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GRAMMYs

Nikki Yanofsky

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Quarantine Diaries: Jazz-Pop Player Nikki Yanofsky quarantine-diaries-jazz-pop-upstart-nikki-yanofsky-listening-marvin-gaye-watching-curb

Quarantine Diaries: Jazz-Pop Upstart Nikki Yanofsky Is Listening To Marvin Gaye & Watching "Curb Your Enthusiasm"

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As the coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic continues to rock the music industry, the Recording Academy reached out to a few musicians to see how they were spending their days indoors
GRAMMYs
Apr 13, 2020 - 10:50 am

As the coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic continues to rock the music industry, the Recording Academy reached out to a few musicians to see how they were spending their days indoors. Today, jazz-pop performer Nikki Yanofsky, who will release her third studio album, Black Sheep, on July 10, shares her Quarantine Diary.

Wednesday, April 1

[8 a.m.-10 a.m.] Asleep. Sleep is really good for the immune system, right?? That’s what I tell myself anyway. You have to justify it somehow. I haven’t slept in like this since I was a teenager.

[10 a.m.-12 p.m.] I get up, wash up, put on my best suit (sweatsuit) and let my dog Bruce outside. I feed him, put on some music (this morning it was Marvin Gaye’s Trouble Man), make a coffee and catch up on my emails! I have some things to work on for Reddit, American Songwriter and SiruisXM Volume today. There seem to be so many amazing initiatives to help support the fight against COVID-19 from home.

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[12 p.m.-2 p.m.] I hop on my Peloton bike at 12. Everyone laughed at me when I got it because most people my age enjoy going out to the gym, but who's laughing now!? (No one. No one is laughing.) I do a 30-minute class and then tune in to an Instagram live with a local trainer that has been streaming barre classes. I do that for 45 minutes, shower and eat some brunch.

Today I ate whatever fruit I could find (apples, oranges and grapes) along with some scrambled eggs. (I'm on my best behavior today because I know I have to write about it. Yesterday I had pancakes with half a bottle of maple syrup. I’ll share that picture instead.)

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[2 p.m.-4 p.m.] I do my vocal warm-ups, sing along to some of my new album (shameless plug, but Black Sheep comes out July 10) to keep me ready for any postponed shows I have when this is all over. I FaceTime my parents to make sure they're doing all right.

[4 p.m.-6 p.m.] I proceed to lock myself in my little "home studio" (legit just a midi piano hooked up to logic) to write. By the time I lift my head up, it’s 6 p.m. and I realize I have to feed Bruce his dinner.

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[6 p.m.-8 p.m.] I feed Bruce, feed myself (dinner is a chickpea pasta with mushrooms, black olives and tomatoes. I guess I’m a chef in quarantine?) and go back to work.

[8 p.m.-10 p.m.] I don’t keep my phone with me when I’m "in the studio" (hahaha it’s just a room) but at around 9:30 p.m. it occurs to me I should probably check it. My manager texted me to ask if I have done even one of the things he has asked me to do in quarantine. I tell him I'm on it, but really I am still writing.

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[10 p.m.-12 a.m.] By now I’ve forgotten what he asked me to do (it was to make sure my mic is set up for a live stream) and I get into bed, put on old episodes of "Curb Your Enthusiasm" until I fall asleep. Very exciting day!! Guess what I’m doing tomorrow!?! The exact same thing!

If you wish to support our efforts to assist music professionals in need, learn more about the Recording Academy's and MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund.

If you are a member of the music industry in need of assistance, visit the MusiCares website. 

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Lisa Loeb

Photo courtesy of Lisa Loeb

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Quarantine Diaries: Lisa Loeb quarantine-diaries-lisa-loeb-celebrating-25-years-stay-i-missed-you-watching-rupauls

Quarantine Diaries: Lisa Loeb Is Celebrating 25 Years Of "Stay (I Missed You)" & Watching "RuPaul's Drag Race"

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The GRAMMY-winning '90s mainstay is also releasing a new music video featuring Michelle Branch, "Doesn't It Feel Good"
GRAMMYs
Sep 23, 2020 - 8:22 am

As the coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic continues to rock the music industry, GRAMMY.com reached out to a few musicians to see how they were spending their days indoors. Today, GRAMMY-winning indie-pop/rock favorite Lisa Loeb shares her Quarantine Diary. Lisa Loeb's latest studio album A Simple Trick To Happiness is out now. Watch Lisa's new video, "Doesn't It Feel Good" featuring Michelle Branch and directed by Jessa Zapor-Gray, exclusively on GRAMMY.com below. 

[7:00 a.m.] I start off the day early before the kids get up, to feed my 19-year-old diabetic Tortie cat and give her insulin, drink a strong coffee (Lisa Loeb Wake Up! blend, of course, perfect flavor and strong with milk and sugar), Ezekiel Bread toast with almond butter and super fruit jelly, and a walk outside before the day begins. The sun shines pink through the window at the top of the stairs at my house in Los Angeles. You can see the sunscreen on my nose, because it’s early and I always wear my sunscreen, but was probably too tired to notice I didn’t finish blending.

[7:45 a.m.] I make the kids breakfast, something like bagels or pancakes, fruit, bacon, yogurt, and hope that they eat it before they get into their virtual classes.

[9:30 a.m.] while my 8-year-old, Emet, has a break, I take a tap class—distanced, in the back yard, with masks. I love walking, dance classes and strength training, most of which is happening online, but I finally moved the tap class into the back patio with a couple of like-minded moms. Connecting with humans, safely, set to music, really lightens things up. 

