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How COVID-19 is impacting LGBTQIA musicians [Episode #255]

With the rise of COVID-19 cases, many steps are being taken to prevent the spread and ensure people’s safety. This is leaving many people out of work and affecting their sources of income. For musicians, it is resulting in the cancellation of live events and tours, which is how many musicians generate their income. LGBTQIA musicians already face many struggles and having to cancel their main sources of income and a way that they’re able to connect with their communities is a huge blow.

During this time, Homoground hosted a virtual panel to hear from musicians in our LGBTQIA community who are being affected by COVID-19 and to discuss ways that we as a community can help each other, as well as come up with solutions to alternative ways to survive financially during this time.

We heard directly from:
Terra Lopez (Rituals of Mine)
Lauren Denitzio (Worriers)
Kim Villagant (Kimmortal)
+ more

Continue this discussion and find support on the Homoground Discord.

We will be posting more events like this on our Patreon, including skillshares and more panel discussions on specific topics that came up during this panel.

Resources mentioned on this call:

Virtual Music Events Directory: A Calendar of Livestreaming events plus a Livestreaming Tool Directory with resources to setting up your own livestream https://docs.google.com/document/d/11wWL_7I4BG76t0V2kw1a4yIeWxUSfGwMQFYdUWAgSnA/preview#heading%3Dh.6p7nn4acptfw

She Shreds Magazine: List of resources for musicians. General plus state specific resources. They will continue to update it: https://sheshredsmag.com/covid-19-resources-for-musicians/

Freelance Artist Resources: This list is specifically designed to serve freelance artists, and those interested in supporting the independent artist community. This includes, but is not limited to, actors, designers, producers, technicians, stage managers, musicians, composers, choreographers, visual artists, filmmakers, craft artists, teaching artists, dancers, writers & playwrights, photographers, etc. https://covid19freelanceartistresource.wordpress.com/

Artist Relief Tree: A new fund created to financially support artists who are affected by cancellations due to COVID-19.
https://artistrelieftree.com/

MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund: To help address the concerns of the industry during this time, MusiCares have expanded their services to include lost income due to the cancellation of scheduled gigs or performances due to Coronavirus/COVID-19 precautionary measures. https://www.grammy.com/musicares/get-help/musicares-coronavirus-relief-fund

Women in Sound: An ongoing list of free and discounted educational resources, software licenses, webinars, online courses, and enjoyable media for these uncertain times. https://www.womeninsound.com/covid19-resources

Equal Sound Corona Relief Fund: Relief Fund for musicians with canceled work. Musicians can apply for financial assistance. People who have $$ can also donate to this fund. https://equalsound.org/project/corona-relief-fund/

Corona Virus Resource List: A comprehensive list of TONS of resources (general, not musician/artist specific, but very useful): https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Rcan4C_e6OBFBI5bUn7MtYK74Ab-WarxyJmDvZUI_YA/mobilebasic

This episode is brought to you by TERRORBIRD MEDIA, a queer-owned music marketing company who encourages you to directly support independent artists wherever you can, today and always: Buy records and merch directly from artists or their labels, and send yourself or a homebound pal a musical care package! Subscribe to their patreon, or even donate directly via their preferred payment app. For more suggestions and info on how – and who – you can help, follow @terrorbirdmedia on Twitter and Instagram.

/// Technology to host this panel is made possible by Composites Collective, operating at the intersection of design & technology, behavioral sciences and technology. http://compositescollective.com \\\

Sinzere – Calgary, Alberta, Canada [Episode #254]

Tune in to episode #254 to learn more about Afro-Canadian hip hop artist Sinzere as she talks about very personal and intimate life experiences including what its been like growing up with abuse in Calgary as a queer Black woman, the importance of transparency, and how music was always there for her. We go behind the music learning more about the inspiration for the songs featured as well as the music video for her song “Posers” off her latest album “Ghetto Gabby”. 

If you enjoyed this episode, please consider contributing to our Patreon to support this free podcast.
http://patreon.com/join/homoground

Episode Sponsor

This episode is sponsored by Adam Male, your most trusted source for sex toys, products and information. Whether you’re looking for something to share with someone special, or you’re wanting to spice up your “me” time, from dildos to dongs, they’re putting the power of pleasure in your hands. Get 25% off plus free shipping with the code AMPOD. 

Transcription of Sinzere’s story:

My artist name is Sinzere, obviously derives from the word sincere. What I did is I just switched the letter of “C” with the letter “Z” just to kind of give it its own identity, as a cool way to represent everything that I am. I’m very sincere to my artistry. It made a lot of sense, in that aspect. I go by the name of Sinzere. Music has kind of been with me since I was a young girl. I remember at a very young age, like around five, four or five, it was kind of like a way to escape the things that I was going through at that time. It’s always kind of been there, through my story when I really got into music and started recording records and working on production. I would say about 2012, it was self-start, it was DIY. In the beginning it was a notepad and ideas and a beat from a stereo. As I progressed and as I learned more and started taking it a little more seriously, I graduated from that to a friend’s basement, to a computer with computer headphones that had a microphone attached, super amateur, and I graduated from that to a friend’s bathroom. It started growing where, you know, we had maybe an apple tower, and a professional microphone and more things to work with. We used programs like Logic, and finally graduating to a state of the art studio. It started with just a notepad and a beat.

You can read the full transcript of Sinzere’s story on our patreon.

