Hi <<First Name>>,
I hope you are staying safe and healthy during these strange times. I am currently stuck in Brazil (by design). It seems like every country around the world is in quarantine at the moment, but Brazil has great weather, cheap beer, and cachaça, so here I am. I have been passing the time by practicing, watching apocalypse movies, and of course, drinking cachaça.
I wanted to reach out and share some encouraging words. This has been very hard for everyone, but especially the entertainment industry. I was two months into a 6 month contract on a cruise ship when my contract was terminated. All venues are closed, and since the majority of a musician's income comes from performing, this has been very hard for our music community. BUT there are many ways you can support your musician friends and our community, even during quarantine, and I thought I would share some of them with you.
Here is a list of 7 important things you can do to help the music community.
1. Stream More Music
I average about $0.003 per stream in the USA on Spotify. That is not a typo. It's not a lot, but every little bit helps, especially now. The more times my music gets streamed (on any streaming platform), the more I make. Also, the more it is streamed, the more it helps the algorithms in charge of how our music gets disseminated on the platform. The more our music gets streamed, the more the algorithm will share our music to brand new listeners. Here is some places you can listen to my music.
So whatever your preferred streaming service is, stream away. Have an all-day dance party. Make a playlist with all your favorite artists in it, and put it on loop. I love playlists! If you make a playlist on Spotify, make sure to share it with me! Which brings us to...
2. Share More Music
With people being stuck at home, everyone is on Facebook and Instagram, just killing time. This is a great time to share music! And also, it helps those algorithms I mentioned. Share those playlists you made. Share a new artist discovery. Share a music video from your favorite indie band. Share what you are listening to right now.
I'll start: right now I'm listening to Delfeayo Marsalis and the Uptown Jazz Orchestra. An amazing New Orleans Big Band, led by the son of the great jazz legend Ellis Marsalis, who we just lost to the Covid-19 a few days ago.
3. Send Fan Mail
It means so much! Especially to independent artists. We are all at home, just like you, trying not to get cabin fever. To know that someone is listening to, and enjoying our music would make our day! We are all a little depressed right now, and every kind word helps.
4. Buy Music
I know buying music is kind of last century, but if you still have a cd collection, or a hard drive big enough for an iTunes library, go ahead and buy an album. It helps. The website BandCamp is a great platform to buy music, and they have waived all their fees for artists during this trying time. Most independent artists have their music on there, as do some labels. And most artists let you name your price for an album or track, letting you buy it for $10 or $1000. It is a great way to support an artists career! I have my album available there digitally as well. https://adampricegroup.bandcamp.com/
5. Donate
If you don't want to crowd your shelves or your hard drive, but you want to give your favorite artist more than $0.003, you can always just reach out and donate directly to their business. Some artists have a Patreon account, and everyone has a Paypal account. Many artists have been playing live online for tips. And there are also non-profits that you can donate to which benefit the music community as a whole.
6. Try Something New. Tap into your creative side.
Have you ever wanted to learn an instrument? You can take lessons over Skype or FaceTime. Every musician you know (even the more famous ones) are at home looking for something to do. Ask them for a lesson. If you are interested in sax/flute/clarinet lessons, email me. adampricestudios@gmail.com
OR, Have you ever wanted to host a party with your favorite band? House Concerts are very cool ways to have a intimate, up close, VIP experience with amazing musicians and artists. You might be surprised who you can get to perform. Many artists are in need of food, lodging, and a friendly face when they are touring, and we will all need more gig opportunities after this is over. Obviously, you can't have your first concert until the quarantine is over, but you can get everything set up and start booking and promoting it. It is a great way for more business/organizational-minded people to be creative. Here is a great resource to help you get started: https://concertsinyourhome.org/house-concerts/ .
7. Stay healthy and happy, and when this is all over, go out and listen to Live Music!
And know, however you decide to support your music community, it will be greatly appreciated!
On a serious note, we have already lost many amazing musicians because of this COVID-19. Ellis Marsalis, Bill Withers, Bucky Pizzarelli, John Prine...
Please, please, please stay safe and healthy.
As always, thank you for your support, and I hope to see you at a show when this is all over!
~ adam price
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