HAAM: “We are Seeing Our Music Community Being Decimated”

BY TARA PETITT AUSTIN
PUBLISHED 1:21 PM CT MAR. 26, 2020

AUSTIN, Texas – As the impact of the coronavirus pandemic continues to wreak havoc on the economy, its effects on the music industry have been detrimental.

The future of the music industry remains in limbo due to the threat of COVID-19
The Health Alliance for Austin Musicians is working tirelessly to meet the needs of local performers who are currently struggling with no income
HAAM is collaborating with other organizations to prepare and brace for what’s expected to be worsening conditions
“It’s really uncertain times right now,” said Reenie Collins, the executive director of the Health Alliance for Austin Musicians, also known as HAAM.

Collins has been on the front lines to protect the local music scene for decades, and she’s been doing everything she can to stay ahead of the industry’s current threat.

The Texas businesswoman knows there’s a lot at stake for local musicians as the economy shuts down and the workforce is quarantined for the foreseeable future. For musicians, the threat of COVID-19 has created the inability to work or make a living.

“We are seeing our music community being decimated,” said Collins. “We know people are desperate. I had a musician call me – almost in tears – that said, ‘You know, everybody’s talking about sheltering in place, and we’re gonna have to be in our house for two weeks. I don’t have enough money to buy food for two weeks. I only have enough money to buy food for two days.’ And so that’s when we knew we had to do something.”

The last month has been a marathon for nonprofits like HAAM. The first major speed bump came with the cancellation of SXSW. The seven-day music festival is where some musicians and industry professionals earn as much as six months of their annual income. SXSW is also a crucial fundraising opportunity for HAAM. Collins says they were expecting to generate between $400,000 and $450,000 during this year’s conference.

As the next big speed bump came in the form of a full-on global health crisis, the health executive says the nonprofit’s response has become solely focused on helping musicians. HAAM’s short-term plan has included pulling together enough resources to assist local musicians with food, prescriptions and rent for the time being.

“We know that serious things are coming,” said Collins. “When the virus hits, we’re the health care organization for our musicians. We are the ones that are there for them, and we’re gonna be more critical than ever. We know that as people get sicker, they’re gonna need our services more and more, so we’re scrambling to make sure that we’re here for the long term.”

As CDC officials and virus experts say the situation will likely get worse before it gets better, nonprofits like HAAM are linking together with other nonprofits and organizations around the state to form a long-term plan. The goal is to share and form a unified resource of strength and financial stability for Texas musicians.

“I think the next three weeks or so is when we’re gonna really see some big things hit,” said Collins, adding, “And that’s when it’s gonna hit hard – more than just loss of income or food concerns or renting concerns, but it’s gonna be really physical health concerns – How am I gonna get medicine? How am I gonna get testing? How am I gonna stay alive?”

Collins and many other people dedicated to the health of Texas’ music scene are adamant about taking care of the state’s musicians immediately, regardless of what may happen later. She’s seen firsthand Texas’ need for it its musicians just as much as she’s seen its musicians’ need for Texas. The strategy for HAAM is to continue to prepare, pivot and stay true to the charity’s mission.

“Austin musicians are not only vital to this city because of our culture and because this is such a music town and we love music, it’s a huge piece of our economic stability, and we wanna make sure that we take care of these folks so that when this thing passes – because it will – that they’re still here and that we still have this vibrant music community that’s part of the heart and soul of who we are. That’s the heart and soul of everyone. Music touches our lives in so many ways, and we need to value and take care of those artists who have given so much to us. Now is our time to give back to them.”