Thank you to everyone that donated to COVID-19 Relief. Please know that it was very much appreciated and that we have already begun to assist musicians in our midst.
Sadly, we've cancelled the Neighborhood Concerts for the month of April. We hope to resume regular programming when it is safe for all of us to be together.
Advocating for the Arts: Americans for the Arts
This vital piece of legislation includes direct support for both nonprofit cultural organizations and state and local arts and humanities agencies, as well as economic relief provisions for independent contractors, "gig economy" workers and artists, entrepreneurs, and small businesses working in the creative economy.
We are thankful to you, the thousands of advocates and state and local arts agencies, who responded to our action alerts these last few weeks. Your advocacy has been effective and many of our policy asks have been addressed. But we know it's not enough and Treasury Secretary Mnuchin acknowledged yesterday at a press conference that he thought this legislation was just a three-month economic solution to help workers and affected industries.
Community Development Block Grants, Small Business Administration, and Unemployment Insurance
Arts groups should work directly with their mayors and local economic development offices for grant support.
$350 billion for Small Business Administration (SBA) emergency loans of up to $10 million for small businesses—including nonprofits (with less than 500 employees), sole proprietors, independent contractors, and self-employed individuals (like individual artists)—to cover payroll costs, mortgage/rent costs, utilities, and other operations.
These loans can be forgiven if used for those purposes. This new eligibility has been a key element of the CREATE Act we've been pursuing; $10 billion for Emergency Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) for loans up to $10,000 for small businesses and nonprofits to be used for providing paid sick leave for employees, maintaining payroll, mortgage/rent payments, and other operating costs; Expanded Unemployment Insurance (UI) that includes coverage for furloughed workers, freelancers, and "gig economy" workers. The bill also increases UI payments by $600/week for four months, in addition to what one claims under a state unemployment program.
The inclusion of these provisions to help nonprofits, the arts sector, and the creative workforce can be attributed, in part, to the incredible grassroots outreach by arts advocates across the country, coordination with national nonprofit coalitions, and Americans for the Arts and Arts Action Fund outreach to Congress and the Trump Administration.
Music will unite us.
We’re all learning a new way of how to live and do things. Right now, we are all trying to adapt to a very new way of life. Just a few weeks ago I was listening to music in a concert hall LIVE and here I sit, listening on my computer.
All of us in the music community are starving for real music live, so here is an idea. If you have the capability to go online, there are countless musicians, with Live Streams every day. From those international celebrities to those at home, in your own back yard, so to speak.
We have a Jazz Bridge You Tube Channel online, and you can visit there to hear music and interviews from the past few years. From Pat Martino, to the late Trudy Pitts to some concerts at Hawthorne Park, please take a look and give a listen. (Please note that some of the music is copywritten.)
And if you would like to make a donation that will go to the musicians we help in our community, please visit our website at:
Remember, once we get through this crisis, there will be LIVE music to enjoy with each other again. Until that time, please enjoy the music from vocalist Michelle Lordi and bassist, Matthew Parrish as the perform this classic song, Smile, by Charlie Chaplin. Give a listen.
Jazz Philadelphia during COVID-19 Resources
Jazz Philadelphia's mission is to leverage the city’s rich jazz legacy and vibrant musical assets to build a strong, cohesive, forward-looking community. We plan to achieve our goals in a distinctly “Philadelphia” way—with a diverse coalition marked by passion, grit, collaboration, authenticity, and creativity.
They have compiled a list of resources to assist everyone including those in the arts community. Visit their website below:
You may be able to get Disaster Unemployment Assistance (US Department of Labor)
The Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) program provides temporary benefits to people who, due to a major disaster, lost or had their employment or self-employment interrupted.
Can I get help from the program?
To qualify for DUA you must meet both of the conditions below:
- Your job must have been lost or interrupted due to a presidentially declared disaster, and
- You must not be eligible for regular unemployment insurance benefits.
After a disaster, your state will publish information about DUA availability. As soon as possible, contact your state’s unemployment agency to file a claim for benefits. You can use the
CareerOneStop Unemployment Benefits Finder
to find the state agency you need.
Visit the U.S. Department of Labor’s
DUA page
to learn more.
No PECO shutoffs until May 1, 2020 or later
PECO is suspending service disconnections and waiving new late payment charges until at least May 1, 2020. PECO will help customers with bill assistance resources and energy assistance programs to help them through times of no work.
Thank you for taking the time to read this and hopefully share with others. We are all working together to get through this crisis. If you would like to help the musicians in our area, please consider a donation by visiting our website at
https://www.jazzbridge.org/ways-to-help/donate/
You may select
OTHER
, to give any amount not already listed on our page of send a check to the address below.
Jazz Bridge
4220 Main Street
Philadelphia, PA 19127
215-517-8337