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[1:00 p.m.] After I make lunch, the kids go back to their virtual school. I stay in earshot of my son while trying to scoot into my office to answer a million emails and stay on top of the myriad projects I have going on: a new family friendly children's album, new songs for a new grown-up album, voice-over auditions, fan club vinyl signing of my 25th anniversary no. 1 song, "Stay (I Missed You)," which was also GRAMMY-nominated!

[4:00 p.m.] Later, after the kids are done with their school, I change clothes, turn on the bright lights, set up the gear, and start pre-recording events and concerts. There are so many virtual events happening all over the country: from voting events to women’s cancer and lupus, I’m honored to play all of them, and people have been reaching out to musicians a lot. Sometimes the events are live, but often they’re prerecorded, so I’ve become a pro with lighting, makeup, hair and audio, and really trying to get our wi-fi up to speed—literally. 

Sometimes I have fan club events online, watch-alongs, or live concerts, including two concerts in which I’ll be playing my entire Tails album acoustically on Sept. 26 on the LoopedLive app, to celebrate the 25th anniversary of its release. Here I am pre-recording a TV appearance for a Ziggy Marley duet that will air on the Kelly Clarkson show, then I’ll finish up with an appearance for a Hallmark special to honor Hero Dogs. 

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There’s usually a number of Cameo shout-out requests that have come in at this point for birthdays, anniversaries, or just uplifting message, and I try to squeeze them in before I make dinner for the kids. Or if I’m smart, order in Thai food!

[7:30 p.m.] After dinner, Emet watches part of an Avengers movie with my husband, Roey. I cuddle with my daughter, Lyla and our aforementioned cat, Sweetie McGee, while we eat ice cream with chocolate chips and watch "RuPaul’s Drag Race." 

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[8:30 p.m.] Then it’s up to bed to brush teeth, get in the PJs and read with each kid, if it’s not too late, and then time to finish up some work, clean the kitchen and get in bed to read. I’m an avid reader, and during the distancing orders, I’ve been able to read more than ever. Then, time for sleep, and to set the alarm for the next day to see what it will bring.

Making Heads Or 'Tails' Of Success: Lisa Loeb Celebrates 25 Years Of Her Major-Label Debut Album

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Rufus Wainwright

Rufus Wainwright

Photo: Barbara FG (Cleared for any usage with credit)

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Rufus Wainwright & More On Their Favorite Venues sacred-spaces-rufus-wainwright-yungblud-keb-mo-and-others-reflect-independent-venues

Sacred Spaces: Rufus Wainwright, YUNGBLUD, Keb' Mo' And Others Reflect On The Independent Venues And Clubs That Changed Their Lives

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As the majority of the live concert industry across the world remains on pause, GRAMMY.com chatted with a handful of artists about their cherished concert memories at some of their favorite clubs and venues
David McPherson
GRAMMYs
Aug 3, 2020 - 6:00 am

Though it's been more than 50 years since Café Au Go Go closed, Blood, Sweat & Tears frontman David Clayton-Thomas still recalls the cultural significance of this famed NYC basement bar. Formerly located at 152 Bleecker St. and operating from 1964-1969, the Greenwich Village hotspot hosted everyone from Cream, with Eric Clapton, to Jimi Hendrix.

"It was the place to be in those days," Clayton-Thomas reflects. "That is where Blood, Sweat & Tears started. We became the house band for a couple of months while recording our first album at CBS Studios on 52nd Street. We would work the club at night and record during the day. It's hard to forget a club like that. It will always be a part of my wonderful memories of New York."   

It's not a stretch to say that the resulting Blood, Sweat & Tears self-titled 1968 album, which has sold 10 million copies worldwide and won the GRAMMY for Album Of The Year in 1970, would exist today without the band's experience at this small yet renowned club. 

Clayton-Thomas' story illustrates exactly how independent music venues are more than four walls. Within the confines of these cramped clubs is a shared cultural history and community: collective stories of unforgettable nights watching your favorite bands and artists perform. The spirits of these artists—some long gone—are forever etched in the wood and ingrained in the stain-filled dance floors.

Exterior of Café Au Go Go in NYC in 1965

Exterior of Café Au Go Go in NYC in 1965 | Photo: Don Paulsen/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the live music ecosystem, already hit hard by rising real estate prices, gentrification and urban sprawl, entered crisis mode. Seminal clubs across North America, from L.A.'s historic Troubadour to Toronto's legendary Horseshoe Tavern, lie silent. 

Like concertgoers, club and venue owners, too, are eagerly awaiting the return of live music. In the interim, these entrepreneurs do what they can to keep their businesses afloat: Some launched GoFundMe fundraisers, while others turned to social media, patrons and local and federal government for financial support. The politicians are starting to hear these pleas. 

Earlier this month, the U.K. government announced a £1.57 billion (approximately $2 billion) aid package for the arts, culture and heritage industries. In the U.S., a pair of senators introduced a relief bill: the Save Our Stages Act. The Recording Academy is also endorsing a pair of solutions: the RESTART Act and the Mixed Earner Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Act.     

The sad reality: Without the leniency of landlords and the passing of stimulus acts by governments, many iconic clubs and independent venues will not survive the financial fallout caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Even with these lifelines, the outlook could be grim. According to a survey from the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) last month, which surveyed nearly 2,000 music professionals across the U.S., 90 percent of independent venue owners, promoters and bookers said they will have to close permanently within the next few months if they do not receive financial relief from the government. 

As the majority of the live concert industry across the world remains on pause, GRAMMY.com chatted with a handful of artists, including Rufus Wainwright, YUNGBLUD, Keb' Mo' and others, about their cherished concert memories at some of their favorite clubs and venues.

