bill and was cosponsored in the Senate by Amy Klobuchar (D-Mn.) and John Cornyn (R-Tx.).
The Town Ballroom located in Buffalo, NY posted on their Facebook page about Congress passing the stimulus bill saying, “HEY! We did it!! THANK YOU to everyone that wrote to congress and supported NIVA – National Independent Venue Association in trying to land the Save Our Stages act in the COVID-19 Relief Bill. Because of all your help, we were able to ensure that Venues and Employees will be supported through this economic crisis.Thank you to Senator Chuck SchumerRep. Brian Higgins Kristin Gillibrand for pushing this through. Thank you to everyone that has stayed patient with us these past very very long months. We will be back. Stay tuned!”
The Palace Theatre in Albany NY, displaying support for Save Our Stages.
Dayna Frank, Owner & CEO of First Avenue Productions and Board President of NIVA spoke on the new stimulus deal saying,“We’re thrilled that Congress has heard the call of shuttered independent venues across the country and provided us a crucial lifeline by including the Save Our Stages Act in the COVID-19 Relief Bill. We’re also incredibly grateful that this bill provides Pandemic Unemployment Assistance which will help the millions of people who lost their jobs through no fault of their own during this economic crisis. We urge swift passage of this legislation, which will assist those in the greatest need and ensure the music lives on for generations to come,” in a press release shared by NIVA.
The Capital Theatre located in Port Chester, NY chimed in on their Facebook page sharing the Forbesarticle on Congress passing the stimulus bill saying, “Congrats NIVA – National Independent Venue Association on this massive accomplishment! Congress has finally agreed on a new COVID-19 relief bill that includes $15 billion in funding for independent theaters and concert venues that have been shuttered due to the pandemic. Extraordinary team effort by everyone involved. #SaveOurStages”
According to Variety’s article there are several statistics which NIVA has put forward that show that 90% of the country’s independent venues will close within weeks without federal aid. It also states that musicians on average derive between 70% and 90% of their income from live performance which has been virtually nonexistent and impossible since mid-March apart from live-stream performances.
The Apollo Theater in Manhattan NY.
They also shed light on the fact that economic activity, particularly in small towns, is connected to concert venues as shown according to a Chicago study. Every dollar spent at a venue generates $12 in revenue for surrounding or connected businesses like restaurants for instance where people go out to eat before or after a show or stay the night in a local hotel.
Speaking on the floor of the Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer released a statement of the aid package saying, “I’m especially pleased this this bill will provide money for bars and restaurants, and $15 billion in SPA grants for theater operators and small venue operators through the Save Our Stages Act. These venues are so important to my state and so many other states across the country. They are the lifeblood of our communities. They were the first to close and will be the last to open. This bill gives them a fighting chance.”
The Times Union Center in Albany, NY.
One of the other interesting parts of this stimulus package is in the expanded coverage to the self employed, “gig” workers and others in nontraditional situations applying for unemployment which will now allow musicians and independent managers, promotors, sound technicians, and etcetera in particular to apply for unemployment. There will also be an additional $300 per week for some unemployment recipients.
For more information on What’s Included In The $900 Billion Stimulus Deal read the HuffPostarticle.
Otto Botté dropped his “Humbara” music video on December 14, 2020. The song is a nod to the New York City based artist’s Colombian roots.
Botté is known for being 1/3 of the sample-based electronic group Pool Cosby, who just released their second album, Day Breaks. He has also worked with an array of superstar musicians. He did the mastering on the Robin Schulz remix of “Waves” by Mr. Probz ended up landing him a Grammy nomination back in 2015 for Best Remixed Recording – Non-Classical. He has worked with names Enrique Iglesias, Trey Songz, Fedez, Club Dogo in his and has mastered work that adds up to over 8 million in sales.
The single “Humbara” dropped originally back on November 20, 2020. The song has a unique and genre-bending sound that sees a fusion of worlds and cultures and creates one irresistible dance track out of them. It really deep dives into the culture-rich sounds of Botté’s Colombian roots while creating a laidback electro-synth melody. It uses traditional Colombian instrumentation, from the thumping conga drums to the dance-inducing wooden flutes and maracas.
