Troye Sivan

Troye Sivan performs in Sydney in 2019

Photo: Don Arnold/WireImage/Getty Images

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Troye Sivan, Yoshiki, Father John Misty, Selena Gomez & More Donate To MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund

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The Recording Academy's nonprofit arm, MusiCares, established the fund earlier this month to support the many people in the music industry negatively affected by the coronavirus crisis
Ana Monroy Yglesias
MusiCares
Mar 30, 2020 - 4:57 pm

Two weeks ago, MusiCares, the Recording Academy's nonprofit dedicated to supporting music people in need, established the COVID-19 Relief Fund. The new MusiCares fund has already raised money for and offered help to those facing "the greatest need" in the music industry right now, as the coronavirus crisis has halted most-to-all live events.

Learn More: MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund

Many musicians have already made generous donations to the fund, with many engaging with fans in creative ways to fundraise, from livestreaming concerts and online festivals to merch sales. Today, March 30, Japanese rock star Yoshiki and philanthropist offered a generous donation of $100,000 to the fund via his charity Yoshiki Foundation America.

Aussie pop sweetheart Troye Sivan pledged donations to the WHO Solidarity Response Fund and MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund in a recent IGTV video to his fans. He explained the vital importance of MusiCares' work at this time, supporting crew and others most affected by tours and festivals being canceled en masse. He noted that he'll be donating via Spotify, as they are matching donations to MusiCares, and encouraged his fans to do the same.

WATCH LIST: Livestreaming Concerts From SOFI TUKKER To Neil Young To Catch During Coronavirus Quarantine

Alt-folk crooner Father John Misty recently released a new live album on Bandcamp, Off-Key In Hamburg, for which 100 percent of proceeds will go to the fund. Dave Longstreth of Brooklyn indie favorites the Dirty Projectors, released a cover of John Lennon and Yoko Ono's "Isolation," with all proceeds (until April 3) going to the fund. The track, also available on Bandcamp, is being offered as "pay-what-you-wish" to encourage larger donations to the fund. Pop act OneRepublic and their label UMG/Interscope are donating a portion of streaming proceeds (through September) from their new single "Better Days" to the MusiCares Fund.

With many artists joining the livestream concert-from-home party, some of them have used the platform to solicit donations for charities working on the frontlines of the coronavirus crisis. Americana power couple Amanda Shires and Jason Isbell have been sharing daily-ish concerts on YouTube they've dubbed "I So Lounging," sharing a portion of the donations they get with the Fund.

Kevin Griffin, the frontman of indie-rock stalwarts Better Than Ezra, raised over $40,000 from one Facebook live performance! He shared he was inspired by rising singer/songwriter Molly Tuttle, who raised $2,200 for MusiCares with a Facebook livestream on March 16. Tuttle is also donating a portion of all merch sales on her website (until the end of April).

Singer/songwriter Trevor Hall did an IGTV livestream on March 27, partnering with CLIF GreenNotes for their Playing From Home concert series. The org donated one dollar for each person that tuned in (up to $5,000) to the MusiCares Fund and the Sweet Relief Musicians Fund. Nahko Bear of Portland band Nahko And Medicine For The People also participated in CLIF's series on March 23, with MusiCares the recipient of all donations.

Los Angeles-based trio Magic Giant organized an IGTV Live From Quarantine concert over the past weekend to raise money for MusiCares, tapping Nahko, Brandon Jenner, Tom Higgenson of the Plain White T's and more. Following the model of the CLIF series, one dollar for every viewer that tuned in (up to $15,000) was pledged to the Fund.

How Will Coronavirus Shift Electronic Music? Maceo Plex, Paul Van Dyk, Luttrell, Mikey Lion & DJ Manager Max Leader Weigh In

Concert discovery platform Bandsintown hosted a two-day "Live Music Marathon" on Twitch, featuring performances from Taking Back Sunday, Amanda Palmer, Tank & The Bangas, Tayla Parx, SOFI TUKKER, BLOND:ISH, Matt Quinn of Mt. Joy, The Mowglis and more. On their Twitch page, they encourage donations via the platform's "Bits" monetization program, and will continue to do so with their upcoming programming.

Bass DJ/producer Said The Sky released a popular new "Sadboi" hoodie today, with a portion of the sales going to MusiCares. Last week, pop superstar Selena Gomez made headlines for dropping new merch for Rare's "Dance Again," with part of proceeds going to the MusiCares Fund.