Rufus Wainwright

Venue(s): The Troubadour and Coronet Theatre in Los Angeles, Calif.; McCabe's Guitar Shop in Santa Monica, Calif.; The Town Crier in Beacon, N.Y.; Ursa, owned by his sister Martha Wainwright, in Montreal, Quebec 

Rufus Wainwright

Rufus Wainwright performs in Austin, Texas | Photo: Barbara FG (Cleared for any usage with credit)

Self-isolating these days at his home in Los Angeles finds GRAMMY-nominated singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright spending time practicing more, especially the piano. "I've been able to dive into the technical forest," he tells GRAMMY.com. Before the pandemic hit, he was on tour and starting the promotion cycle for his newest album, Unfollow The Rules, which he released last month via BMG. He booked gigs at many clubs, including The Troubadour, to promote the record. Then he had to cancel them. 

"The Troubadour, for me, is especially poignant," Wainwright says. "I performed there a couple of times over the years, and I've seen many shows there. We were set to play there at the beginning of this tour. This album is very much influenced by the history of Laurel Canyon [in Los Angeles], songwriting and Hollywood, and we had this symbolic show booked at The Troubadour to emulate some of the grand history that occurred in that venue. Sadly, that opportunity got ripped away when the pandemic struck." 

Read: Beginnings And Endings With Rufus Wainwright

Other touchstone venues for Wainwright in the L.A. area include: The Coronet Theatre, now Largo At The Coronet, where he regularly performed early in his career and McCabe's Guitar Shop on Pico Boulevard in Santa Monica, where the artist played a series of shows before the pandemic hit. 

"I am familiar with the smaller-venue situation mainly because my parents started out playing in coffeehouses in the 1960s and '70s," Wainwright says. "Places like the Caffè Lena in Saratoga Springs, [N.Y.], and The Iron Horse Music Hall in Northampton, Mass., are all part of the really vital, socially important folk music movement my parents [Loudon Wainwright III and Kate McGarrigle] were a part of in the 1960s. For a lot of artists, these venues are like a trampoline that can catch your fall when you aren't necessarily the flavor of the month. I grew up witnessing this dynamic, and I started out in smaller venues. To dominate that dynamic is really important and harder than you think. A lot of big artists cannot play a small venue … it's too scary and too intimate, but I love them!"  

YUNGBLUD

Venue(s): The Crowndale in Camden Town, London, England; The Lock Tavern in London, England; The Electric Ballroom in Camden Town, London, England

YUNGBLUD performs at the Electric Ballroom in 2019

YUNGBLUD performs at the Electric Ballroom in 2019 | Photo: Matthew Baker/Getty Images

Born in Doncaster, Yorkshire, British rocker YUNGBLUD left home at 16 and moved to London. "I ran away because the north of England is not a place for a kid in lipstick playing rock 'n' roll," he says. Once settled in the south, he discovered the live music mecca of Camden Town, north of England's capital. 

"These venues shaped what I am as an artist today," he says. "I remember walking into Camden Town for the first time and my mind exploded; it was everything I ever wanted. It was Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory. I had a golden ticket to everything I read about: The Libertines, Amy Winehouse, etc. I used to skive off work to get coffees and go to Camden for hours, telling my dad I had been mugged! 

Read: Yungblud Talks Turning His Tour Postponement Into An Online Rock & Roll Variety Show

"Camden was really a big turning point in my career," he continues. "I've played every tiny venue in Camden, from The Crowndale for 10 people to a sold-out show at The Lock Tavern where Amy Winehouse played early in her career and who is a massive inspiration to me. She taught me being you is good enough. Later, I played the Electric Ballroom to 1,500 people. The Camden Assembly, formerly The Barfly, is where my guitar player [Adam Warrington] and I really connected and when we figured out we were going to play music together for the rest of our lives, bonding over our love of Joy Division, Blur, N.W.A, Foo Fighters and David Bowie.

"When I think about Camden, that spirit, and every show I've played in the clubs there, I remember why I'm here and what I'm doing it for … it's all about the passion!" 

Colin Linden

Venue: The Legendary Horseshoe Tavern
City: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Opened: 1947

Colin Linden (R) with Robbie Robertson (L) performing at the Legendary Horseshoe Tavern in approximately 1989

Colin Linden (R) with Robbie Robertson (L) performing at the Legendary Horseshoe Tavern in approximately 1989 | Courtesy Photo: Colin Linden

These days, Canadian blues artist Colin Linden lives in Nashville, Tenn., but Toronto is where he cut his teeth. The GRAMMY-nominated songwriter and producer grew up fast, sitting in as an underage teen with local legends like Willie P. Bennett and David Wilcox at small clubs around town. Today, Linden figures this is the longest time he has gone without a gig in his 48-year career. "I feel a real need to connect with people," Linden says. 

Toronto's legendary Horseshoe Tavern is Linden's seminal venue. He still has a scar on his forehead from a time he played The Shoe in the mid-1980s and bounded off the stage a little too recklessly. And in the early 1990s, he played there frequently with a secret band, which included Bruce Cockburn, called Bambi And The Deer Hunters. 

"It is the place where I started playing as a kid and kept on playing over many years," Linden recalls. "It was an important venue long before I ever set foot in there. It's a place where I've had a lot of laughter and a lot of tears. When I think about the Horseshoe Tavern, I think about so many things. I remember sitting in the back alley in booker Peter Graham's car, playing him my demo and talking over my mistakes. I really wanted a gig there." 

