JULY 31:

Here we are at the end of July. FPUC officially ends today & all final payments have been made. We all need to make our voices heard and call to #ExtendUI and #Savethe600. Story #41.

“Once 7/31 comes around and that goes away, I expect I won't be able to stay in the city and I will have to give up my apartment permanently.”

All States have now disbursed final FPUC payments. The stories of music workers who cannot work due to the shutdown of the entire live arts industry continue.

JULY 30:

1 Day till the end of July. FPUC ends in July & after that, musicians who cannot go back to work are told to go it alone. Story #40.

“We have begun thinking about what I might be able to do to earn income--my possible options are not at all clear, particularly since I am 67 years old; I'm in excellent health, but salaried or hourly work will probably be hard to find given the competition, and any arts-sector related work may not be available for many months.”

All States have now disbursed final FPUC payments. The stories of music workers who cannot work due to the shutdown of the entire live arts industry continue.

JULY 29:

2 Days till the end of July. FPUC ends in July & after that, musicians who cannot go back to work are told to go it alone. Story #39.

“My biggest anxiety is not knowing what the future holds to being a performing musician. I'm also very worried the $600 pandemic benefit will not be extended. If that happens, it will be very tough to stay afloat.”

All States have now disbursed final FPUC payments. The stories of music workers who cannot work due to the shutdown of the entire live arts industry continue.

JULY 28:

3 Days till the end of July. FPUC ends in July & after that, musicians who cannot go back to work are told to go it alone. Story #38.

“I’d like nothing more than to be able to go back to work in music theater, but I don’t have that option. I am likely out of work for a year, possibly more, as are thousands of us in music theater.”

All States have now disbursed final FPUC payments. The stories of music workers who cannot work due to the shutdown of the entire live arts industry continue.

JULY 27:

4 Days till the end of July. FPUC ends in July & after that, musicians who cannot go back to work are told to go it alone. Story #37.

“Devastating. An entire years worth of contracted work has been canceled. I’m relying heavily on PUI. There’s no income because there are still state mandated closures in place...”

All States have now disbursed final FPUC payments. The stories of music workers who cannot work due to the shutdown of the entire live arts industry continue.

JULY 26:

5 Days till the end of July. FPUC ends in July & after that, musicians who cannot go back to work are told to go it alone. Story #36.

Umfang: “I was a full time touring DJ. I arrived back from tour, 2 days later released an album then 2 days after that all of my shows got cancelled for the weekend and beyond. Even if I can get by for now, I will need to be very careful living off unemployment benefits solely and my job won't just come back as if nothing happened, our entire industry is a flailing mess. Structural issues and racism are very exposed in my industry and a lot needs to change. We can't simply return to the office.”

Reps: Sen.Chuck Schumer, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, Assemblymember Maritza Davila, Sen. Julia Salazar

JULY 25:

6 Days till the end of July. FPUC ends in July & after that, musicians who cannot go back to work are told to go it alone. Story #35.

Zachary Watkins: “I get...unemployment. They really make you work hard for that tiny amount of money, have a system so convoluted. It seems pretty clear it's designed with the hope people will just give up trying. Most musicians I know are couples and are facing bankruptcies, losing their homes. It's awful. I think the biggest challenge is just getting up day after day and continuing to do what I do...The arts have been just utterly destroyed by this.”

Reps: Senator Dianne Feinstein, Sen. Kamala Harris, Rep. Ami Bera, Assemblymember Ken Cooley, Sen. Richard Pan.

JULY 24:

7 Days till the end of July. FPUC ends in July & after that, musicians who cannot go back to work are told to go it alone. Story #34.

Drew Scott: “We luckily had a little savings but we burned through it quickly and are receiving unemployment, it’s about to end and my partner and I are both thinking about career changes, unsure of how music will fit into the equation. Seeing how this pandemic has leveled so many opportunities has made me rethink what it means to participate in the music industry even on an independent level. It’s pretty bleak to think about being a musician moving forward.”

Reps: Sen. Dianne Feinstein, Sen. KamalaHarris, Rep. JimmyGomez, Assemblymember Miguel Santiago, Senator Maria Elena Durazo.

JULY 23:

8 Days till the end of July. FPUC ends in July & after that, musicians who cannot go back to work are told to go it alone. Story #33.

“All my income was/is tied to the arts in some manner. My survival jobs closed with the expectation of reopening, but, I have heard nothing from either in months. Even if they reopen, I don’t know if I will be asked back. The lack of concern for the well being of the people in general and those in the arts specifically by our government terrifies me. We are not safe to go back to “normal,” but that seems to be all anyone in power is trying to make happen without any real plan in place to make sure more people don’t die. The attitude that economy > life is untenable.”

Reps: Sen.Chuck Schumer, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, Rep. Adriano Espaillat, Assemblymember Carmen De la Rosa, Sen. Robert Jackson.

JULY 22:

9 Days till the end of July. FPUC ends in July & after that, musicians who cannot go back to work are told to go it alone. Story #32.

