Due to the devastating economic impact of COVID-19 on the musicians in Louisiana, the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation has created the Jazz & Heritage Music Relief Fund. The crisis has left musicians, among many others, without certain means of income to provide for themselves and their families because of the indefinite cancellation of gigs and venue closures.  The relief fund will support Louisiana musicians statewide whose livelihoods have been disrupted in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

To support Louisiana musicians and others who work in the music industry facing loss of income for the foreseeable future, the Foundation Board of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation has dedicated $250,000 to the relief fund. As the situation progresses, the board will continue to explore outlets to support the Louisiana music community and music culture during the crisis. 

Don Marshall, Executive Director of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and Foundation, stated “Performances and concerts are being cancelled and musicians are losing opportunities to support themselves and their families. For generations, the musicians of our community have provided the soul of Louisiana. The goal is to help our musicians impacted by quarantine, disruptions of income, and other challenges, while ensuring an equitable distribution of funds.”

Over the past ten years, the Jazz & Heritage Foundation has awarded more than $6.1 million in Community Partnership Grants that have gone directly towards funding projects of Louisiana creatives and supporting the musical culture of Louisiana. The Jazz & Heritage Relief Fund will continue the Foundation’s outreach and mission to sustain the Louisiana music industry in such unprecedented times. The fund serves in part of a wider plan to provide for the local community that will continue to be established in the coming weeks. As said by New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Board President, Jeffrey Goldring, “The Jazz & Heritage Relief Fund is a natural extension of the work we have been doing for the community since 1979.” 

For more information about the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation, visit them at www.jazzandheritage.org. To request assistance through the Jazz & Heritage Relief Fund, apply here.