During this time of rapid and unexpected change, businesses and individuals in New Orleans are putting on new hats to meet new needs. The Convention Center has become a hospital. Hotels are serving as homeless shelters. Neighborhood bars are now take-out restaurants. Musicians that earn their keep playing live music are now Internet artists. The COVID-19 crisis has compelled businesses to ponder their broader vision and explore new ways to serve the public.
The Artist Collective (TAC for short) is a start-up software company created by Louisiana musicians with the goal of empowering artists and helping them manage their brands. With the motto, “For artists, by artists,” TAC has been developing a platform to connect artists and provide them valuable management tools and resources. Efforts were underway to launch in fall of this year, but when the epidemic struck in March and kicked the legs out from underneath the gig economy, the company made a decision to pivot and re-deploy its efforts and resources. For musicians, longer-term goals were now eclipsed by the necessities of survival. According to founder and CEO Austin Allen, “It became evident that we needed to take action for our community.”
Allen and the tech team at TAC got to work building a website and a social media base that could be a hub for musicians across the country—a way to connect and share information and a one-stop shop for relief funds and other financial resources. “There is so much information out there right now and trying to sort through it on your own can be overwhelming. What we wanted to provide was a more specific direction for success. We also want artists to have a voice, to share their stories, and interact with us. Artist feedback is paramount to knowing what is really going on across the country during this time.”
One innovative feature of the website is an interactive national heat map that tracks gigs lost to COVID-19. The COVID-19 Resource Section provides a wealth of information about funds, foundations, loans, and legislative updates. TAC’s Facebook page has incited a national conversation among artists about their challenges as well as successes dealing with everything going on around them. It’s a way to escape the isolation of quarantine and get connected. Allen says, “We all want to return to the stage. Until then, we can find comfort that we aren’t alone because we have each other. The strength and support of our community will ensure that we will prevail.”