The track recently surpassed 18,000 streams and has received support from big names like NPR Music’s World Cafe, Kick Kick Snare, and radio play on LA’s LatinAlt HD3. The music video brings even more energy and support to the up and coming track with names like Pablo Morelo directing it.
“Humbara was the first song I created as a solo producer about 4 years ago. I was single then, and the only thing I felt I could confidently write about was my relationship with God, so I wrote a song to him.”Otto Botté shares about his inspiration behind the track, “Last year, I fell in love with someone, and the more I heard this song, the more I felt God’s love in my relationship and how it constantly felt like He was singing this song back to me. It’s been a beautiful experience connecting with God these past few years, and at the time with her through this song. The experience itself always felt as if our relationship (mine with hers and God) was manifested through the melodies and grooves in this song. It symbolizes how there can be a spiritual connection between two people and God.”
The video features only Botté singing and dancing in different scenic natural areas. There are a few shots of animals and beautiful views but manley is simplistic in the best way possible focusing on the music and Botté. Check out the full video here.
For more information on Otto Botté visit his website here.
The GrassRoots Festival of Music & Dance launches its Save Your Roots campaign and live-stream benefit at the State Theater in Ithaca, NY on December 19, at 7 PM EST. The campaign hopes to raise $100,000 to prepare for the 2021 festival season.
Like almost all festivals around the world this year the GrassRoots Festivals were forced to cancel their annual festivals due to COVID-19. The GrassRoots Festival started back in 1991 and sought to inspire positive change in communities through the communal celebration of world music, art and dance. It all started as a sold out, one night, benefit to raise money for the fight against AIDS at the historic State Theatre in Ithaca, NY. It has since evolved into three, separate annual four-day -vents in Trumansburg, NY, Shakori Hills, NC and Miami, FL.
The GrassRoots Festival is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. They, unlike some larger festivals, don’t have large pools of corporate sponsors. One of the reasons GrassRoots strays away from large corporate sponsors, is they want to keep their festival an authentic experience for participants and free from the boundaries of corporate influence. Though, the festival’s livelihood is in danger due to the lack of income in the 2020 year due to COVID-19. Their solution to trying to help the festival survive and thrive is by launching the Save Our Roots campaign.
The campaign has a goal of raising $100,000 that will culminate with a special live streamed event from the State Theatre in Ithaca, NY on December 19, 2020 at 7 PM EST.
Each donation or ticket purchased through the campaign will help ensure that the GrassRoots Festival Organization stays afloat. Currently the campaign is 61% funded with $61,421 and 17 days remaining to donate. So far, 375 people have donated to the cause.
People who donate $50 will receive a custom GrassRoots Festival T-shirt. One hundred dollar donations will receive their name on a GrassRoots Festival commemorative tree. Those who donate $1,000 will receive ten, four-day passes to any grassroots festival of their choice. People who donate $2,000 will receive ten, four-day passes to any grassroots festival of their choice plus two all access dream team lanyards. People can also donate a custom amount. Donations can be made here.
The live-stream benefit is being hosted by Yes Darling (Ryan Montbleau & Hayley Jane) and features live performances by the GrassRoots All-Stars, Jeb & Tara of Donna the Buffalo, Driftwood, Richie & Rosie and appearances from Jim Lauderdale, Preston & Keith Frank, Keith Secola, Dirk Powell, Cortadito, Fabi World Music & more. The live-stream has a suggested donation of $10. Tickets can be bought here.
For more information of on the GrassRoots Festival of Music & Dance and its Save Your Roots campaign and live-stream benefit visit their website.
Flushing Town Hall announces their showcasing of Kunqu Opera on December 12, 2020 at 8PM EST. The event will take place via live-stream on Zoom or YouTube.
The Kunqu Opera showcase is titled Kunqu in America: Memories of Chung-ho Chang Frankel. The showcase at Flushing Town Hall will illustrate how Kunqu opera, the oldest extant version of Chinese theater, took root in the United States by featuring memories of Ms. Chung-ho Chang, one of the most influential Kunqu practitioners throughout the country. The program will be presented bilingually, both in English and Mandarin, and will be told through videos, pictures, and interviews.