The most memorable night for Linden at this venue happened on March 13, 1989, when he shared the stage with The Band members Rick Danko, Garth Hudson and Robbie Robertson. "That was such an amazing night," Linden thinks back. "I remember Robbie getting offstage and asking me, 'How can you guys hear anything?' I realized he had not been on a stage in more than 10 years and forgot how loud it gets in a club!"

Keb' Mo'

Venue: Harvelle's
City: Santa Monica, CA
Opened: 1931

Harvelle's

Harvelle's | Photo: John M. Heller/Getty Images

Harvelle's, a popular West Coast blues club with a long history, is where Kevin Roosevelt Moore started playing in 1992 before he was known as Keb' Mo' and before he had a record deal. His first audition to play the historic venue failed. Later, he landed a gig at the club through a friend who needed a guitarist. After that, Moore played the venue regularly for years. One Tuesday, Moore was performing when television producer and composer Chuck Lorre was in the audience; an introduction led Moore to land the theme song for the popular CBS sitcom, "Mike & Molly."

"It's very important to maintain the local watering holes of our country," Moore, who this year took home a GRAMMY for Best Americana Album for his 2019 album, Oklahoma, explains. "For me, Harvelle's is the place where I figured out who I was. Harvelle's is where I became 'Keb' Mo'.' If not for Harvelle's, I, and many other artists I know, would not be where we are today. It's so important to make sure these local places that feed the community—socially, culturally, and artfully in a musical way—remain open. When you take away the starting point for musicians, you take away the connection. It's the local pubs and the local dives that make us who we are.

Watch: Keb' Mo' Reflects On The Journey To His 'TajMo' GRAMMY Nomination

"Even today, Lady Gaga, Bruce Springsteen, etc., all want to do a dive [bar] tour because the dives are what's happening," he continues. "It's about connecting to the people. It's raw, it's honest and it's genuine. The place you have to be most genuine of any place is in a dive, because when you play a fancy theater, everyone comes to see you and is expecting something. In a dive, no one gives a crap about you, so you have to go to them and figure out how to connect and reach them. In a way, playing a dive is way more difficult than playing a concert. Harvelle's and all the dives, coffee shops [and] restaurants of the world are very important to creating that connection and community within the music business." 

Sarah Jarosz

Venue: The Cactus Café 
City: Austin, Texas
Opened: 1979

Sarah Jarosz

Sarah Jarosz performs at The Cactus Café in approximately 2006 | Photo: Steve Oleson

At 29, New York City-based American Roots singer-songwriter Sarah Jarosz has already won three GRAMMYs. (Her newest album, World On The Ground, released in June, features production from five-time GRAMMY winner John Leventhal.) Jarosz shares her love for The Cactus Café, one of the storied music clubs situated on the campus of the University Of Texas At Austin in her hometown. The venue has hosted a who's who of Texas songwriting legends and bands over the years, from Townes Van Zandt and Guy Clark to The Chicks and Nickel Creek.

Read: Sarah Jarosz Graduates to GRAMMY Winner with 'Undercurrent'

"Since I'm not able to play shows on the road right now, I've naturally turned my thoughts to some of the first venues I began playing in," Jarosz says. "I have a particular fondness for The Cactus Café. That's the first club I remember my parents taking me to as a little kid, even when it was way past my bedtime. I remember the smell of the coffee brewing, the clinking of the glasses at the bar tucked into the back corner, the warmth of being surrounded by kindred spirits and music-lovers. 

"Venues like The Cactus are sacred spaces," she adds. "For the hour or two that you're inside them, the outside world disappears, and musicians and listeners alike find solace in the energy and the sounds."

Jane Bunnett

Venue: Jazz Showcase
City: Chicago, Ill.
Opened: 1947

Jane Bunnett performs at Jazz Showcase in Chicago, Ill.

Jane Bunnett performs at Jazz Showcase in Chicago, Ill. | Photo: Jim Funk

Jane Bunnett, 63, is a soprano saxophonist, bandleader and three-time GRAMMY nominee. The most recent ensemble the Toronto artist assembled is the all-female, GRAMMY-nominated Afro-Cuban jazz group, Jane Bunnett & Maqueque. 

She holds a special place in her heart for Chicago's Jazz Showcase, started by Joe Segal in 1947. Legends from John Coltrane to Miles Davis have played this historic club. Today, you'll still find the 94-year-old NEA Jazz Master Segal hanging around, but his son, Wayne, runs the day-to-day operations. 

The first time Bunnett tried to sit in and play at Jazz Showcase in the late 1980s, Joe refused to let her play. Flash ahead a decade. Bunnett was back in the Windy City for the Chicago Jazz Festival. After her set, musician Ira Sullivan introduced her to Joe, who didn't recall the incident. Amends were made. In the last five years, the club has become a regular anticipated stop for Bunnett & Maqueque; they were scheduled for another gig there this spring before the pandemic hit.

Read: 'Bitches Brew' At 50: Why Miles Davis' Masterpiece Remains Impactful

"I've got incredible memories of playing that room," Bunnett says. "Right behind the bandstand is a beautiful 10-by-12-foot photograph of Charlie Parker. I remember the first night I'm up on that stage, it was such a joyous moment. Joe sat right in front of my percussionist and just stared. I looked around the room at all the paraphernalia and history and just soaked it in. There I was with a bunch of young Cuban kids in their early 20s who didn't have a clue of who many of the artists pictured on the walls were."

Sierra Hull

Venue: The Station Inn
City: Nashville, Tenn.
Opened: 1974

Sierra Hull (R) performs with Justin Moses (L) at The Station Inn in Nashville, Tenn.

