Unison Benevolent Fund – an assistance program that provides discreet relief to music industry professionals in times of crisis – is pleased to announce the launch of #WithoutMusic, a new collaborative social media campaign designed with both the music industry and fans in mind. As part of Unison’s ongoing efforts to combat the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Canadian music industry, #WithoutMusic encourages participants to detail the positive and lasting impact of music on both their own lives and the world, and why supporting organizations like Unison is vital to the continuation of that. Participants can voice their thoughts and experiences and empower others to do so by sharing the graphic, photos, videos and stories on social media using the #WithoutMusic hashtag and tagging @UnisonFund.
As venues, tours and festivals have shut down in response to public health measures to flatten the curve and limit the spread of COVID-19, those in the music industry who rely on the live business for revenue have been severely impacted, leaving numerous entertainment professionals out of work and requiring the emergency relief assistance that Unison provides. Since the beginning of the outbreak, Unison has received an overwhelming number of requests for assistance from the music community, seeing an increase of 3500% per week.
#WithoutMusic strives to engage both industry professionals and fans in their shared loved of music, broadening the overall awareness of Unison Benevolent Fund and encouraging both those that are in need to apply and those that can to donate, all while highlighting the everlasting positive impact of music in daily life.
“I know my own story would be completely rewritten #WithoutMusic, and I’m sure many feel the same,” says Unison Executive Director Amanda Power. “It is times like these where we need to come together to support those who are struggling, and we are proud to launch the #WithoutMusic campaign to raise awareness of Unison’s mission in the Canadian Music Industry, so that we can continue to provide critical assistance for as many people as possible during this difficult time.”
Donations collected from the #WithoutMusic campaign will be included as part of the Spotify COVID-19 Music Relief project, which was created to amplify the efforts of organizations that focus on helping those most in need, like the Unison Benevolent Fund. Spotify will match donations made to Unison dollar for dollar up to a collective total of $10 million USD.
Unison Benevolent Fund is a non-profit, registered charity that provides counselling and emergency relief services to the Canadian music community. We are here to help professional music makers in times of hardship, illness or economic difficulties. Unison Benevolent Fund is an assistance program – created and administered for the music community, by the music community – designed to provide discreet relief to music industry professionals in times of crisis through financial assistance and counselling and health solutions.
