With the world in shambles over the COVID-19 pandemic, there’s one thing that remains certain: music. It’s safe to say that no one’s lives would be the same without music. It often serves as our voice when we don’t have the right words to say and it gets us through our best and worst times. While this is all may be true, the very people who create this music are struggling. The bars and venues are closed, making it very difficult for up and coming artists to stay afloat. Luckily, there’s folks like Greg Seltzer who are helping the music community out during these rough times.
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Seltzer founded The Philadelphia Music & Arts Festival to encourage the citizens of Philadelphia to support the local music scene. It also strives to benefit the musicians who live in Philadelphia, local music education programs and local venues where these musicians spend a lot of their time. Because of the coronavirus, a lot of these groups are struggling so Seltzer is hosting Philly Music Fest, set to take place in September. The goal of this micro-grant initiative is to help these musicians and venues.
While Seltzer is primarily focused on Philadelphia, he hopes that this is a prime example of what other cities can do to help.
“Ultimately, we would like Philly Music Fest to be a template for what other communities should be doing to support their musicians, venues and personnel,” says Seltzer. “The connective tissue around all this is Philly, but that doesn’t mean that someone else in Indianapolis, Minneapolis, or Kansas City can’t do the exact same thing.”
While things like buying your favorite artist’s merch or buying a ticket to their show makes them money, a micro-grant program is the best way to help, according to Seltzer. PMF is doing everything DIY style, including the booking.
“We’re gonna have to keep this a bit DIY – no online “form” to complete and no “portal” to submit. Just email [email protected] or DM via IG and tell us where you’re from (must be the Philly-area), what you were doing before the shutdown, your current struggle/situation and how $250 would assist you immediately.” While there’s no telling what the future brings when it comes to COVID-19, music will always remain a huge part of everyone’s life. This is why folks like Seltzer feel like it’s essential to help this community.
To get more information about the Philly Music Fest and how you can get involved, visit their website phlmusicfest.com or on Instagram @phlmusicfest.