Sierra Hull (R) performs with Justin Moses (L) at The Station Inn in Nashville, Tenn. | Courtesy Photo: Sierra Hull

At 28, bluegrass/roots artist Sierra Hull has already released four full-length albums. Her most recent, 25 Trips, released in February on Rounder Records, is the follow-up to her GRAMMY-nominated 2016 album, Weighted Mind. 

"It's easy to take for granted that a venue like The Station Inn will always be there," she says. "It's a staple of the Nashville community and a musical home for so many of us. I've been deeply inspired by the concerts I've seen by both legends and peers there, and have played the stage myself countless times over the years. It's the type of venue that is perfectly small and intimate yet with a history that makes it feel larger than life. 

Read: Sierra Hull Takes Her Place In Bluegrass History, Talks Legacy & New Music At Wide Open Bluegrass

"It really breaks my heart to know that venues we all love are struggling and could potentially go under during this pandemic. I hope and pray they can survive this for the sake of our community and the need we all have to gather together in places with so much history and meaning."

Ondara

Venue: Cedar Cultural Center
City: Minneapolis, Minn.
Opened: 1989

Cedar Cultural Center

Cedar Cultural Center | Photo: Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post via Getty Images

Ondara, previously known as J.S. Ondara, grew up in Nairobi, Kenya, listening to a lot of rock music before moving to the U.S. in 2013. His debut album, Tales Of America, released in 2019, received a nomination for Best Americana Album at the 2020 GRAMMYs. In May, the singer-songwriter released his follow-up, Folk N' Roll, Vol 1: Tales Of Isolation, an 11-song collection written and recorded by Ondara, in less than a week, while in lockdown in Minneapolis. The compositions speak to our times and collective quarantined experience. A direct response to the global pandemic, the album serves as therapy for Ondara. 

Before moving from Africa to America, Ondara had never been to a concert. His first show was at the Cedar Cultural Center, a Twin Cities live music hot spot for the past 30 years. It changed his life. 

Read: Kenyan Singer/Songwriter J.S. Ondara On Telling His Own 'Tales Of America' With Debut LP

"I was new to America, and I had spent some time with music unsuccessfully," he recalls. "Nothing was working out, so I decided to go to school. Halfway through my second semester, a friend invited me to a show to see Seattle singer-songwriter Noah Gundersen. I had a completely spiritual experience at that concert. I dropped out of school the following day and went back to focusing on my music and making my debut record. It was life-changing. The novelty of [it] being my first concert, along with my internal turmoil of my desires to be a musician being stifled, all played a part in the experience. It left a lasting impression. I honestly can't wait until I can be in a room full of people again and sing right in their faces." 

4 Independent Record Stores Across The U.S. Weigh In On Their Struggle To Survive During COVID-19

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Recording And Monetizing Music In The COVID-19 Era best-apps-tools-recording-and-monetizing-music-covid-19-era

The Best Apps & Tools For Recording And Monetizing Music In The COVID-19 Era

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Here's a rundown of some easy-to-use apps and tools for recording and monetizing your music in the COVID-19 era
GRAMMYs
Jun 9, 2020 - 3:04 pm

We are currently living in an unprecedented era around music creation and touring. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, all business has been forced to become remote, making it difficult for artists to maintain their usual level of activity. Of course, though the music landscape looks totally different right now, artists are finding new and innovative ways to get their music heard, be it through livestreams, engaging with fans via social media or launching subscription models that offer exclusive content to fans. To that end, here's a rundown of some exciting new apps and tools for recording and monetizing your music in the COVID-19 era. 

Recording Tools

There are plenty of social media options for getting your work out there: Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok and Twitch are just some of the possible platforms you can use to capture your recording. 

There's also a new all-in-one app called RMusic, which allows songwriters to collaboratively write music on the go. Not only does RMusic let you to record ideas directly onto a virtual project file, but you can punch in new lines, edit takes, invite other collaborators from your address book, type lyrics, undo takes and communicate with project members from within the app.

Live Broadcast & Streaming Channels

Facebook: According to a new Remote Musicians Handbook put together by the Berklee College of Music, Facebook is the best venue for livestreaming if your audience skews a little older. 

Instagram: Meanwhile, Instagram, which has a feature that allows other people to join your live stream as guests, is ideal for younger audiences. "Based on your social media engagement on each platform, you can make an informed decision about which platform will be best for your fans," the handbook writes. "Both of these are well-suited for unannounced livestreams as notifications will go out to engaged fans, as well as letting your fans know ahead of time when you will be streaming."

YouTube: Then there's YouTube, which offers a number of monetization options and scheduling tools, such as pre-stream and in-stream ads, donations and merch sales. YouTube will even notify your followers when you go live and will allow you to schedule a live stream ahead of time. And as the stream takes place, YouTube lets viewers ask questions and interact with the streamer. 

TikTok: If you're on the super music-friendly app TikTok, did you know that you can activate a live stream if you have more than 1,000 followers? Once watching your livestream, viewers can purchase stickers, and a portion of the money is donated to the streamer. According to the aforementioned handbook, on TikTok these purchases are made using "coins." Coins start at $0.99 for 65 coins and go up to $99.99 for 6,697 coins. In turn, users can buy stickers, called "Virtual Gifts," for anywhere from 1 to 100 coins.
     
Twitch: The video game streaming platform can be useful for engaging new fans. Because this app hosts as many as 4 million viewers at once (according to TwitchTracker) actively encourages discovering new streamers, artists can show up under Twitch's "Music & Performing Arts" section (with 2.3 million followers). Here, according to the handbook, "the music ranges from metal to violin covers to singer-songwriters, and is generally more diverse genre-wise than more mainstream platforms."

