New England Musicians Relief Fund Launches New Campaign To Help Musicians In Need

The New England Musicians Relief Fund (NEMRF) seeks support for the thousands of professional musicians in New England who continue to suffer financial hardship intensified by the pandemic. Founded in 2020 in response to the acute crisis created by the COVID-19 shutdown of live music, NEMRF has given out over $500,000 in direct relief to musicians who lost work and continues to provide support for musicians in need.

Concert venues have reopened and musicians are back on stage adding joy to holiday festivities across the region, but the Delta and Omicron variants threaten the recovery. Last year's shutdown left many musicians in a deep financial hole, and this year-without federal pandemic assistance-looks to be equally daunting. Even with the holiday bustle, there are far fewer gigs than before the pandemic, which is especially concerning during the holiday season when professional musicians often earn a third or more of their annual income.

"We are thrilled to be back on stage doing what we love, but there is deep financial pain within the musician community," said Gabriel Langfur Rice, trombonist and president of the New England Musicians Relief Fund. "Medical bills, rent, child care, studio time, and the bills that were put off during the pandemic are adding up to a financial crisis for too many of our colleagues."

For those musicians who continue to persevere, the threat of extraordinary hardship looms larger than ever, especially with the expiration of unemployment and other pandemic assistance. The road to recovery for live music and professional musicians will be long. NEMRF is committed to helping musicians facing hardship for years to come, acting as a safety net for musicians facing extraordinary expenses or catastrophic income loss.

The New England Musicians Relief Fund is currently accepting applications from musicians facing extraordinary hardship. Musicians can apply for relief funds at NEMRF.org/apply.

Supporters wishing to make a tax-deductible donation to the New England Musicians Relief Fund may do so at NEMRF.org/takeaction.

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