“My husband (also an opera singer) and I are relying solely on UI/PUA. Musicians (opera companies especially) literally cannot assemble with our voices/orchestras/tech crews, etc”

Reps: Sen.Chuck Schumer, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, Rep. Adriano Espaillat, Assemblymember Al Taylor, Sen. Brian A. Benjamin.

JULY 21:

10 Days till the end of July. FPUC ends in July & after that, musicians who cannot go back to work are told to go it alone. Story #31.

“Most of my work was cancelled within the first week of the shutdown. The following two weeks ate the rest of it. This isn't sustainable. I'm applying to barber school when they open. This is after 20 years of training and performing within the music industry.”

Reps: Sen.Chuck Schumer, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, Rep. Yvette Clarke, Assemblymember Rodneyse Bichotte, Sen. Kevin S. Parker

JULY 20:

11 Days till the end of July. FPUC ends in July & after that, musicians who cannot go back to work are told to go it alone. Story #30.

“I was making a good living as a full time touring musician in the pit for Hamilton, and Les Mis before that, playing eight shows a week every week for nearly two and a half years. I had the unfortunate circumstance of purchasing a home a week before the coronavirus shut down happened in NYC. Though I put an offer in in November, it wasn't finalized until the beginning of March (and I couldn't have backed out by then without losing my 10% deposit). It was definitely a frightening shock to realize that I was going to be paying a mortgage with absolutely no idea when I'd be able to get back to work -- and we still don't know when it's going to be safe for us to work again.”

Reps: Sen.Chuck Schumer, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, Rep. Adriano Espaillat, Assemblymember Carmen De la Rosa, Sen. Robert Jackson.

JULY 19:

12 Days till the end of July. FPUC ends in July & after that, musicians who cannot go back to work are told to go it alone. Story #29.

Scott Wasserman: “Continuing to pay my mortgage is probably the biggest anxiety I have. I was thankfully able to receive a 3-month suspension from my bank, but that ended last month. I am also concerned about when I’ll be able to get employment again. As long as theater is shut down, I won’t be able to work with the skill set I’ve cultivated over many years of education and 10 years of professional experience. And if I get a job outside of theater, I know I don’t have the professional or educational qualifications to receive a salary equal to that of my previous employment.”

Reps: Sen.Chuck Schumer, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, Rep. Eliot Engel, Assemblymember Jeffrey Dinowitz, Sen. Alessandra R. Biaggi.

JULY 18:

13 Days till the end of July. FPUC ends in July & after that, musicians who cannot go back to work are told to go it alone. Story #28.

Greg Schlotthauer: “As a singer, I am considered a super spreader and so I don't think I will work until there's a vaccine. I don't know what I'm going to do after July 31st.”

Reps: Chuck Schumer, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, Rep. Carolyn Maloney, Assemblymember Richard N. Gottfried, Sen. Brad Hoylman.

JULY 17:

14 Days till the end of July. FPUC ends in July & after that, musicians who cannot go back to work are told to go it alone. Story #27.

Rebecca Mason-Wygal: “It’s emotionally stunning to think that the career I spent four years in college for, and dedicated countless hours and finances to, has been all but erased, and no one at any level in this field - artists, producers, union heads - no one knows how we will move forward.”

Reps: Chuck Schumer, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, Rep. Carolyn Maloney, Assemblymember Rebecca Seawright, Sen. Liz Krueger.

JULY 16:

15 Days till the end of July. FPUC ends in July & after that, musicians who cannot go back to work are told to go it alone. Story #26.

Raul S Quines: “Since shutdown, all of my work (music, creative and non-creative jobs) ended. I have no income coming in. While I am receiving $490 weekly unemployment benefits, the additional $600 weekly just gets me over my expenses, with a little to spare that I’m putting aside.
The impending expiration of the $600 weekly unemployment benefit on July 31 will be a devastating blow. If it is not renewed or extended, I will not be able to make ends meet here in New York City. Without work yet lined up in the future, I foresee extreme difficulties in day to day living.”

Reps: Sen. Chuck Schumer, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, Rep. Carolyn Maloney, Assemblymember Harvey Epstein, Sen. Brad Hoylman.

JULY 15:

16 Days till the end of July. FPUC ends in July & after that, musicians who cannot go back to work are told to go it alone. Story #25.

“I was thriving as a Broadway pianist, and now I feel like I have lost everything. I am doing occasional work as a housekeeper, which is unsafe during covid but all that I have, and receiving unemployment. When the $600 goes away I will not be able to afford my health insurance (out of pocket as a freelancer), mortgage, or groceries. No teaching work has returned, no performing work has returned, I have spent my career developing these skills and don't know how I could get another job without the ability to afford the cost and time of training in a new field. I already had COVID and recovered, so I feel like I am being doubly punished. I worked so hard to purchase a home in NYC and now I am stuck.”

Reps: Sen. Chuck Schumer, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, Rep. Jerry Nadler, Assemblymember Richard N. Gottfried, Sen. Brad Hoylman.