If you want to monetize your work on Twitch, know that streamers get paid when new subscribers follow them and viewers donate to the streamer. Some streamers use new followers and donations as mechanisms to unlock new content or segments. Some will take requests at certain follower count or donation levels, others run merch giveaways, or give followers access to exclusive content.

OBS Software: OBS (Open Broadcaster Software) is free and open source software for video recording and live streaming. Stream to Twitch, YouTube and many other providers.

Nugs.net: Get live music on demand. Nugs.net offers a collection of more than 15,000 full-length concert recordings from the likes of Pearl Jam, Widespread Panic, Umphrey’s McGee, Dead & Company and more. Try it free with a 30-day trial.

Houseparty: This social networking service enables group video chatting through mobile and desktop apps. Users receive a notification when friends are online and available to group video chat. 

StageIt: Founded in 2009, Stageit is a web-based performance venue that hosts paid livestreamed performances. Artists choose when they want to perform, for how long, and how much they want to charge. 

Crowdcast: This video platform hosts live video Q&As, interviews, summits, webinars and more.

Streamlabs: This streaming platform can stream audio to Twitch, YouTube and Facebook. 

BandsInTown: Use BandsInTown to promote your live stream shows. You can even engage new fans and monetize shows through BandsInTown's Twitch partnership.

Fan & Membership Platforms

Patreon: Patreon gives fans access to exclusive artist content for a monthly fee, might be the first option that comes to mind when it comes to fan and membership platforms. But Patreon is only the beginning. Gumroad lets creators offer digital and physical products for sale, while its dashboard provides insight into how your sales are doing and how fans are consuming your content.

Squarespace: Offers subscription products in their store, integrating directly with your website and can be sold alongside your other merch products. 

Shopify: For $40/month, Shopify offers apps that allow you to offer subscriptions from your Shopify ecommerce store, which is helpful if you are offering physical goods as part of your subscription. 

Bandzoogle: Sell music, merch, downloads  and tickets, commission-free. Once you add a store, you can start selling music, downloads, tickets and band merch. Monthly fees start at $8.29.

Ghost: With Ghost, which is free to join, you can publish content online, grow an audience with email newsletters and make money from premium memberships.

Memberful: Memberful helps independent publishers, educators, and creators sell memberships to their audience and build sustainable businesses. You can integrate with Wordpress, send email newsletters, create private podcasts and more. Pricing is free to start and goes up to $25 or $100 per month.

Digital Production Marketplaces, including licensing and sell music, samples, and custom sounds:

Splice: Splice Studio gives you access to millions of royalty-free samples, MIDI and presets on mobile, web and desktop for $7.99/mo. 

ScoreAScore: This music production, licensing and supervision company puts producers in need of original music directly in contact with the composers who create it.

Beatstars: Beatstars is an online marketplace to buy and sell beats.

Putting The Plan Into Action

Now that you have the tools, all you need is to put a plan into action. The Remote Musicians Handbook suggests that you first analyze your audience to get a sense of their social media profiles. Then, you may want to run an unnanounced test live stream, just to get a sense of who's showing up. Then, schedule a series of announced live streams on the platform(s) of your choice. Once livestreams are part of your routine, consider partnering with artist friends on YouTube where you can cross-promote each other's work. From there, consider monetizing your work on Patreon with exclusive content. All the while, to engage new fans, hop on music-discovery tools TikTok and Twitch.

Now that you have the resources to build a fully functional music online platform from the safety and comfort of your home, the rest is up to you. Good luck!   

How Musicians Are Staying Positive & Productive Amidst A Pandemic

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Dave Stewart

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Quarantine Diaries: Eurythmics' Dave Stewart quarantine-diaries-dave-stewart-playing-his-favorite-guitar-chatting-joss-stone-and

Quarantine Diaries: Dave Stewart Is Playing His Favorite Guitar & Chatting With Joss Stone And Gary Clark, Jr.

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As the coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic continues to rock the music industry, the Recording Academy reached out to a few musicians to see how they were spending their days indoors
GRAMMYs
May 15, 2020 - 11:35 am

As the coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic continues to rock the music industry, the Recording Academy reached out to a few musicians to see how they were spending their days indoors. Today, Eurythmics' Dave Stewart shares his Quarantine Diary.

The easiest way for me to describe my time in Lockdown is to break it down into one day. So I scribbled my schedule onto a whiteboard and I will explain below my 16 hours of awake time (although I do count "dream time" as awake time too… So let’s just say it’s 24 hours!).

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I live on a tiny island three miles long by half a mile wide, so it is very easy to do many things in a day as I’m not stuck in traffic jams or endless meetings. Luckily, there are no cases of Covid-19 virus that have been recorded here. The whole island is very aware and conscientious to stay safe and to keep it that way. 

Luckily, the Prime Minister of the Bahamas, Hubert Minnis, has a doctorate of medicine degree behind him and went on to serve as a consultant and Deputy Chief of Staff at Princess Margaret Hospital in Nassau. So as soon as he realized a pandemic was on the horizon he was quick to stop any cruise ships from docking and closed all airports and sea ports to all incoming passengers (both Bahamian and non-Bahamian). Additionally, all residents are in lockdown with strict instructions. We receive very informative statements and updates daily via email from his office. 