Alicia Keys and the nonprofit she co-founded, She Is The Music, paired up with Amazon Music, who each pledged up to $100,000 to the Fund, with a fundraiser based on social engagement with a post. The streaming giant also joined SiriusXM and Pandora, Spotify, TIDAL, YouTube Music and Facebook last week, all of whom pledged efforts to support the music community in need via the Fund.

Learn more about how you can donate to or apply for assistance via the Recording Academy's and MusiCares' COVID-19 Relief Fund.

Learn more about the financial, medical and personal emergencies services and resources offered by the Recording Academy and MusiCares. 

Independent Publicists Persist Through The Coronavirus Impact On The Music Industry

Frank Iero

Frank Iero of My Chemical Romance

Photo: Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images

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MusiCares COVID-19 Fund: MCR's Frank Iero, Rita Wilson & Naughty By Nature, Ellie & Drew Holcomb & More Support With Livestreams & Beyond

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Linda Perry with We Are Hear, Brett Young via Levi Strauss' "5:01 Live" series and CMT, with their upcoming star-studded Kenny Rogers tribute special, have also joined the cause
Ana Monroy Yglesias
MusiCares
Apr 6, 2020 - 12:58 pm

Many more artists and companies have come together during this difficult time to support the many music people out-of-work and in-need due to coronavirus, with more fun fundraisers and generous donations to the MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund.

Today, actor/singer Rita Wilson teamed up with hip-hop legends Naughty By Nature to release a special remix of their classic track "Hip Hop Hooray," featuring none other than Wilson herself throwing down bars. All proceeds from the song will be donated to the Fund. It was released on YouTube today (listen below) and will be available across streaming/digital platforms this Friday. Wilson and her husband, Tom Hanks, contracted COVID-19 while filming in New Zealand; after posting a video rapping "Hip Hop Hooray" on Instagram, the group reached out to her about collaborating on the new version for a good cause.

For the last two weeks, Nashville powerhouse singer/songwriters and power couple Ellie and Drew Holcomb having been performing fun covers ranging from U2 to Kacey Musgraves to John Mayer on their daily Kitchen Covers series, raising money for MusiCares and their out-of-work touring band and crew.

Linda Perry and Kerry Brown's We Are Hear multifaceted music org have launched the On The Air series, in partnership with Roland, featuring music industry talks, performances and more on YouTube. With the platform's donation functionality, they are raising money for the Fund. Halestorm's Lzzy Hale offered some empowering words and music in one of the latest episodes. 

Read More: Troye Sivan, Yoshiki, Father John Misty, Selena Gomez & More Donate To MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund

On Wednesday, April 8, CMT will be airing a special star-studded tribute show to the late country king Kenny Rogers to benefit MusiCares. "CMT Giants Kenny Rogers: A Benefit for MusiCares" will feature at-home performances by Dolly Parton, Lionel Richie, Jason Isbell & Amanda Shires, Lady Antebellum, Vince Gill, Michael McDonald, Rascal Flatts and more.

Later this week, on April 11, the Human To Human 2020 festival on Facebook Live will feature live music from Alec Benjamin, Tayla Parx, Skylar Grey, Richard Marx, Cyn, Grouplove, Jewel, Lauren Daigle and more. They will be raising money for the Plus1 COVID-19 Relief Fund, which has partnered with MusiCares and the Sweet Relief Musicians Fund.

Until April 9 (it began April 2), the UnCanceled Music Festival is bringing tons of live sets from artists around globe by pairing with local venues and brands to curate digital stages. The massive online event is hosted on the StageIt platform and requires "attendees" to donate in a pay-what-you-can model to watch. Fender's stage has featured alt faves like Waxahatchee, Cautious Clay and The Marias, while Los Angeles venue Hotel Cafe has tapped VINCINT, Colbie Caillat, Molly Tuttle and more. All money raised is donated to the venues' staff, the artist community and MusiCares.

Fender has been finding several creative ways to collaborate with artists and contribute to the MusiCares Fund. With the Fender Artist Check-In series on IGTV, they've tapped bad-ass guitarists including My Chemical Romance's Frank Iero, John 5, Isbell, and more and are donating on behalf of each artist that participates. In Iero's recent Check-In, which you can watch below, he shares a guitar tutorial for two MCR fan-favorites, "Ghost of You" and "Welcome to the Black Parade."