JULY 14:

17 Days till the end of July. FPUC ends in July & after that, musicians who cannot go back to work are told to go it alone. Story #24.

Jeremiah Ginn: “Our National Tour was completely shut down and we’ve been informed it will not re-open. We’ve all lost tens of thousands of dollars that we were counting on. Housing and living costs in NYC are so expensive even without a pandemic, and I’ve had to leave my apartment in NYC to move in with family. With no foreseeable income stream, moving back feels hopeless.”

Reps: Sen Chuck Schumer, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Assemblymember Brian Barnwell, Sen. Michael Gianaris.

JULY 13:

18 Days till the end of July. FPUC ends in July & after that, musicians who cannot go back to work are told to go it alone. Story #23.

“All performances, tours, festivals have been canceled at least through November, but most likely longer. All guest teaching engagements have been canceled. Most private students have canceled due to either disinterest in studying online, or lack of funds. 
Many of these activities have taken years to cultivate and to organize, not only is it lost revenue for the specific work but for all of the time it took to organize and create it. Some of it may never be recouped and certainly none of the activities that were canceled, reimbursed any portion of cancellation fees.
If enhanced benefits stop end of July, I am not sure how I will make ends meet since there is no possibility to get any performance work. Clubs, performance venues & festivals have all rescheduled their offerings to 2021.”

Reps: Sen.Chuck Schumer, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, Rep. Jerry Nadler, Sen. Brad Hoylman.

JULY 12:

19 Days till the end of July. FPUC ends in July & after that, musicians who cannot go back to work are told to go it alone. Story #22.

“I’m a producer/ dj. I’m also a black female. It’s always been hard for me to get paid for my work. Right now, I’m surviving but it's a struggle. I’m currently on unemployment, but it’s not enough to do what I need to do. The biggest challenge for me in the future is not knowing what the future holds.” 

Reps: Sen. Michael Bennet, Sen. Cory Gardner, Rep. Ken Buck, Assemblymember Kim Ransom, Sen. James Smallwood, Jr.

JULY 11:

20 Days till the end of July. FPUC ends in July & after that, musicians who cannot go back to work are told to go it alone. Story #21.

“It was shocking to receive form letter after form letter -all using the awful phrase “in these unprecedented times”, informing me of concerts and festivals canceled, often from fellow musicians who should know firsthand how that feels. The cancelations never mentioned any effort at financial compensation with two exceptions - New York Youth Symphony paid us in full for the semester lost and Bronx Arts Ensemble made efforts to pay us for online concerts and think tank conversations. These gestures are so appreciated. 
We don’t want to leave NYC but if my Mannes jobs aren’t there in the fall it is a possibility we will have to consider.”

Reps: Sen.Chuck Schumer, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, Rep. Eliot Engel, Assemblymember Jeffrey Dinowitz, Sen. Alessandra R. Biaggi.

JULY 10:

21 Days till the end of July. FPUC ends in July & after that, musicians who cannot go back to work are told to go it alone. Story #20.

Carly Ozard: “I made between 600-1000 a week busking for Music Under New York. My husband and I had 5 jobs between us. I walk dogs and he films at nightclubs, while having a day job at a huge warehouse where exposure is ripe. All my contract work at 54 Below, nursing homes, and club gigs are gone. It's so disheartening and I feel helpless about it all. I am also immunocompromised and can only hold so many online concerts.
We had to move 2 hours away because we couldn't pay our rent anymore. Completely displaced and lucky to be taking up space in a family owned apt in South jersey.  We are continuing to survive and amplify black voices in LBI!”

Reps: Sen. Chuck Schumer, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, Rep. Carolyn Maloney, Assemblymember Harvey Epstein, Sen. Brad Hoylman.

JULY 9:
22 Days till the end of July. FPUC ends in July & after that, musicians who cannot go back to work are told to go it alone. Story #19.

Emily A. Cohn: “I have a lot of projects to work on that don't pay any money because no one has income right now. In normal times all the projects I'm working on would be paying my bills. I'm applying for jobs every day, to no avail because I don't have experience or training for anything else than what I do. I applied for SNAP and got denied , maybe they'd accept me once they see that I only have $184 unemployment a week instead of the additional $600 ... silver lining?”

Reps: Sen. Chuck Schumer, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, Rep. Adriano Espaillat, Assemblymember Jeffrey Dinowitz, Sen. Alessandra R. Biaggi.

JULY 8:
23 Days till the end of July. FPUC ends in July & after that, musicians who cannot go back to work are told to go it alone. Story #18.

“I was basically just your typical musician freelancer in NYC, and I had built up a network where I felt very stable in my career and ability to make a living as a musician. I am still devastated and mourning the loss of all the plans I had for my career and the gigs I had worked hard to obtain. My lease is ending July 31st and I will likely be putting my belongings in storage. I cannot justify starting a new lease if there is still no work in the Fall and unemployment benefits end. I plan to go to my family in CA for a month and then hopefully come back and find a new place. It's really all so up in the air right now, a lot can happen between now and the end of my lease” 

Reps: Sen. Chuck Schumer, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, Rep. Adriano Espaillat, Assemblymember Al Taylor, Sen. Brian A. Benjamin.

