During a time where the advance of the coronavirus has the U.S. Congress considering multibillion-dollar necessity relief to offset the economic shocks, the Recording Academy is now craving members of Congress to keep musicians in mind during aid efforts.
While the Recording Academy declared a $2 million coronavirus aid fund through its philanthropic arm, MusiCares, which will back music professionals negatively jolted by the crisis, Recording Academy chairman and temporary CEO Harvey Mason Jr. expressed his worries in a letter on Wednesday that he forwarded to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy, and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer. He is imploring with lawmakers not to forget about those that make their lone living from music.⠀⠀⠀
The pandemic has left dozens of travels, festivals, and about every other affair that draws a crew larger than 50 people, cancelled or postponed. This has arised in artists, travel crews, lighting engineers, backing vocalists, and endless others, who count on musical events for income, strapped for cash. As many are oftentimes examined self-employed freelancers and independent contractors, they do not have assists like paid leave or healthcare, nor are they suitable for unemployment benefits.
Just as many large industries will be looking support, you should not blow the smallest of small businesses, individual music makers who will not profit from employer-based aid,” The letter read.⠀⠀⠀
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“As Congress favors emergency steps to provide demanding back to American workers and families, it must further extend such back to self-employed gig workers like those in the tune community,” the letter endured. “Counting these non-traditional traders in a impetus package will give hundreds of thousands of individuals and their families the economical benefits they need all the while this crisis.”