Ms. Chung-ho Chang is known for being one of the “last female literary talents from China’s Republic Era” particularly after the passing of Madame Chiang Kai-Shek. She was born in Shanghai to a big and prestigious family in 1913 and became a well-known poet, calligrapher, and Kunqu opera singer. She was active in the arts and cultural scene along with her three sisters during the first part of the 20th century. She then moved to the United States in 1949 with her husband, Hans Frankel, a sinologist who later taught at Yale University and who she met while studying at Peking University.
She is known for having planted the seed of the Kunqu opera while also nurturing the art community while she lived in California and Connecticut. She did this by holding Kunqu gatherings in her home, bringing students, actors, musicians, and scholars together to practice Kunqu singing and movements. For decades, she traveled from university to university to promote and demonstrate the art form. In 2001, UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) proclaimed Kunqu a masterpiece of “the oral and intangible heritage of humanity”. Today, there is a thriving Kunqu opera community throughout the United States in which Ms. Chung-ho Chang is greatly involved in.
The Flushing Town Hall virtual event will feature anecdotes of Ms. Chang collected exclusively by the Kunqu Society from interviews with Ms. Chang’s family members, students, and friends, will showcase several elaborate costumes and musical instruments that were handmade by her and will collectively showcase Kunqu Opera.
Following the program, there will also be a live Q&A featuring guests who appeared in the stories. People interested in attending must RSVP in advance to receive a link to watch the event on Zoom or YouTube. To RSVP or to learn more about the program, visit The Flushing Town Hall’s website.
Non-for-profit venues across upstate New York call for aid from Governor Cuomo and their state elected leaders during the COVID-19 crisis. They are calling for aid through their #lightsUPstateNY initiative, trying to bring light to the hardships these performing arts centers are facing.
Bardavon interior photo by Tim Lee.
According to Chris Silva, Executive Director at Bardavon 1869 Opera House, the new protocols, requirements and re-staffing caused by COVID-19 will require not only time and capital, but every month these closures continue the costs of these eleven venues add up to a collective $1,500,000 dollars, with no significant revenue to offset it. This is a huge amount of money to these smaller local economies. These venues hope to bring light to the reality of their dim situation, as many venues across the United States are pledged with Save Our Stages campaign.
The venues involved call for aid with the #lightsUPstateNY initiative are: The Bardavon in Poughkeepsie, UPAC in Kingston, Shea’s Performing Arts Center in Buffalo, RBTL’s Auditorium Theatre in Rochester, Smith Center for the Arts in Geneva, Landmark Theatre in Syracuse, Stanley Theatre in Utica, Proctors Collaborative in Schenectady, Palace Theatre in Albany, State Theatre in Ithaca, and the Clemens Center in Elmira.
These venues estimate the cost to reopen themselves, if a spring 2021 opening is possible, will be at least 15 million dollars – more if the “pause” caused by COVID-19 continues. As a group they bring over 250 million of collective, local economic impact to Upstate each year, which has come to an abrupt halt.
Silva explained the reasoning behind the union of #lightsUPstateNY initiative saying, “The large theatres of Upstate so often share similar realities. As we think about our restarts sometime in 2021, we decided to come together to speak with one voice about our needs and challenges as we get back to being at the heart of our cities and communities.”
All of the venues involved operate as 501(c)3 non-profit organizations – committed to serving their communities – and have worked together to create a network across Upstate for bands and theatrical performances to take place. They do this by offering a variety of live entertainment for all audiences, including concerts, comedy, dramatic and family events, as well as offer a mixed-use space for local performing groups, graduations, recitals and other presentations.
The hope of #lightsUPstateNY is to bring awareness to the dire need these venues are experiencing, while also calling on Governor Cuomo and their state elected leaders for aid.
Bob Dylan has sold his entire songwriting catalog to the Universal Music Publishing Group. The catalog includes over 600 songs including the classics “Blowin’ in the Wind,” “The Times They Are A-Changin’” and “Like a Rolling Stone.”
At the age of 79, Bob Dylan is one of the most well known folk singers in the world and selling the catalog of his music, which the rights have been held by him for most of his career, is huge news, not only in the music realms but in the world as a whole. It has been a trend for musicians to sell their catalogs of music during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Just last week another big name, Stevie Nicks, sold a majority stake in her songwriting catalog for an estimated $80 million to Primary Wave Music which is an independent publisher and marketing company. It’s unclear if these buyouts are directly influenced by the ongoing pandemic but it’s hard to believe they aren’t connected.
