CMA CONTINUES COVID-RELIEF EFFORTS

The Country Music Association has deepened its long-term commitment to industry COVID resources by donating $3 million through its Music Industry COVID Support (MICS) Initiative. Having already donated $1m to MusiCares and $100k to the Music Health Alliance (MHA), the CMA will help Musically Fed, Notes for Notes, Porter’s Call, The Store and the MHA provide food, healthcare-and-wellness and career services, as well as aligning industry members with other nonprofit partners who can offer critical support.

“Awareness is key,” says CMA CEO Sarah Trahern. “We are leaning on our entire industry to help us share these essential resources with those in need and keep our people healthy and stable.

“Right now, we recognize the immediacy related to food supply, healthcare and career services, and these five organizations are providing incredible support to music professionals. With the prospect of a vaccine being widely available in the coming months, we will continue to invest in the future of our industry and the needs required as we near the return of live touring.”

In Tennessee alone, more than 50k music-industry jobs have been affected by the pandemic. Hundreds of thousands of sector employees across the nation are facing the same issue. Those in need are encouraged to visit CMAmics.com and use the new chatbot to learn about available resources.

The Music Health Alliance has assisted more than 13k music-industry professionals in 48 states, helping people gain access to medical care, lifesaving transplants, mental-health treatment, end-of-life care and other critical needs. Its COVID-19 Relief Plan provides grants for basic needs, advocacy within the system, simplified solutions and a comprehensive database of existing resources.

Musically Fed is working to provide food to those in need, especially those in the music industry. With no concert catering to take to homeless shelters, Musically Fed is creating drive-through events to pick up food sourced through various organizations.

Notes for Notes provides after-school music lessons, instruments and recording environments for young people. With schools closed, it's moved to ZOOM—and not missed a beat.

Porters Call has served as a full-time mental-health support organization since its founding. With the added pressures COVID quarantine has created, its work currently is completely pandemic-related.

The Store, founded by Brad Paisley and Kimberly Williams Paisley, provides a free grocery store for struggling families. It has served more than a million meals to the Nashville community since March 2019. Drive-up service is now available.

While the live industry is on pause, the CMA intends to do its part to make sure people don’t fall through the cracks—from hunger, want of a medical test or lack of emotional support. Watch this space for updates.