NEW ORLEANS— If you’re a working musician in this town, this is a particularly difficult time since no gigs mean no money, but many of our artists have taken to social media t do what they’ve always done- to connect and inspire.
A portion of PJ Morton post said, “A small sacrifice right now can help a lot of people,” and worldwide on social media are messages from musicians.
When asked whether he saw digital platforms as a way to stay connected with audiences, Jon Cleary said, “Everybody needs music They haven’t found a society on the planet yet that doesn’t have music. I think people are in lockdown at the moment looking for their entertainment and stuff to keep their spirits up”
Davell Crawford sent WGNO a beautiful piano performance for air, and some artists have even taken to social media for financial support.
Robin Barnes performed with her husband and bassist Pat Casey. Barnes said, “Music is my life, music is my passion and so is it for my husband; we’re both musicians so by us losing all of our gigs, all of our income we were like. we still have to do music we still have to perform”
And like the rest of us they still have to pay the bills. What’s best for us is that we can help them and be inspired along the way.
Award-winning composer and trumpeter Terence Blanchard said, “In the grand scheme of things it uncomfortable, it’s awkward, but it’s a blip. If it’s a 2-month thing compared to what we’ve gone thru in the past. We’ve been through a lot in this city, in particular. We’ll weather this storm as well.”