For those seeking a little retail therapy for a good cause, live music photographer Jacob Blickenstaff and pop star Troye Sivan have you covered. Blickenstaff has partnered with some of the artists he's photographed over the years, including Isbell, Dawes, Yola and Hiss Golden Messenger, selling gorgeous prints with a portion of the proceeds going to the Fund. Sivan, who had shared he would be supporting both MusiCares and the WHO's coronavirus relief efforts, recently released merch for his new single, "Take Yourself Home." All the profits from the three t-shirts will be donated to the WHO COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund and Spotify's COVID-19 Music Relief project, which supports MusiCares and several other charities.

Last Fri., April 3, Light In The Attic & Friends Live brought live sets from Ben Gibbard, Jim James, Fred Armisen, Barbara Lynn, Devendra Banhart and more on their YouTube and Twitch accounts. All donations were directed to MusiCares. "Lo-Fi" singer Haley Reinhart recently did a performance on Billboard's Live At-Home series, choosing MusiCares as her charity of choice.

Explore: GRAMMY Museum To Debut Never-Before-Seen Content From Billie Eilish & FINNEAS, Brandi Carlile, Yola & Much More

Denim purveyors Levi Strauss have launched a star-studded 5:01 Live IGTV music and chat series to benefit COVID-19 relief efforts from MusiCares and the WHO. So far, it's featured a stellar squad including Snoop Dogg, Questlove, Burna Boy, Moses Sumney and Brett Young. Young, who performed last week, donated his performance fee to MusiCares. Additionally, the country star's past GRAMMY Museum is also being featured in the Museum's exciting digital offering rollout, going live on April 29.

On March 30, his birthday, country star Thomas Rhett released a new song benefiting MusiCares, called "Be A Light." Featuring none other than Reba McEntire, Keith Urban, Hillary Scott and Chris Tomlin, all of the artists' proceeds will be donated to the cause. Joining the growing coalition of companies supporting the Fund, the Country Music Association and its philanthropic arm, the CMA Foundation, announced a $1 million donation last week.

As more members of the music community rallying around a unified cause, we'll keep you posted right here on musicares.org.

Learn more about how you can donate to or apply for assistance via the Recording Academy's and MusiCares' COVID-19 Relief Fund.

Learn more about the financial, medical and personal emergencies services and resources offered by the Recording Academy and MusiCares. 

How Kevin Griffin Of Better Than Ezra Raised Over $40K (And Counting) For MusiCares In Just An Hour On Facebook

ASCAP Experience: Home Edition logo

ASCAP Experience: Home Edition logo

Courtesy Photo: ASCAP

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ASCAP Announces ASCAP Experience: Home Edition Virtual Conference: Shaggy, Whitney Phillips, Gian Stone, Priscilla Renea And More Confirmed

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The free, weekly online series, which will take place every Thursday starting May 28 through the end of July, will focus on real-time music industry topics and will feature hit songwriters, producers and special guests
John Ochoa
GRAMMYs
May 22, 2020 - 12:03 pm

Performance-rights organization (PRO) ASCAP is taking the ASCAP Experience, its premier music industry conference, online this year. Rebranded as the ASCAP Experience: Home Edition, the annual conference will be reformatted as a free virtual event beginning May 28 and continuing weekly as a long-term initiative.

The online series, which will take place every Thursday from 3-6 p.m. EST through the end of July, launches next week with conversations and sessions featuring: two-time GRAMMY winner Shaggy alongside his manager and Cherrytree Records founder Martin Kierszenbaum; songwriters Whitney Phillips and Gian Stone, who will discuss "Stuck With U," the chart-topping super-collaboration from Ariana Grande and Justin Bieber; hit songwriter Priscilla Renea; and others. ASCAP Chairman and President Paul Williams will kick off the event with a special welcome message. 

Future programming—which will focus on real-time topics including monetization, music publishing and mental and physical wellness and will feature songwriters, producers, music publishers and members of the ASCAP team, among other issues and special guests—will be announced in the coming weeks. Most programming will be available on-demand after each session for those unavailable to attend the live webcast.

Read: WATCH LIST: Online Concerts From BTS To COASTCITY To Catch During Coronavirus Quarantine

ASCAP Experience 2020, which was to mark the event's 15th installment, was originally scheduled to take place last month (April 1-3) in Los Angeles. The event was canceled in March due to the spread of the coronavirus.