JULY 7:
24 Days till the end of July. FPUC ends in July & after that, musicians who cannot go back to work are told to go it alone. Story #17.

“[I was a] traveling DJ, producer releasing music on domestic and international labels... I am barely surviving. I have yet to receive any unemployment from NYState. I applied mid-March. It has been 100 days with no money. It has been impossible to get in contact with them. My biggest challenge right now is getting assistance from the State. I desperately need the lump sum payment of all my retroactive payments.
Another hurdle is figuring out what to do with my life. When do clubs and events open again? And how long can I wait it out in NYC with high rents. My life before worked but now it does not.”

Reps: Sen. Chuck Schumer, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, Sen. Roxanne J. Persaud.

JULY 6:
25 Days till the end of July. FPUC ends in July & after that, musicians who cannot go back to work are told to go it alone. Story #16.

“I have been a freelance violinist for over 20 years... I have been earning six figures as a musician for a few years now, which feels like a great achievement. I had a child in 2019 and opened a Broadway show, so my focus really narrowed last year. My work just ground to a halt..
I can barely conceive of trying to start another career right now, even if it feels necessary... as a single parent, there is very little bandwidth for considering the future when it is so wide open right now...the worst feeling is knowing that I may not have any income for a long time.”

Reps: Sen. Chuck Schumer, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, Assemblymember Dan Quart, Assemblymember Rebecca A. Seawright, Assemblymember Robert J. Rodriguez, Sen. Liz Krueger, Sen. José Marco Serrano.

JULY 5:
26 Days till the end of July. FPUC ends in July & after that, musicians who cannot go back to work are told to go it alone. Story #15.

“It was painful. Watching 8 months of gigs booked in advance get cancelled one by one, thinking now I’m not going be able to pay this bill, and now I’m not going to be able to pay that bill. Then, there were the people making inquiries about booking potential gigs before [NYC was] scheduled to reopen and having to tell them it’s just not possible. Currently not receiving any financial aid from the government at all. The unemployment system has proven daunting. I’ve been selling my possessions on eBay trying to raise funds…I live with my mother and our food comes out of her SSI payment, and I have one friend who delivers to local food distribution centers. He sometimes drops off some food here if there’s any left... I am months behind on my mortgage and credit card payments, and receive repeated phone calls from bill collectors that I just ignore every day...Leaving New York City is not an option because I have nowhere to go.”

Reps: Sen. Chuck Schumer, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Assemblymember Jeffrion L. Aubry, Sen. Jessica Ramos.

JULY 4:
27 Days till the end of July. FPUC ends in July & after that, musicians who cannot go back to work are told to go it alone. Story #14.

“[My major challenge is that] All music projects have been put on indefinite hold or cancelled...I'm hacking away at trying to find and /or pin down new clients. Lots of tentative discussions going on but no one committing...  [I need help with] Navigation of the whole UI and PUA system. It's still not possible to reach anyone live. Emails with my rep and senator have gotten me lots of promises but no results.”

Reps: Sen.Chuck Schumer, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, Rep. Adriano Espaillat, Assemblymember Carmen De la Rosa, Sen. Robert Jackson.

JULY 3:
28 Days till the end of July. FPUC ends in July & after that, musicians who cannot go back to work are told to go it alone. Story #13.

“Before COVID I was working part time for the Bowery Presents [in Boston], as a stagehand and security guard while I finished up an Audio Design BA. I was technically a freelancer/ independent contractor and didn't qualify for much assistance. My income evaporated and I ate into my savings until graduation. After that I decided it was too expensive to stay in the city and I decided to move back in with my parents.
My parents have been gracious to help me through this, but they are very unwilling to accept that I am queer. It has taken a toll on my mental health. I don’t know what I will do, I don’t know where else my skills could be useful and I am staring down a mountain of student debt… Choosing to study audio design and the arts feels like a very foolish decision in retrospect. I don’t know if I'll ever be able to move back to the city.”

Reps: Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Sen. Ed Markey, Rep. Ayanna Pressley, Sen. Sal N. DiDomenico.

JULY 2:
29 Days till the end of July. FPUC ends in July & after that, musicians who cannot go back to work are told to go it alone. Story #12.

“Everything I was working on came to a hard stop - my tour was put on indefinite hiatus as of March 12th. It was a devastating moment, watching my show that I had a full year and a half to go on shut down for god knows how long.. Dealing with New Jersey’s unemployment was also a mess - I immediately went in to apply but it took 11 weeks to get money in - and it’s still incorrect amounts and not reliable.
I’m deeply worried about having enough financial stability to pay rent (with our lease up in November and a rent increase sure to come) and pay for health insurance and food for both of us. We’ve already used all the money we’d saved for 4 years to survive currently, which is deeply heart breaking. It’s just not sustainable.”