The population on the Island is around 2,000 and a very clever method of grocery shopping was put into effect by using family surnames and tieing everyone’s shopping allowance to only certain times on certain days, which really worked to stop panic shopping. The Island has been isolated for over eight weeks now and people are allowed to exercise outdoors and basically get on with life, but unfortunately all the hotels and restaurants are closed, as well as the smaller boutique hotels. The hotel/restaurant/bar closures are causing major difficulties for the people on the Island as tourism is the main source of employment. Many of us are contributing to gofundme campaigns and the like to allow people to receive some much-needed relief. Everyone is helping each other like a small village should—in fact like the whole world should and would if it wasn’t for political madness. "This land is your land and this land is my land, sure, but the world is run by those that never listen to music anyway." Bob Dylan said that before Obama came into power. I like Barack's 2019 playlist he even put in "Toast” by Koffee from Jamaica—she’s one of my favorite artists at the moment.

So that is the context of where I am right now and the kind of lockdown life I’m living along with my wife Anoushka and my daughter Indya. Indya has just turned 18 the day before my diary below, and is in the process of graduating high school (now online). Two of my other children, Kaya and Django, had to decide to leave quickly when Dr. Innis gave a 48-hour ultimatum to fly back to the U.S.A. or plan on staying for an indefinite amount of time. My son Sam has already been in lockdown in California for more than six weeks and has been using his time isolated working on film music. Both Kaya and Django are also artists and have new EPs being released and like all artists were planning on performing live, which we all know now will not be for at least a few years (or not without a vaccine). 

As you will see on my whiteboard photo, the first thing on the Agenda was to call Gary Clark Jr., but I have a very strict ritual before I do anything which is: 

[8:30 a.m.] Wake up and answer some important e-mails from the U.K. Most of these are from illustrators or designers working on stuff and I always look forward to seeing how things are progressing. Usually there are a few from Laurence Stevens (I’ve worked with Laurence since 1982). In fact, Laurence's first job was Eurythmics' Sweet Dreams album cover and all the single covers. He was fresh out of college and he went on to do every Eurythmics album cover after that and many more U.K. acts. Check him out.

[9 a.m.] Slowly drink a large glass of coconut water with a small amount of fresh fruit and a small cup of green tea and meditate a bit.

[10 a.m.] I shout "Brian" over the fence (Brian is my best mate from Jamaica). Then me, Brian, and on odd days, my wife Anoushka, go to Pink Sands beach (Brian and I do this every morning religiously) and we walk the length of the beach and swim in the turquoise sea. It’s a dream I had as a kid in Sunderland N.E. England where it's raining and cold most of the time, so I never take this morning dip for granted.  

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[11a.m.] Back to the house on the harbour side to make "rocket fuel" coffee. By now Jaden, or Chef Fatz, as he is known, our 22-year-old genius Bahamian chef, arrives with ideas for breakfast (which are always great). So I never really start work until noon. Whilst breakfast is on the go or sometimes before the beach I make up ridiculous gambling games with two or three local people who work at my house and recording studio. These gambling games can be anything from catching a lime or lemon on a sharp knife whilst blindfolded or throwing dice that have devils and skulls instead of numbers. It’s very confusing who won but there’s a lot of laughing and I usually lose and pay up a dollar or two during the process.
  
[12 p.m.] On this particular day (actually every day from 12 noon onwards is mayhem and randomly different), my list said to call Gary Clark Jr. and various other people about a special animated Blues Movie that Orianthi and I have created. Gary didn’t pick up the call so I moved on to calling Otto, who is in Wales. Otto recently won a songwriting competition I did in partnership with this great eight-track recording app called Trackd. I told Otto not only did he win but I wanted to sign him to my new independent label called Bay Street Records. So he was very excited about that and we discussed his music and timings, etc.

[1 p.m.] Now I could call and wake people up in Los Angeles without feeling guilty. So I called Chris Champeau, who works for me as an Editor/Director/SpecialEffects/WebMaster and all-around genius. Chris is working on about five different things at once for me—all of which have a sense of urgency as release dates are approaching fast. We chat about the nine videos Thomas Lindsey and I are shooting in Lockdown (Stewart Lindsey, as we are known, have our first single being released on the 15th May called "Liberation"). After going through changes to that first video, we chat about the special project I have been working on with Beverley Knight: a U.K. legend and the best soul singer in the U.K.! I have created a unique story/script full of music and Beverley will play the lead character, as well as writing many songs with me, which will appear in the series. Chris is editing the stuff we already shot with Beverley in Los Angeles—literally days before the pandemic news broke out.

[2 p.m.] I have an arranged House Party call with Joss Stone (we used the House Party app in "locked" mode with just us in it, as it seems a bit better while we are writing together—which is usually with me on guitar and Joss singing in real time). It has less latency (meaning that weird out of synch delay that is impossible to stay in time with each other). Joss and I are halfway through writing the songs and music for Lauren Gunderson’s musical script of "The Time Traveler's Wife," based on the best-selling book of the same name.

Joss and I always have a great laugh when we work together and we have worked together since Joss was about 16 years old. Our first time recording together was her singing "Alfie" (for the movie of the same name) which I scored with Mick Jagger (Mick and I won a Golden Globe for best song in a movie with "Old Habits Die Hard"). Joss sang "Alfie" and Mick and I thought she was so good we went in the bathroom for 10 minutes and wrote another song called "Lonely Without You (This Christmas)" just so Joss could sing it as a duet with Mick! It turned out great! Joss and I work really fast together and we once wrote the James Bond Playstation game starting at around 10 a.m. one morning before a Superheavy recording session started. Anyway, we have made two albums together and have never stopped laughing and we didn’t stop laughing on this call! 