Previously known as the ASCAP "I Create Music" EXPO, the conference rebranded as ASCAP Experience last September; the 2020 installment was to be the first edition under the new ASCAP Experience banner.

Head to the ASCAP Experience: Home Edition website to view the full programming for each week and to register for the ongoing event. Registration is free and open to the public, "regardless of which performing rights organization they belong to," according to a press release announcing the event. 

Performing Rights Organizations ASCAP, BMI & SESAC Join In Support Of MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund 

Crowd shot at WOMAD Festival 2017

Crowd shot at WOMAD Festival 2017

Photo: C Brandon/Redferns

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Peter Gabriel's WOMAD Festival 2020 Canceled Due To Coronavirus Pandemic

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In a statement, Gabriel said many of the artists originally confirmed for this year's festival "have already offered, or agreed," to return for 2021
John Ochoa
GRAMMYs
Apr 8, 2020 - 9:35 am

WOMAD (World Of Music, Arts And Dance) festival, the international music and arts festival from Genesis founding member Peter Gabriel and others, has canceled its 2020 edition in the U.K. due to the growing coronavirus pandemic. Originally scheduled to take place July 23-26 at Charlton Park in Wiltshire, England, the festival, which featured headliners The Flaming Lips, Angélique Kidjo, Kate Tempest and Fatoumata Diawara, among many others, is confirmed to return next year (July 22-25), according to the updated dates on the event's official website. 

Festival organizers announced the event's cancellation via statements from Gabriel and the WOMAD team, both shared on the festival's official website and social media accounts today (April 8). In his statement, Gabriel said many of the artists originally confirmed for this year's festival "have already offered, or agreed," to return for 2021.

"Like many others, we have been hoping, waiting and watching the Coronavirus situation," Gabriel wrote. "Finally, we have been told that we will not be allowed to hold WOMAD this year at Charlton Park.

"Safety for all of our festivalgoers, artists and our own staff surpasses everything.

All of us involved with WOMAD have already been really touched by the help and generous offers of many of those we depend on to make the festival come to life. Many of the artists have already offered, or agreed, to play for us next year and we will now put our energies into making a great WOMAD 2021."

"We hope to see you all at Charlton Park next year for a big celebration, when we've put this meanie back in the bottle," he continued, alluding to the festival's return in 2021. "Your love and support for the dream that is WOMAD, has always meant a lot to us, but especially now."

Read: Recording Academy And MusiCares Establish COVID-19 Relief Fund

"Following a meeting with the Licensing authority, the combined emergency services and taking fully into account the government advice on halting the spread of the virus, it is clear, that in order to meet our goal of protecting the health, safety and wellbeing of the whole community there is no way we can go ahead with WOMAD 2020," a statement from the wider WOMAD team read. "We are devastated but confident that this is the right and responsible decision and that we have to play our part in helping the country stay safe and to recover."

For ticket holders for its canceled 2020 U.K. edition, WOMAD is offering a transfer of tickets for the 2021 edition or full refunds. For those who paid for their tickets in installments, the festival is allowing a temporary pause on payments to be picked up again next year for WOMAD 2021 or refunds for the face value of the tickets. More information about ticket transfers and refunds is available on the festival website.

The festival, which originally announced its initial lineup this past February, posted an update about the event's U.K. edition last month (March 19). "At WOMAD we are examining the advice of the government, other authorities and of course the healthcare professionals before making a final decision on what actions we should be taking to lead by example and help to keep everyone in the WOMAD community safe and well," the statement read. 

In February, WOMAD postponed what was to be its first-ever edition in Mexico, originally scheduled for March 27–29, "due to events outside of our control," according to a post shared on the festival's website. While no new dates have been announced, WOMAD Mexico will return "later in the year," the post reads. 

WOMAD has already completed three international festivals in 2020, including installments in Chile in February and in Australia and New Zealand in March. 