Reps: Sen. Menendez, Sen. Cory Booker, Rep. Albio B. Sires, Assemblymember Angela V. McKnight, Assemblyman Nicholas Chiaravalloti.

JULY 1:
30 Days till the end of July. FPUC ends in July & after that, musicians who cannot go back to work are told to go it alone. Story #11. 

Nicole D’Angelo: “I was music directing, in the middle of high school musical season. Had 7 high school shows booked. Was preparing to go to California for my first out-of-state contract on a show where I was going to be serving as probably the first Autistic leader of an all-Autistic band for a show about autism. I am also a Disabled advocate for neurodiversity in performing arts…
March is my big month for income because of all the high school shows so I was expecting to make about 8K… I'm completely relying on savings right now. As I said I am Autistic and the unemployment process is very very overwhelming for me.”

Reps: Sen. Menendez, Sen. Cory Booker, Rep. Donald Payne Jr, Assemblymember Britnee N. Timberlake.

JUNE 30:
31 Days till the end of July. FPUC ends in July & after that, musicians who cannot go back to work are told to go it alone. Story #10.

Sarah Tusch: “It was the worst day of my life. Everything cancelled within a matter of 48 hours, and I was devastated. I didn’t know what to do. How long would this last? Would I lose my apartment? How would I be able to live? What’s going to happen to my finances? If I were still in the corporate world, I’d be getting paid - but as a musician, if you don’t show up, there’s no money for you. Last minute cancellation? Very rarely do you see any money for that, and if you do, it’s even more rare, almost never the full pay you were promised… Surviving is the best word - it’s all I’m trying to do. It’s all I can do, and some days are better than others. I’m afraid that I’ll have to go back to a standard 9-5 job, just to make ends meet, and leave my instrument, my voice, and all of my accomplishments behind. I’m not that person - I am a musician”

Reps: Sen.Chuck Schumer, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, Sen. James Skoufis, Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, Assemblymember Colin J. Schmitt.

JUNE 29:
32 Days till the end of July. FPUC ends in July & after that, musicians who cannot go back to work are told to go it alone. Story #9.

“Before Covid I was working as an AD for my own company & starting production for an off Broadway production...I went from 20 weeks of work as an actor to none…It was crippling- terrifying. Not only had my company lost 50k, I myself lost all of my income and wasn’t sure I’d be able to pay bills. Emotionally is another thing entirely. I’m depressed all the time… I have Unemployment now to help- my company received the PPP Loan so for 3 weeks I’ll get health weeks- but then that will be gone without any certainty of when the industry will be back.
Challenges: how I’ll ever start my company again- when will we be able to fundraise- gather grants- do any good as an inclusive company? I worry about my husband being burdened. He has cancer & I need to bring in some money… My anxiety & mental health is bad. Loss of the $600 a week would make it impossible for us to pay bills.”

Reps: Sen.Chuck Schumer, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, Rep. Adriano Espaillat, Assemblymember Al Taylor, Sen. Robert Jackson.

JUNE 28:
33 Days till the end of July. FPUC ends in July & after that, musicians who cannot go back to work are told to go it alone. Story #8. 

Gregory Jones: “I was a very active bass player performing in churches, night clubs, recording, teaching & doing small tours. I was going to do more touring this year now that my son is 18 & graduating high school. I had dates booked in the south for April, the tri-state area for May, Russia in July, Germany in November. All my work for the year cancelled over the course of a few days…
I applied [for unemployment] on 3/29, and have yet to receive anything [as of today]. I get a bit of work through my churches. Sold some instruments, used my tax refunds, and my son's college fund to get us to this point. We've exhausted it all… I might lose my home. it's a very real looming prospect.”

Reps: Sen. Menendez, Sen. Cory Booker, Rep. Donald Payne Jr, Assemblymember Mila M. Jasey, Assemblymember John F. McKeon, Sen. Richard James Codey.

JUNE 27:
34 Days till the end of July. FPUC ends in July & after that, musicians who cannot go back to work are told to go it alone. Story #7.

“I made a living as a full-time freelance violinist performing at weddings, concerts & doing studio work. No non arts work. All of my gigs were cancelled indefinitely, or rescheduled to 2021. So I lost 100 percent of my income… Mental health is definitely difficult. I considered cutting therapy out of my budget, because I have such a finite runway. But I really need that support right now.
At this point, I am also considering other careers. I thought my income was pretty resilient, as I've deliberately cultivated a large roster of clients & collaborators that employ me. But the entire industry is just folding - it's a huge blow that makes me realize just how vulnerable we are as music workers, and how dismissed we are.”

Reps: Sen.Chuck Schumer, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, Rep. Nydia Margarita Velázquez Serrano, Assemblymember Joe Danielsen, Sen. Brian Kavanagh.

JUNE 26: 
35 Days till the end of July. FPUC ends in July & after that, musicians who cannot go back to work are told to go it alone. Story #6.

