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Coachella 2019

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BREAKING: Coachella 2020 Postponed Amid Coronavirus Concerns

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The fest will now take place Oct. 9,10 and 11, and Oct. 16,17 and 18
Jennifer Velez
GRAMMYs
Mar 10, 2020 - 4:17 pm

Goldenvoice has officially postponed the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival due to coronavirus concerns. The fest will now take place Oct. 9,10 and 11, and Oct. 16,17 and 18.

Goldenvoice rescheduled the popular music fest at the direction of Riverside County and local health authorities, they said in a statement. Stagecoach, which was scheduled to happen the weekend after Coachella weekend 2, will now take place Oct. 23, 24 and 25. 

All ticket purchases will be honored on new dates, Goldenvoice said. People who cannot attend new dates will be notified how to obtain refunds by Friday, March 13. 

Going Viral: The Music Industry Grapples With The Worldwide Coronavirus Outbreak

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Renée Fleming 

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Renée Fleming Webinar Series To Explore Impact Of Music And Arts On Human Health And The Brain

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Music and Mind Live with Renée Fleming will feature scientists and practitioners in the "intersection music, neuroscience, and healthcare"
Jennifer Velez
MusiCares
May 19, 2020 - 2:12 pm

GRAMMY-winning soprano Renée Fleming will launch a webinar series exploring the impact of music and arts on human health and the brain.

Music and Mind Live with Renée Fleming will feature scientists and practitioners in the "intersection music, neuroscience, and healthcare" including child development, pain and anxiety and management in conversation with the singer, according to a statement. The first webinar will happen Tuesday, May 19 at 5 p.m. EST/ 2 p.m. PST with Dr. Vivek Murthy. 

Murthy will discuss music, loneliness and isolation as well as his book, Together: The Healing Power of Human Connection in a Sometimes Lonely World. The series will also include a Q&A portion.

Fleming, an arts and health advocate, said now is the time to talk about how art impacts health. 

"Research is revealing amazing things about the way arts influence human health and the brain,” Fleming said in a statement. “With our working lives halted, the covid-19 pandemic has also fostered an explosion of creativity and good will. What better time to examine our need as human beings to create and experience the arts, and the basis of this in science?"

Fleming's role as the Artistic Advisor to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in partnership with the National Institutes of Health and the National Endowment for the Arts inspired her to create the series..

The webinars can be watched live on Facebook. Those who cannot tune into the livestream can catch a replay on the Kennedy Center's website. The live episodes can also be watched on the Kennedy Center's Facebook and YouTube. 

See the full schedule of the series below:

May 19 – “Music, Loneliness, and Isolation”
Vivek H. Murthy, MD (former US Surgeon General, author)
 
May 26 – "Community of Voices, Sound and Music Perception, and a Resource for the Future"- 
Julene Johnson, PhD and Charles Limb, MD (University of California San Francisco); Sunil Iyengar (National Endowment for the Arts)
 
June 2 – “At Home with Children: Musical Tool Kit”
Miriam Lense, PhD, (Vanderbilt University Music Cognition Lab); Sara Beck, PhD (Randolph College)
 
June 9 – "Integrative Approach to COVID-19 and the Mind" 
Deepak Chopra, MD (The Chopra Foundation)
 
June 16 – "Using Music for Health and Wellbeing during COVID-19"
Wendy Magee, PhD (Temple University); Tom Sweitzer, MMT, MT-BC (A Place to Be)

3 Songs That Are Helping Me Manage My Mental Health During Quarantine

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Songathon Prompt Challenge​ Aims To Raise COVID-19 Relief Awareness Through Songwriting

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Voting will take place from May 2–10, and the winners will be announced on Monday, May 11
Jennifer Velez
GRAMMYs
Apr 30, 2020 - 10:00 am

Usually, Songathon brings together songwriters for a 24-hour in-person songwriting competition. With coronavirus (COVID-19) having changed lives all around the world, the organization wants writers to use their talents to spread social distancing awareness and aid pandemic relief through an online contest.

This month, the New York City-based organization, whose mission is to empower and provide resources to songwriters, wants writers to pen songs around social distancing in the hopes of spreading awareness about its importance, as COVID-19 spreads through close contact.

"Social distancing has been a way that everyone can contribute to lowering the rate of infection, which we believe is essential to keeping everyone safe," Songathon founders Noah Hyams and Amber Ward told the Recording Academy in a statement.