WOMAD is the latest festival to be canceled or postponed this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. Since March, Governors Ball, Glastonbury, Isle Of Wight, Download, All Points East, Lovebox and Parklife, Bonnaroo, New Orleans Jazz Fest, BottleRock Napa Valley, the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, Coachella and Stagecoach, Ultra Music Festival, SXSW, Lollapalooza Argentina, Something In The Water, Treefort Music Fest, Afro Nation Puerto Rico, Brussels' Listen! Festival, Record Store Day and several other major events and festivals around the world were called off or rescheduled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

MusiCares COVID-19 Fund: MCR's Frank Iero, Rita Wilson & Naughty By Nature, Ellie & Drew Holcomb & More Support With Livestreams & Beyond

Courtesy Photo: GRAMMY Museum

Courtesy Photo: GRAMMY Museum

Courtesy Photo: GRAMMY Museum

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#DoorsClosedMissionOpen: GRAMMY Museum Staff Curates Daily Playlists To Soundtrack Your COVID-19 Quarantine

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The daily playlists are part of a larger digital initiative from the GRAMMY Museum during the location's temporary closure, which includes never-before-released free digital content from the archives
John Ochoa
GRAMMYs
Apr 2, 2020 - 10:42 am

Like many other businesses, arts organizations and museums around the world, our beloved GRAMMY Museum home base in Los Angeles is currently being impacted by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Since mid-March, the GRAMMY Museum has temporarily closed its doors until further notice for safety and health precautions in light of the coronavirus pandemic. 

But while the location may be physically closed for now, the GRAMMY Museum's mission of cultivating a greater understanding of the history and significance of music remains wide open and alive online. And they're keeping that mission at the forefront in the best way they know how: music. 

As part of their ongoing digital initiatives, the music-loving staff at the GRAMMY Museum is sharing exclusive Spotify playlists to soundtrack your daily life during this time of social distancing. Updated daily at 10 a.m. PT, the playlists are curated by staff members from across the GRAMMY Museum team in an effort to keep all employees engaged with each other and with the Museum's followers and patrons during this closure. 

Featuring selections from everyone from guest services and security team members to the executive team and spotlighting everything from disco hits and Afrobeat to classic rock and Latin trap, the playlists highlight the wide range of personal tastes reflected in the Museum's diverse staff and honor the genres and artists both the Recording Academy and GRAMMY Museum celebrate every day in our missions.

Read: Recording Academy And MusiCares Establish COVID-19 Relief Fund

"Once we made the decision to temporarily close our doors, it was a priority for me that we maintain staff engagement as much as possible," GRAMMY Museum President Michael Sticka said. "Asking each member of our staff to curate their own playlists has been one way that we've been able to do that. For me personally, I have loved getting to know our staff better by listening to their music choices and hearing their personalities shine through! I'm proud that we have been able to build a digital museum that properly continues each pillar of our mission, including public programs, education and virtual exhibits. Our digital museum has been a key element of our strategic plan for some time now, so I'm happy that all of these initiatives will continue after we re-open our doors. For the time being, our doors may be closed, but our mission isn't and we look forward to continuing to bring music content to the general public during this time and into the future."

The daily playlists are part of a larger digital initiative from the GRAMMY Museum during the location's temporary closure, which includes never-before-released free digital content from the archives. The newly announced lineup of April 2020 programming includes exclusive content from Tanya Tucker, Ben Platt, Common, Los Tigres del Norte, Courtney Barnett and many more. They join previously announced programs featuring Billie Eilish and FINNEAS, Greta Van Fleet and Kool & The Gang, making this April a can't-miss event for the GRAMMY Museum's digital content public programming. 

This month, the GRAMMY Museum will also debut the Digital Exhibit Series, exhibit slideshows featuring past exhibitions and museum installations, featuring Jenni Rivera, Whitney Houston, Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald. 

The Museum's Public Programs digital series features intimate sit-down interviews with artists and musicians in its 200-seat Clive Davis Theater from past programs. Since the Museum opened 12 years ago, it has offered more than 900 Public Programs.

Additionally, the Museum continues to release digital educational content and lesson plans titled GRAMMY In The Schools Mini-Lessons, continuing its mission of paying tribute to our musical heritage and bringing our community together through music.

In all, the Museum is releasing new content every day of the week, with GRAMMY In The Schools Mini-Lessons on Sundays and Tuesdays, Digital Public Program Series on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday and Digital Exhibit Series on Friday. Thursdays are Member Engagement Nights. Exclusive for Museum members, these special nights include an Album Club, which is an interactive experience similar to a book club, except members listen to music instead of reading books.

To experience all the Museum At Home digital content and to view the full programming schedule, visit the GRAMMY Museum website, where you can also find more information about the organization and its programs.

GRAMMY Museum's April Online Lineup: Tanya Tucker, Ben Platt, Common, Los Tigres Del Norte & More