Sara Lari: “I am normally on tours and working festivals but also frequently work short-term pop ups or gigs all across the country…My income was purely based on entertainment & events. Not knowing when & if anything will return back to normal has skyrocketed my depression. I am an orphan, I don't have family to lean on, if I end up failing I have no idea what I will do…
I was finally able to get through to unemployment but because I primarily am a 1099 employee, I was only approved for $90 a week. The only thing that is saving me is the extra $600 a week and I have no idea how I will survive once that runs out…The uncertainty of what will happen with my industry has me spiraling.
This industry is what my entire life revolves around. I will have to completely change everything I know & it is not easy trying to apply for jobs when no one understands the gig-to-gig work style, especially on a resume.”

Reps: Sen.Chuck Schumer, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Assemblymember Aravella Simotas, Sen. Michael Gianaris.

JUNE 25: 
36 Days till the end of July. FPUC ends in July & after that, musicians who cannot go back to work are told to go it alone. Story #5.

Darren Lucas: “I was a touring musician with broadway show Beautiful..The national tour was full time through June 2020...We were traveling on our tour bus and our company manager stated our weekend in Fort Worth,TX. March 20 was cancelled and our upcoming weekend in Galveston was cancelled. Pretty much the next day we were on a plane home. That was March 13. Saturday March 14th I was on a plane from Houston to LGA.
I still have to...get my touring personal gear off a semi-truck parked in the Texas heat. Making online music videos will never ever compensate my pay. And as of now there's is very little hope our tour will return until after 2021. I'm not certified to work in a restaurant, there is zero temp work, I don't have vehicle to deliver packages or food… If I (we) lose the extra $600 my unemployment goes down to the minimum of $174 and after taxes is $154. Living in NYC on $154 wk till after January 2021.”

Reps: Sen.Chuck Schumer, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, Rep. Adriano Espaillat, Assemblymember Carmen De La Rosa, Sen. Robert Jackson.

JUNE 24:
37 Days till the end of July. FPUC ends in July & after that, musicians who cannot go back to work are told to go it alone. Story #4.

Jami Dauber: “March 12th was D-Day for me and thousands of my friends and colleagues. It was like a bomb dropping every hour, then every minute, and then almost every second. Broadway shut down (what?!). Months and months of work just went "poof." Then I had to make the calls to the band members of The DIVA Jazz Orchestra and tell them that our March dates at Jazz at Lincoln Center's Dizzy's Club were cancelled. Then 54 Below with Maurice Hines. Then our trip to Brazil...it just never stopped...until it did. The pain of "taking away work" from my friends was practically unbearable. And now our calendars are empty for the unforeseeable future. It's truly unimaginable, not knowing when my next gig is.
The biggest financial challenge I, as well as many of my colleagues, are going to face is losing our health insurance on September 1st (assuming that the government is not going to subsidize Cobra). Our insurance is based on employer contributions, and...well...no work equals zero contributions. That will definitely be a huge financial burden on so many of us.”

Reps: Sen.Chuck Schumer, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, Rep. Jerry Nadler, Assemblymember Linda B Rosenthal, Sen. Robert Jackson.

JUNE 23:
38 Days till the end of July. FPUC ends in July & after that, musicians who cannot go back to work are told to go it alone. Story #3.

Keith Levinson: “Here I am MD/Conductor of “The Who”. And, that’s not the only big classic rock band I've written charts for and conducted. YES, KISS. ALICE COOPER, BAD COMPANY. NIGEL KENNEDY, MEAT LOAF, SPANDAU BALLET and the NY Phil... But here I am, I had forty dates cancelled for 2020 and there’s no real hope for 2021…
My healthcare through the marketplace because of my Parkinsons is $1950 a month. Yes, I had some savings, but on March 1 the world essentially ended for me. So here I am. A very successful musician, who in June has nothing, except a $4500 rent. Utilities etc.etc/ etc. And a kid in college. I'm 60 years old with Parkinsons”

Reps: Sen.Chuck Schumer, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, Rep. Eliot Engel, Assemblymember AmyPaulin, Sen Shelley B. Mayer.

JUNE 22:
39 Days till the end of July. FPUC ends in July & after that, musicians who cannot go back to work are told to go it alone. Story #2.

“By the beginning of May, I'd had $30-40k worth of gigs cancelled, and those were just the gigs I had on the books. I hadn't even begun to book things for the summer yet, which is typically a very successful season (given all the events, weddings, and summer concerts.) ...I have still been able to pay my rent and for food/basic bills because I am collecting unemployment, but the only reason I can afford to is with the additional PUC/PUA payments. I have been trying to squirrel away some of that, but I am terrified for when the extra $600 ends. Without that, I am only collecting $199/week based on NY unemployment benefits. My rent alone costs more than that…even if I do stop paying rent completely, I will barely be making enough for bills and food once the PUA ends in July.
Basically I am terrified of what will happen then (while acknowledging that I know I am lucky and privileged to have a close family nearby to fall back on.) But my parents are also unsure about the futures of their jobs now, and I can't just expect them to provide food for me indefinitely.”