More than a third of the world is currently under some form of lockdown and even as parts of the United States begin to reopen, social distancing continues to be encouraged. Hyams and Ward want songwriters to be inspired by it in whatever way they wish. "Songwriters can relate to the prompt and there is the opportunity for it to be interpreted in a multitude of ways: from staying away from loved ones to learning to cope with isolation," they continued.  

In addition, they hope to add support for GlobalGiving’s Coronavirus Relief Fund by uniting the songwriting community and using music as a tool.

"We’re incredibly excited about bringing together the global songwriting community for such an urgent cause. Music has the power to heal, bring us together, and spread a message,” Hyams and Ward said in a statement to the media.

Competitors are being asked to write a song and record a video of it. Singer/songwriter RuthAnne, who has written songs for Britney Spears, JoJo and Niall Horan, Los Angeles-based rock duo The Score and indie artist and singer/songwriter VÉRITÉ will judge a portion of the competition, while an online audience will judge another​.

A Judges' Choice Award and an Audience Choice Award (to be chosen by public voting beginning on May 2) will be the sought after titles. Prices include guest judges private mentoring sessions, a free Q&A session with global rights performing organization AllTrack and more. 

The competition ends on Friday, May 1. The public will vote May 2–10, and the winners will be announced Monday, May 11. Competitors must be 18 years of age or older. To see rules, prizes and how to participate, go here

Beyoncé & Megan Thee Stallion's "Savage Remix" To Benefit Houston COVID-19 Relief

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Photo: AFP PHOTO / ROBYN BECK (Photo credit should read ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images

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Facebook Will Allow Artists To Make Revenue From Livestreams

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Creators will be able to charge for livestreams and add donation button to live videos
Jennifer Velez
GRAMMYs
Apr 28, 2020 - 2:06 pm

As a direct result of COVID-19, many more artists and creators have taken to Facebook Live to host livestreams as a way to connect to followers, make money or raise funds for charities. Facebook has taken note and now wants to make it easier for creators to take advantage of their platform, including when it comes to making money.

The social-media platform giant announced on April 24 that it would integrate new features across Facebook, Instagram and Portal to help users connect more efficiently. Among its new features, Facebook announced messenger rooms, "virtual dates" on Facebook Dating and the option to charge for access to live performances and other livestream events.

"To support creators and small businesses, we plan to add the ability for Pages to charge for access to events with Live videos on Facebook – anything from online performances to classes to professional conferences," the platform said in a statement. 

Creators will also be allowed to add a donate button "to live video wherever nonprofit fundraisers are available." As livestreaming has become a major way to connect with masses of people, Facebook said it saw a 50 percent increase in Facebook Live viewers from the U.S. from February to March. 

To read about all the new features for users and creators, read Facebook's announcement here. 

Mexican Summer Launches New COVID-19 Single Series

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Photo: Guillaume Payen/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

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Bandcamp Will Continue To Waive Its Revenue Shares On May 1, June 5 & July 3

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On May 1, June 5 and July 3, musicians on the platform will receive 100 percent of revenue for all music and merchandise sales
Jennifer Velez
GRAMMYs
Apr 27, 2020 - 4:22 pm

Bandcamp has announced that it will continue to waive its revenue fees on specific dates in support of musicians as the COVID-19 pandemic continues.

The music publishing platform will waive its revenue share on the first Friday of every month from midnight to midnight Pacific Standard Time on all sales over the next few months. On May 1, June 5 and July 3, musicians on the platform will receive 100 percent of revenue for music and merchandise. Typically, Bandcamp keeps 15 percent of revenue for digital sales and 10 percent for merchandise.

Musicians across the country have experienced loss of income, particularly where live music is concerned, a major revenue stream for many. On March 20, the platform first waived its fees, with the exclusion of artists subscription payments and vinyl pressing campaign pledges, for 24 hours to aid musicians' income. As a result, Bandcamp earned $4.3 million worth of music and merch. Co-Founder and CEO Ethan Diamond said the revenue was thanks to fans who were "buying 11 items per second" that day. 

The platform understands the effects of the pandemic won't be over soon and wants to continue supporting music artists. "It may sound simple, but the best way to help artists is with your direct financial support, and we hope you’ll join us through the coming months as we work to support artists in this challenging time," Diamond said in a statement. 

MORE RESOURCES FOR MUSIC CREATORS & PROFESSIONALS:

Resources For Music Creators & Professionals Affected By COVID-19: West Region
Resources For Music Creators & Professionals Affected By COVID-19: East Region
Resources For Music Creators & Professionals Affected By COVID-19: South Region

Recording Academy And MusiCares Establish COVID-19 Relief Fund