NYS Music 202​1

Tag: pandemic

  • Virtually all Restrictions on Businesses and Social Gatherings Lifted Throughout NY

    Governor Andrew Cuomo lifted virtually all restrictions on businesses and social gatherings across New York State on Tuesday, June 15. The lifting of restrictions on businesses and social gatherings will make a huge impact for the music industry as it comes back to life. 

    In New York State, 70 percent of adults have received at least one dose of the vaccine already, which is a huge turn of events from New York being one of the worst impacted states at the beginning of the pandemic. Throughout the course of the pandemic, the death toll in New York has reached nearly 53,000 which is one of the highest in the country.

    Governor Andrew Cuomo spoke on the lifting of restrictions at the World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan saying, “This is a momentous day and we deserve it because it has been a long, long road,” and added that the changes meant a “return to life as we know it.”

    This lifted restrictions means that restaurants will no longer be forced to space tables six feet apart; movie theaters will be allowed to pack their auditoriums without spacing seats apart; and entering commercial buildings won’t require a temperature check. .

    lifted restrictions
    Empire State Plaza on June 15, 2021 – photo by Pete Mason

    There are some restrictions that will stay in place for the time being though. New York will still abide by mask guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which has advised that unvaccinated people should wear masks indoors and maintain social distancing. There will also be some stricter restrictions remaining in certain environments like health care facilities, schools, public transit and homeless shelters.

    Some decisions will be up to the individual proprietor like the decision to end many of the precautions, such as allowing vaccinated customers to walk around without masks. Some businesses may decide to keep these types of precautions in place in order to allow their clientele and employees to feel safer until more people are vaccinated in their individual counties. 

    With these restrictions being lifted bars, venues, and live entertainment businesses will be able to open at full capacity throughout New York and bring live music back stronger, bigger, and better then before. 

    For more information on the lifted restrictions visit Governor Andrew Cuomo’s website.

  • Tune in March 20 for Love, New York: The Pandemic Anniversary Music Festival

    Love, New York, a virtual concert fundraiser will take place on the one year anniversary of New York City declaring a shelter in place for the COVID-19 pandemic. Featured musicians include Rich Medina, Paris Monster, and James Casey. It will stream live on March 20th, 2020 at 7 PM EST.

    Love New York

    A year later, the end of pandemic is far closer, yet music still needs relief and artistic outlet. Love, New York is comprised of creatives, visionaries, musicians, street performers, dancers, Broadway artists, and lovers from New York.

    The festival is organized by Sound Mind Collective, a Brooklyn based community organization founded in 2017 by Katherine Powell (KP Artist Management), Chris St. Hilaire (musician, The London Souls, Sinkane, Doyle Bramhall II) and Nikhil P. Yerawadekar (musician, Nikhil P. Yerawadekar & Low Mentality). Sound Mind Collective’s goal is to connect independent artists with local communities to encourage growth through social justice advocacy, policy change, and much more.

    The proceeds from Love, New York will be allocated amongst the performers and independent music venues that are at risk of closing indefinitely as the virus continues to keep doors closed.

    Watch live on March 20th, 2021 at 7PM EST at thesoundmindcollective.org.

  • NY Comptroller DiNapoli Outlines Drastic Decline in Arts and Entertainment Sectors

    On February 24, New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli outlined COVID-19’s harsh impact on the arts and entertainment industry. 

    When the pandemic hit and caused a shutdown in March 2020, it took the world by storm, especially in NYC. It began a public health crisis and as a result, anything that required people to gather together was put on pause. Isolation became the new reality and with social distancing as a requirement, many sectors faced unprecedented circumstances. The arts and entertainment sector had the biggest decline and impact on the economy since the pandemic began.

    Arts and Entertainment graph
    Arts and Entertainment Decline Graph from State Comptroller Website

    This devastating decrease comes after the progression within the industry in 2019. From 2009 to 2019, employment grew by 42 percent. Establishments grew by 28 percent, with a major rise seen in Brooklyn, Staten Island and Queens. The total amount of wages increased by 78 percent across the city in this sector alone compared to the average of 64 percent for all sectors. The average amount of primary earnings for 128,400 residents was $63,100 in 2019. They were artists, musicians, actors and producers and about 31,000 of them were self-employed.

    Despite the success from the decade prior, COVID-19 pushed the sector in the opposite direction. As of February 2020, there were approximately 87,000 employees within the arts and entertainment industry in NYC. That number drastically changed to 34,100 in April and further declined in December 2020 by 66 percent. In comparison to its progress in 2019, this is the largest decline of any of the sectors in NYC’s economy.

    arts and entertainment
    photo by Joseph Buscarello

    Currently, many establishments in performing arts aren’t allowed to reopen, turning to the virtual world in order to gain revenue. Those who reopened were forced to make budget cuts due to less income from limited capacity. Broadway Theatres may open in June 2021 and other establishments such as the Metropolitan Opera and New York City Ballet don’t expect to open until September 2021. These reopenings are dependent upon the number of vaccinations and venues evaluation of ventilation systems and compliance with guidelines.

    While everything is still uncertain during these times, there are attempts at saving the industry. In December 2020 the New York City Council allowed the creation of the  “Open Culture” program. The program allows organizations to hold free and ticketed outdoor cultural and arts events from March 2021 until October 31, 2021 or possibly through March 2022. Governor Cuomo recently announced the New York Arts Revival, an initiative designed to restart live performing arts events.

    DiNapoli believes that there is much to be done in order to keep the lights on. He suggests extending unemployment benefits including for those who are independent contractors. As the weather becomes warmer, he thinks more outdoor spaces should be utilized through rapid testing, the rise of vaccinations and safety guidelines intact. DiNapoli sees progress being made if the City and State work together and communicate with these establishments about achievable milestones.