Reps: Sen.Chuck Schumer, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, Rep. Adriano Espaillat, Assemblymember Al Taylor, Sen. Brian A. Benjamin.

JUNE 21:

40 Days till the end of July. FPUC ends in July & after that, musicians who cannot go back to work are told to go it alone. Story #1.

Lauren D’Imperio: “I’m a singer. Prior to COVID-19, I had plenty of work. I felt like I was actually able to sustain myself…[the shut down was] Absolutely terrifying. Gigs were being cancelled and pulled out from under my feet. I just prayed and hoped we’d make it out on the other side…
I haven’t received a dime of aid from both NJ and NY. My income is split almost evenly between the states. It’s been an absolute mess and I’m just at a loss. I try calling unemployment in NJ and the one time I got through to a real person... they deleted my claim from the system... [my biggest challenge now is] My car!!!!! It’s officially dead, and that’s how I get to and from gigs. As work slowly comes back, I will need to figure out what I’m gonna do.”

Reps: Sen. Menendez, Sen. Cory Booker, Rep. Josh Gottheimer, Assemblymember Jimenez & Assemblymember Lisa Swain & Assemblymember Chris Tully, Sen. Joseph A. Lagana.

ADDITIONAL STORIES:

Story #42: 

“[how am I doing?] Imagine you are drowning, and someone in a life boat asks you to describe the water.”

Story #43:

“All of my work was cancelled. All of the scheduled services for Easter and the entirety of Holy Week that I had plans to sing, which literally covers my rent— gone. Knowing that every decision I make with my money could be shooting myself in the foot if benefits stop. [another major challenge is] when I graduate [later this year] and my loans open up for repayment.”

Story #44:

“All told, I’ve lost around $20,000 in gig income. I am having trouble dealing with perceived lack of leadership around this pandemic, and especially as it pertains to my work.”

Story 45:

“Biggest challenges are anxiety and paying rent for my apartment. It’s fine right now with the extra 600 but will start to be difficult soon after.”

Story 46:

“CA UI is open 8am-12noon weekdays, but it doesn’t matter b/c no one answers the phones-it hangs up on you. I couldn’t file a claim online b/c I worked in states other than CA. I continually call but get no one. I even sent letters asking for help to my State representatives. I have not received any assistance since mid-May and don’t know if I will get any more.”

Story 47:

“Currently I am receiving unemployment and am terrified for the end of July.”

Story 48:

“Devastating. An entire years worth of contracted work has been canceled. I’m relying heavily on PUI. There’s no income because there are still state mandated closures in place...”

Story 49:

“Even survival jobs like serving or bar tending are gone. I have, basically, zero options.”

Story 50:

“Everything just completely stopped. Losing the $600 will be frightening. I may have to consider collecting my pension 5 years early.”

Story 51:

“Feel like i lost 60k of planned income. Lots of scrambling. i am subletting in my hometown NYC because i expected to be gone and tried to save on rent while gone. Now i am subletting, etc, my stuff is in storage. Biggest challenge is figuring out another temporary profession - or - figuring out if i need to move out of New York and live somewhere cheaper until i can work again. Also wondering what to do when the 600 dollars stops.”

Story 52:

“I am surviving. I do have some income coming in - although it isn't enough to cover my expenses.”

Story 53:

“I began my battle trying to file an unemployment claim. This became my full time job calling 1-200 times day to busy signals. I tweeted AND emailed the department of labor. Contacted every NJ Politicians. I was hemorrhaging my saving. 8 weeks later department of labor agents called me and completed my claim.”

Story 54:

“I can't make unemployment because I work every day, even if it's for one half hour. I'm surviving day to day. I'm terrified.”

Story 55:

“I don’t know if there’s a career for me as an artist waiting on the other side of this. I’ve tried to do some livestreams to generate income. They’ve been moderately successful. But in order to do those, I’ve invested significant funds (and time) in microphones and other technologies.”

Story #56:

“I finally got unemployment after trying for 10 weeks.”

Story #57: 

“I'm worried that the music economy will collapse, and/or greatly contract, and that broke funders and greedy venues will use the contraction to drastically reduce pay.
The fact that i'm drawing down retirement savings + the partial or maybe total collapse of the AFM pension fund means that i won't have enough to live on if i become unable to work.”

Story #58:

“I watched helplessly as all of my other work for the foreseeable future disappeared: private events, bars, restaurants, everything gone virtually overnight.”

Story #59:

“I was one day away from putting up a Pulitzer Prize winning opera at the Kennedy Center and doing a Tiny Desk Concert at NPR when we got shut down. I’ve lost all my gig money now (unless new ones come in) until May of 2021.”

Story #60:

“I don’t know if there’s a career for me as an artist waiting on the other side of this. I’ve tried to do some livestreams to generate income. They’ve been moderately successful. But in order to do those, I’ve invested significant funds (and time) in microphones and other technologies.”