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[3:30 p.m.] I called Annie [Lennox] about our UNICEF WON'T STOP appearance and we chatted about the making of our little film we had to shoot together. But at 6,000 miles apart! Annie sent me her test film that she shot on her phone and we laughed about the complications of balancing our phones on top of books and many objects trying to film oneself. Her test film worked well, so I then went down to my studio in the basement and played my 12-string guitar part and filmed it so Annie could hear it in her ear piece and sing and play along in time. We then sent this off to UNICEF to be fitted into the special they were making called UNICEF WON’T STOP—a virtual global special.

[4 p.m.] I started my interview with Paul Zollo from American Songwriter magazine. Paul and I have talked many times before as he worked on my book "Sweet Dreams Are Made Of This (A Life in Music)." Paul also wrote the epic "Songwriters on Songwriting" series of books as well as a great book on my late great friend and collaborator Tom Petty. I don’t like repeating myself and as Paul has interviewed me a few times before we chatted first about the pandemic situation and our different experiences. Once we’d agreed this was a disaster for everybody involved in live music, as well as a disaster for everybody in different occupations, we plowed on into both our obsessions: songs and songwriting. Stewart Lindsey is a great project I have with a Louisiana boy named Thomas Lindsey and Paul loved our first album called Spitballin'. Paul heard our new album, called Amitié (meaning friendship) and is very enthusiastic about our voodoo, bluesy gospel-type strangeness, as am I, so we spent most of the interview talking about that. I’m very excited about this being the first release on my new label Bay Street Records, as it sets the tone for the label. 

[5 p.m.] At this time I always have a break and a quick swim to get my head clear followed by a small snack. Jaden (Chef Fatz) has made some local fish soup with hot scotch bonnet peppers and other mysterious fresh ingredients, which was insanely delicious. After lying down answering lots of e-mails I am ready to tackle the remainder of the day. But at 5:45 p.m., Gary Clark Jr. calls back and we talk about the blues for 30 or 40 mins and decide to collaborate together in lockdown. I’ve been a massive fan of Gary ever since seeing him play Bright Lights live at crossroads music festival. He’s the real deal.

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[6:30 p.m.] I re-read the new iteration of the first act of a musical I am working on with Lorne Campbell, who was recently appointed artistic director of National Theatre Wales. Every time a script changes in a musical or a movie the music has to be re-written or modified to fit the scene. This is always a challenge but one I enjoy. It's almost like playing with a Rubik’s Cube, except not only does every move affect every next move but colors keep changing and you know everything gets a new set of problems that need solutions when eventually it gets into rehearsals and then onto the stage. Things you wouldn’t imagine, like the actor can’t change clothes fast enough to be in the next scene unless the song is longer by and odd number of bars, or the set designer explains how the whole scene makes it impossible to implement his genius set change that involves someone being pushed off a bridge into a river (this is a stage musical) but landing in a hospital bed using scrims and illusion. So just the normal type of problems I try to imagine whilst thinking how to re-write the various songs needed to move the needle along and get the show on that stage (then I wonder if it is ever going to happen and with the added pandemic problem... Will anybody want to be in a theatre anyway?! ).

[7p.m.] Check an edited PDF presentation about another music TV show I’ve been creating and send my comments. I know by now most people may have stopped reading or if still reading be thinking, "This guy is nuts." And yes you are probably right, I was thinking that myself when I was reading some of it back. I suppose I’m addicted to creativity which could be linked to D2 receptor but I won’t go into that I’ve been like this ever since I was a child, so I’m used to it. 

[7:15 p.m.]  Do a last check on the Julia Michaels episode final edit for my NBC-TV show, "Songland." This is less like work and more like watching the show at this point, as it’s been through many changes already. It’s great and she’s great, so my day of "work/play" always stops here.

[8 p.m.] Just like the rocket fuel coffee, I now create the antidote vaccine which is a very stiff martini!  Yep! I make one of my notorious vodka martinis that brings me back to earth and allows me to re-enter gently into family discussions. By the way, I didn’t mention in my diary that everything is always interspersed with FaceTime, Skype or Zoom calls with each of my absent children take priority over everything above!

[8:30 p.m.] Dinner is jerk chicken, peas and rice and a little fried plantain (my favorite type of food). We try to eat as much locally grown food as possible and it’s amazing what variety there is, from fresh arugula, mangos, papaya, sweet potato and pineapple…to name a few. 

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[9:30 p.m.] I get to play my favorite guitar on the front porch. I tend to play slide guitar and make up blues tunes, some of which I record on my phone if I really like the feeling. I’ve been crazy about the blues since I was 15 years old and even produced documentary about Delta Blues down in Mississippi [1991's Deep Blues: A Musical Pilgrimage to the Crossroads]. It’s worth watching! Jack White told me it was his favorite and Gary and I spoke on the phone about it earlier in the day. It’s called Deep Blues and is directed by Robert Mugge. Anyway, check out the picture of my guitar and you’ll know why I love it so much!  

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[10:30 p.m.] I’ve decided to watch the "Ray Donovan" TV series for the first time. I click on episode one and Boom! I'm hooked. 

[1 a.m.] Still watching …………zzzzzz

If you wish to support our efforts to assist music professionals in need, learn more about the Recording Academy's and MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund.

If you are a member of the music industry in need of assistance, visit the MusiCares website.

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Some of the content on this site expresses viewpoints and opinions that are not those of the Recording Academy. Responsibility for the accuracy of information provided in stories not written by or specifically prepared for the Academy lies with the story's original source or writer. Content on this site does not reflect an endorsement or recommendation of any artist or music by the Recording Academy.