Area music industry workers including arrangers, composers, producers, audio engineers, educators and performers can apply for grants through Music Therapy Gateway in Communications and SoundCorps, a local nonprofit dedicated to growing the local music industry.
The two are working with the UNFoundation of Chattanooga to provide funds to Chattanooga area musicians during the COVID-19 pandemic.
To help relieve some financial stress for professional musicians, 100% of the grant funds will be used to provide immediate aid to Chattanooga area musicians who are struggling to pay bills and buy groceries. The application portal will remain open until July 24.
Applications will be reviewed and payments processed by Aug. 3, according to a news release. The minimum award for any applicant who is approved is $100, and larger awards may be granted. Any Chattanooga area performing musicians or industry professionals who have lost a significant amount of income due to COVID-19 are welcome to apply.
Music fans have universally recognized the aesthetic, societal and therapeutic value of music in this time of social isolation as people turn to music for comfort and education in their homes, a news release states. Even so, many musicians have found themselves in financial crisis, bringing in just a fraction of their regular income for the foreseeable future.
To access the online application form, visit www.mtgic.org/musician_relief.html.
Music Therapy Gateway in Communications is a 10-year-old organization that works to raise awareness of the benefits of music in therapy. Projects have included live performances, sound recordings and musical arrangements to be used in therapeutic settings or in music therapy research and education. To learn more, visit www.MTGIC.org.
The UNFoundation of Chattanooga looks for uncommon ways to raise funds for non-traditional projects.
- Compiled by Barry Courter