Story #61:

“I began my battle trying to file an unemployment claim. This became my full time job calling 1-200 times day to busy signals. I tweeted AND emailed the department If labor. Contacted every NJ Politicians. I was hemorrhaging my saving. 8 weeks later department of labor agents called me and completed my claim.”

Story #62:

“I can't make unemployment because I work every day, even if it's for one half hour. I'm surviving day to day. I'm terrified.”

Story #63:

“I finally got unemployment after trying for 10 weeks.”

 Story #64:

“It has been a shock.”

 Story #65:

“It is now June 14th and I haven't received Unemployment. Essentially because I was on Unemployment last year in April… they kicked me off UE this year after 3 weeks because every 52 weeks they automatically kick you off. I reapplied and have been certifying every week since April 22nd. I've spoken with numerous people at DOL (probably 4 convos per 300 calls). Three weeks ago an agent said there's no problem it should come any day now. Getting a little worried I called again this morning an another agent said there's a hold on my account for some reason. She didn't know why, but said that she sent an email to her supervisor and that person would take the hold off, call me and the $$ would come by today or tomorrow. She also said that had I not called I may have stayed in Limbo for god knows how long...which flies in the face of what a lot of people say about not needing to call them and check on them. This is obviously very stressful as I have rent, mortgage and bills that are just non-stop even though I have no income.”

 Story #66:

“It was complete shock. It still feels a tad surreal.”

Story #67:

“Losing the $600 PA is going to be the most crippling thing for us. In this area costs of living is so high, just unemployment will be a quarter of our income.”

Story #68:

“Losing the pandemic unemployment benefit is stressful to me. I have been very dependent on that since I can’t get any other work and don’t get much from regular unemployment.”

Story #69:

“Losing the PUA will be biggest challenge. That and figuring out how to create more work online with bills and college expenses to pay” 

Story #70:

“music is not just a passion but it’s also how we pay our rent, bills...”

Story #71:

“My future employment prospects in my fields are dire. I am being forced to move this month due to not being able to afford rent and am in the middle of packing, so I have already lost my housing, but fortunately found another option.”

Story #72:

“My life feels up in the air. I'm contemplating leaving NYC. My lease is up in December, I'm seriously contemplating not renewing it. I am not sure what I would do instead of pursuing music. I basically "placed all of my eggs in one basket", career-wise.”

Story #73:

“my weekly income right now is less than $300. I've applied for unemployment in NY State once my semester of teaching ended, but have yet to receive a payment. The biggest challenge right now is the anxiety of not knowing when it will be safe to perform again, on tours and in clubs.”

Story #74:

“It was similar to the trauma after a huge accident or a loss. All my work was shut down.”

Story #75:

“We’ve decided to move to Denver. It’s been on the horizon for us but we’d planned on staying in NYC at least another few years. Moving to a new city with no prospects for work is stressful, especially considering unemployment benefits possibly ending next month. How we will qualify for an apartment to move into is beyond me. I have some gigs in NYC that have been postponed to the fall that will be nice if they happen but I’m not counting on it. The last thing I want to do is find a service/retail job but it feels like it is the only option (although I’ve never had a job outside of music since college so I doubt anyone will even hire me due to lack of experience).”

Story #76:

“We luckily had a little savings but we burned through it quickly and are receiving unemployment, it’s about to end and my partner and I are both thinking about career changes, unsure of how music will fit into the equation. Seeing how this pandemic has leveled so many opportunities has made me rethink what it means to participate in the music industry even on an independent level. It’s pretty bleak to think about being a musician moving forward.”

Story #77:

“We have to find other ways of making money until our industry can come back, which truthfully won't likely happen until maybe Spring 2021. With continuing full UI and pandemic UI we can breathe and figure things out. Otherwise we will be in a state of panic as to how to afford to live in NYC at all. Our daughter is 18 and will start college this fall.”

Story #78:

“We are supposed to have a pretty substantial tour with our trio in the fall 2020 along the east coast, CA and down south. As of now, most of the venues have not cancelled but I’m not holding my breath that we will actually be able to tour by the end of September. And we just purchased a small beach condo in SC right before the pandemic hit so now we have to worry about two mortgages instead of one. It’s incredibly scary to have so many uncertainties, especially concerning finances.”

Story #79:

“The fear of losing our home and leaving NYC is the biggest. The anxiety goes with that. I can manage my child right now, thankfully. Losing the pandemic money would be awful and it’s one of the things that helps keep me from completely losing it.”

Story #80:

“Taking away the $600 supplement would make this much harder and would require me to either rely on my credit cards or raid my retirement funds just to survive.”

Story #81:

“Performances being cancelled, no work for us, yet PUA will end soon. I’m struggling to practice and keep up my skills when the kids are all home, and there’s nothing to practice for.”

Story #82:

“Not only has the creative industry shut down, but I also lost my day job working at a tech startup. On top of that, my former employer that laid me off mid pandemic threatened to sue me and demanded I pay back my unused vacation time they paid me (a little over $3,000). Because I have no job and just unemployment, I’m at my wits end knowing things will only get harder.”