It’s unclear how much Bob Dylan received in compensation for his songwriting catalog but according to The New York Times, it is estimated at more than $300 million.
The deal covers the entirety of Bob Dylan’s long career. All the way back to his earliest work right up to his latest album, Rough and Rowdy Ways. This deal was struck directly with Bob Dylan by Universal Music Publishing Group.
Bob Dylan at the Civil Rights March on Washington.
The deal leaves Dylan with 100 percent of rights for all the songs of his catalog. What this means is that he will still collect the income he receives as a songwriter and will still be in control individual song copyrights. So what is Universal Music Publishing Group getting out of it? Universal Music Publishing Group’s division of the French media conglomerate Vivendi, will collect all future income from the songs.
The State Theatre of Ithaca announced it’s ‘Save Your Seat’ campaign as a way for the community to help keep the Ithaca staple afloat during the COVID-19 pandemic. The ‘Save Your Seat’ campaign was announced on November 10, 2020 and will continue to run until all 16,000 seats are sold which happened on January 5, 2021.
The State Theatre of Ithaca was built back in 1915 and has been an entertainment staple of Ithaca, NY since 1928 and has served as one of the most significant venues for performing arts in the Finger Lakes region. Their mission is to enhance the cultural life of Ithaca and the Finger Lakes by preserving, operating and promoting the historic State Theatre as an active venue for national, international and community performances and programming according to their website.
How the ‘Save Your Seat’ campaign worked is that people donated $100 per seat and will get a personalized plaque affixed to a seat in their honor. This campaign will offer a visible way to commemorate their support of this vital arts venue.
Executive Director Doug Levine of the State Theatre explains that, “Without show revenue to help sustain this facility, we are looking at a deficit close to $160,000 for this fiscal year. The State Theatre of Ithaca seats 1,600 people. If 1,600 of our amazing supporters and patrons bought at least 1 seat for $100 each, that would help us close the gap that the pandemic has created. Our goal is to sell out the Theatre, just like we have so many times in the past.”
All proceeds raised from the ‘Save Your Seat fundraising campaign and benefit concert will help sustain the not-for-profit State Theatre of Ithaca. The aide will help the theatre remain at the center of Central New York’s performing arts scene while their doors remain closed. For more information visit the the State Theater’s website here.
Updates made on 1/7/2021: The State Theatre of Ithaca announced on 1/5/2021 that all 1,600 seats within the Theatre have been “saved,” as part of their “Save Your Seat” campaign. The campaign has helped close the budget gap the Coronavirus shutdown has created for the Ithaca staple.
The SAMMYS (Syracuse Area Music Awards) announce their submissions opening for 2021 awards show. The call goes out to local musicians, bands, and artists encouraging them to submit their 2020 commercially available recordings for consideration before January 6, 2021.
The Syracuse Area Music Awards show celebrities local music to the Syracuse area. It’s become a beloved staple to Syracuse and the surrounding areas. Artists interested in entering for consideration must select one category they wish to be judged in. Only commercially released albums or EPs, released between January 1 – December 31, 2020 by artists in the Syracuse area are eligible for the 2021 SAMMYS. All entries must be available on Apple Music, Spotify or Tidal and no physical recordings will be accepted this year. Categories subject to change at the discretion of the judges. The entry form is now available here: syracuseareamusic.com/submissions and must be submitted by January 6, 2021.
The 2021 SAMMYS will take place on March 5, 2021 and will be streamed live for free and live from SubCat Studios. The awards show will include musical performances by area artists/bands. Awards will be presented in 12 recording categories, in addition to the People’s Choice awards in four categories, Brian Bourke Award for Best New Artist, Jack O Bocchino Spirit of the SAMMYS Award, and our Community Spirit Award.
The SAMMYS wouldn’t be possible without the help of its many sponsors. The 2021 supporting sponsors include: The Rebel Rocks, Bridge Street, SubCat Music Studios, CNY Alive!, Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, KMASE Productions, Joshua Johnson Design, Skinner & Associates Realty, 315 Music, American Vintage Productions, NYS Music, News Channel 9, 95X, 93Q, and 92.1 The WOLF.
For more information on the SAMMYs and the 2021 submission process visit their website here or follow the Syracuse Area Music Awards on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
