May 25, 2022 (Nashville, Tenn) -- Last night at the National Museum of African American Music's Roots Theater, Whippoorwill Arts presented its landmark Musicians' Survey to industry leaders, musicians, podcasters and journalists. The event, "Whippoorwill Arts' Turn Up The Mic, Tune-Up The Future" explored the realities of life as a working musician and next steps toward a positive and equitable future for working musicians. The Q&A was moderated by Michelle Conceison (industry leader and MTSU professor) and featured panelists Dave Pomeroy, Michael Hicks, Rachel Rodriguez and Whippoorwill Arts' Rachelle Furst.
Based on the analysis and findings from the study, Slover Linett researchers and Whippoorwill Arts identified seven broad action areas that will be required to provide the change that working musicians need to survive and thrive:
-Determining what constitutes adequate compensation for working musicians.
-Promoting pay equity standards, in part through guaranteed minimum pay for performances.
-Working with streaming platforms toward a fair division of streaming profits.
-Creating standards of conduct and policy for venues.
-Expanding the range of funding mechanisms that roots musicians can access.
-Strengthening musician solidarity with the help of membership organizations, unions, and other organizations that advocate for and connect musicians.
-Bridging the digital divide.
"We hope to spark conversations leading to fair and equitable solutions for musicians," says Perkins. "We will believe there is a new ecosystem where everyone can make a living and where art, of all kinds, are appreciated and fairly celebrated."
For a final copy of the survey report, please visit: www.whippoorwillarts.org/research and to find out more about how you or your organization can get involved, Whippoorwill Arts encourages emailing admin@whippoorwillarts.org for a response within 24 hours.
About Whippoorwill Arts:
Whippoorwill Arts invests in the creativity and lives of working roots musicians through ethically paid live and online performances including a festival, the Music aLIVE grant program, and COVID Safety Guidelines for Working Musicians; uplifts those artists through Artist Awards/Fellowships, and seeks to transform the music ecosystem to be more equitable through data-driven research and strategic partnerships. For program information, please visit www.whippoorwillarts.org.
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