CREDITS

This episode was recorded and produced by Erin McGregor of Queer Public.

Executive Production and end credits hosted by Lynn Casper.

Intro Jingle by data.data.data

Interview transcription by Major Davis.

Transcriptions made possible by Queer Public Podcast who let us use their transcription software.

Our affiliate sponsor for this episode is Pride Counseling. Homoground listeners receive a 1 week free trial when they sign up through this link. We also receive commission from each sign up that becomes a paid member. These funds helps us produce episodes like this 🙂

Sarah Jaffe – Texas / New York [Episode 252]

Growth, evolution, and what’s next with the prolific artist Sarah Jaffe. She discuss creative process, collaborating with other artists, sampling a mystery voicemail for her EP, her life in Texas and New York, and more.

If you enjoyed this episode, please consider contributing to our Patreon to support this free podcast.
http://patreon.com/join/homoground

Episode Sponsor

This episode is sponsored by TAIMI – an inclusive LBGTQIA+ dating and social app available on iOS and Android

Transcription of Sarah’s story:

– coming soon –

Find out more about our transcription project here.

CREDITS

This episode was recorded and produced by Maia Macdonald.

Executive Production and end credits hosted by Lynn Casper.

Intro Jingle by data.data.data

Our affiliate sponsor for this episode is Pride Counseling. Homoground listeners receive a 1 week free trial when they sign up through this link. We also receive commission from each sign up that becomes a paid member. These funds helps us produce episodes like this 🙂

Lane More of It Was Romance – Brooklyn, NY [Episode #248]

Our latest episode features the words and songs of Lane Moore. Lane is a member of the band It Was Romance, produces a regular live event called Tinder Live, wrote a book called How to be Alone: If you want to and even if you don’t and did a Tedx talk on the same topic, among many other amazing things.

If you enjoyed this episode, please consider contributing to our Patreon to support this free podcast.
http://patreon.com/join/homoground

Terra Lopez of Rituals of Mine – Los Angeles, California [#Episode 247]

Terra Lopez of Los Angeles, CA based Rituals of Mine speaks about her upcoming album, live performances, and why she changed her project name from Crayon Sister to Rituals of Mine with Homoground correspondent Maia Macdonald (Kid in the Attic, Brooklyn NY)

If you enjoyed this episode, please consider contributing to our Patreon to support this free podcast.
http://patreon.com/join/homoground

Transcription of Terra’s story:

“Nowadays with social media, it’s a lot of work to be vulnerable. It’s a lot of work to be present online and to put yourself out there every single day, but its also very rewarding. It has given me the motivation to continue going in the industry when fans connect and come up to me at shows to talk about mental health, insecurities, or how our music is able to keep them going. Me sharing my journey with mental health and suicide prevention has helped them in their own way. It’s pretty remarkable. It continues to keep me open. Anytime that I’m feeling insecure thinking, “oh god, maybe I share too much.” To hear feedback and that it’s actually helping other folks makes me think, “this is what I’m meant to do and I’m going to keep doing it.” To me, that’s success and the type of energy exchange that I want to have with people while I’m doing this, is to be 100 percent authentic, so that everyone can feel comfortable and safe at our shows and safe in in music in general.”

You can read the full transcript of Terra’s interview on our patreon.

CREDITS

This episode was recorded and produced by Maia Macdonald.

Executive Producer: Lynn Casper

Intro Jingle by data.data.data

Interview transcription by Major Davis.

Transcription was made possible by Queer Public Podcast who let us use their transcription software.

Emily Wells – New York, NY [Episode #240]

Episode #240 is up featuring a conversation between Emily Wells and Homoground host Maia Macdonald. Emily gives us tons of insight behind her latest album “This World is too ______ for you” and the process behind  orchestrating her live performance. 

If you enjoyed this episode, please consider contributing to our Patreon to support this free podcast.
http://patreon.com/join/homoground

Transcription of Emily’s story:

” I guess you kind of have to compartmentalize the processes. So when I was writing the record, for instance, and when I’ve written any records, I find that my process hones over the years. I go into a different kind of self-hood, I would say, and I allow myself to go into that, and I really limit any performances, which is a bit of a luxury. You kind of have to get really scrappy and frugal. Just tour your ass off and then try to make room for yourself to be a maker and not a minstrel. I engage a lot with literature during this period and poetry, and I’m really interested in the mind and how the mind works. All of these things are all connected. And all of that can, if you’re open, become part of the songs as well. So I just try to be that “self” and try to write songs. Almost simply, especially this record, I forced myself that they had to pass the Casio Test. I don’t have a proper piano in my studio, so if I could play it on this old Casio keyboard and sing along with it, and it still was emotional and still was a “good song”, then it passed. Otherwise, it was out. That helps me not get too caught in the… You have some nights where you’re working on things and you start to dabble into the production side of it, which is really fun and can be a great release. But I still had to step away at the end of each song. Then you move into recording mode, then you move into editor mode, then you move into insane person mode, actually making the final decisions, and then you move into like an intern at your label trying to like make it work, you know.”

You can read the full transcript of Emily’s interview on our patreon.

CREDITS

This episode was recorded and produced by Maia Macdonald.

Executive Producer: Lynn Casper

Intro Jingle by data.data.data

Interview transcription by D Orxata

Transcription was made possible by Queer Public Podcast who let us use their transcription software.

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