To assist musicians impacted by the closures of bars and other music venues, one St. Louis studio owner created a relief fund.

After his own layoff, Ben Majchrzak of Native Sound conceived of an idea. He heard from local musicians’ struggles during the coronavirus outbreak. Lyda Krewson, the mayor of St. Louis, imposed a ban on gatherings of more than 50 people.

As a result of the ban on large gatherings, music shows came to a halt. Without venues to perform in, musicians lost out on gigs. Furthermore, they lost out on money earned from gigs. “People are losing their sanity a little because they don’t know what they’re gonna do,” Majchrzak said.

While he collects unemployment after his employer laid him off, those without jobs in the first place can’t. He works for Fox Sports Midwest, which ceased operation after the suspension of professional sports games.

Though, Majchrzak also co-owns Native Sound Recordings, which works with national and local artists alike. With his own situation handled, he thought about helping musicians impacted by the closures.

Therefore, he created a GoFundMe page collecting donations for struggling musical artists and crew in the St. Louis area.

A Relief Fund and Livestreamed Concerts

With an initial goal of $5,000, the relief fund already raised over $4,200 in its first three days. Once reached, Majchrzak says the funds get distributed in checks up to $250 to people in the St. Louis local music community directly impacted by the coronavirus outbreak.

Additionally, the studio owner wants to start offering sessions to local musicians to livestream online. He hopes to raise funds for both the performing artists and the relief fund in a 75/25 percent split. The livestreamed concerts would earn money from donations given by those tuning in.

With a great many people looking for activities during self-isolation, the effort could prove quite successful.