On the heels of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival’s announcement that the 2020 Jazz Fest is canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation announced the establishment of the Jazz & Heritage Music Relief Fund.

The new relief fund is open to Louisiana musicians and other industry employees whose incomes have been negatively impacted by the pandemic. The Jazz & Heritage Foundation established the fund in an effort to “explore opportunities to support Louisiana’s music culture during this crisis to expand upon its existing community support.”

In the past decade, over $6 million has been awarded by the Jazz & Heritage Foundation in Community Partnership Grants, and the Music Relief Fund is just the latest implementation of the Foundation’s mission. Folks are also able to donate to the fund by clicking here.

To apply for the fund, click here. Please note applications will close on April 20 at 8 p.m. CDT.

Executive Director of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and Foundation, Don Marshall, said “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.”

New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Board President, Jeffrey Goldring, added that “The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation invests proceeds from Jazz Fest and additional funds that we raise for year-round programming in education, economic development and cultural enrichment.   Our education programs include the Don “Moose” Jamison Heritage School of Music, the Tom Dent Congo Square Lectures, the Class Got Brass competition for school brass bands, a youth audio workshop program, youth vocal workshops, and more!  Economic Development initiatives include the Community Partnership Grants, the Catapult Fund accelerator program and Sync Up entertainment industry workshops.  Cultural enrichment programs include the Jazz & Heritage Concert Series and annual Foundation Festivals: the Crescent City Blues & BBQ Festival, the Congo Square Rhythms Festival, the Tremé Creole Gumbo Festival and the Louisiana Cajun-Zydeco Festival.  Importantly, these are free programs that the Jazz and Heritage Foundation has developed over many years to ensure that we give back to Louisiana. The Jazz & Heritage Relief Fund is a natural extension of the work we have been doing for the community since 1979.”

For more about the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation, please visit us online at www.jazzandheritage.org.