NEWS An update on financial assistance available to

Pandemic assistance for musicians and Tennessee Unemployment Insurance update

Representatives of HOPE-20, a new charitable organization, met with Local 257 President Dave Pomeroy in October to offer a new program to help musicians who are struggling through the difficulties of the pandemic. The nonprofit organization set aside $250,000 for union members which will be disbursed to approved applicants. The help will go to pay housing and utility bills, and will also include free assistance geared toward helping musicians expand their opportunities for generating income. The first round of applications have been accepted, and membership will again be notified if the organization reopens for a second round. Local 257’s own assistance entity — the Crisis Assistance Fund — is still accepting donations at our website — nashvillemusicians. org. Local musicians will be notified when the fund begins to accept applications for assistance. The Musicians of the Nashville Symphony have also set up a nonprofit for those who wish to contribute directly to the furloughed orchestra members. Symphony Steward Kevin Jablonski has complete details on this new charitable entity in his column on page 24. Go to musiciansofthenashvillesymphony.org or their Facebook page to donate or for more details on this fund. The charitable arm of the NARAS organization — MusiCares — is also accepting applications for assistance to individuals who have been in the music business for five years or more. For information go to grammy.com/musicares/get-help. Music Health Alliance is also still accepting applications for financial assistance related to COVID-19. And although the ACM has paused applications for assistance, its website still offers a host of resources for help at acmliftinglives.org/covid-19-relief. In Tennessee Unemployment Insurance (UI) news, since the first week of October some members have reported that they have been asked to provide weekly job search details in order to obtain UI money. Local 257 lobbied for an exemption to this policy when the assistance to self-employed musicians first became available at the beginning of the pandemic. When filling out your application, you must list Nashville Musicians Association when you see the following question on the application:

Do you get your job exclusively through a hiring

Union? Although Local 257 is not specifically a “hiring hall” this is how Tennessee UI has said it will allow union members to avoid the job search details requirement in order to receive UI. All of the aforementioned assistance links and information on Tennessee Unemployment Insurance are listed at nashvillemusicians. org/covid-19-resources-and-information-musicians. TNM