WEBVTT - LA Fire Disaster Relief From MusiCares

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<v Speaker 1>Pushkin, I'm really grateful for you taking the time to

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<v Speaker 1>speak with me real quick about what you guys are doing.

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<v Speaker 1>I mean, Music Cares, to my mind, has always been

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<v Speaker 1>such a great resource for the music community. Many people

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<v Speaker 1>have many things to say about the big bad record industry.

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<v Speaker 1>I feel like Music Cares, though, might be one of

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<v Speaker 1>the true oasises within that industry where it's just like,

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<v Speaker 1>you know, you guys do so much good stuff. And

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<v Speaker 1>it's been a wild week in LA and everyone's affected.

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<v Speaker 1>But being as we're a music podcast and we have

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<v Speaker 1>people who are musicians who listen and people who are

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<v Speaker 1>in the area who are affected, I just thought it

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<v Speaker 1>might be nice to get a quick chat with you

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<v Speaker 1>about how you guys are helping and you know, if

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<v Speaker 1>anyone's listening who might need help that you guys are

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<v Speaker 1>a resource for them.

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<v Speaker 2>Well, first of all, justin let me just tell you

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<v Speaker 2>how much I love your podcast, and it means a

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<v Speaker 2>lot that you take a moment to bring us out

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<v Speaker 2>here and to feature us a little bit. Thank you.

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<v Speaker 2>You know, I'm amazed. You know who Music Cares is.

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<v Speaker 2>We don't really do marketing. We just started social media

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<v Speaker 2>what I think a year or two ago, you know,

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<v Speaker 2>so it's hard for us in an organization to sometimes

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<v Speaker 2>get our own story out there, So we really appreciate

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<v Speaker 2>you giving us an opportunity to speak. Yeah, we were

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<v Speaker 2>leading into a Grammy Week, which is normally a very

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<v Speaker 2>busy time of the year for all of the various

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<v Speaker 2>Grammy organizations. Music Cares was founded by the Recording Academy

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<v Speaker 2>thirty five years ago, and so we're one of their

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<v Speaker 2>affiliates if we are a five oh one C three charity,

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<v Speaker 2>and so we have our big fundraiser during Grammy Week.

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<v Speaker 3>It's called Music Cares Person of the Year.

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<v Speaker 2>It usually takes place the Friday before the big telecast,

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<v Speaker 2>so it's sort of like the charity gala of Grammy Week.

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<v Speaker 2>So it's already a taxing time period and Music Cares,

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<v Speaker 2>you know, over half of our operating budget is raised

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<v Speaker 2>that night. Eight you know, our ability to do our

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<v Speaker 2>year around Music Care's mission happens because of that charity

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<v Speaker 2>gala every year, so you can imagine the pressure around that.

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<v Speaker 2>And so the tragedy that started to unfold last week

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<v Speaker 2>has really been a massive pivot for the organization.

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<v Speaker 3>I mean, I guess, in one hand.

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<v Speaker 2>It's a beautiful thing that we're on the brink of

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<v Speaker 2>our fundraising gala because you know, the monies we raise

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<v Speaker 2>go directly back into the music community. But on the

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<v Speaker 2>other hand, it's just, I mean, there's no good way

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<v Speaker 2>to really look at it. It's just a terrible disaster and

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<v Speaker 2>it's terrible timing for everyone involved.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, what are some of the ways you imagine being

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<v Speaker 1>able to help because you know, of course there's like

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<v Speaker 1>the mediate disaster that's presently ongoing and hopefully getting on

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<v Speaker 1>the way to contend, but there's you know, a whole

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<v Speaker 1>multi year sort of fallout of this where you know,

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<v Speaker 1>people will just be out of homes and have lost

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<v Speaker 1>equipment and this is all new. But how do you

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<v Speaker 1>guys imagine you might be able to help? And who

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<v Speaker 1>are the kinds of people who's should be looking to

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<v Speaker 1>you guys for assistance?

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, oh, good questions, justin and your instincts are right.

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<v Speaker 2>Disasters aren't just these moments of crisis where the disaster

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<v Speaker 2>is actually happening. Disaster relief. Unfortunately, it has a very

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<v Speaker 2>long tale. The stories go on because you know, crises

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<v Speaker 2>hit people in different ways.

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<v Speaker 3>There's not just you.

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<v Speaker 2>Know, one cookie cutter way and health in human services

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<v Speaker 2>organization like ours can help people. So what normally happens

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<v Speaker 2>is we have a first round of aid that goes

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<v Speaker 2>out and we try to standardize that as much as possible.

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<v Speaker 3>This, you know, we do that.

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<v Speaker 2>We've been doing disaster relief since Hurricane Katrina, and you know,

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<v Speaker 2>so this is very similar type of protocol we we

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<v Speaker 2>put into place. For example, we were already still doing

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<v Speaker 2>a disaster relief on Florida and the Carolinas for the

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<v Speaker 2>storms on this last ball. We did this during COVID

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<v Speaker 2>as well, and usually there's an initial relief effort, right,

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<v Speaker 2>so that's like a standardized in our case fifteen hundred

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<v Speaker 2>dollars financialists issiness grant.

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<v Speaker 3>And a five hundred dollars.

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<v Speaker 2>Grocery gift card that's ATF restricted which means you can't

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<v Speaker 2>buy things other than groceries with it. And we have

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<v Speaker 2>that first sort of standard round because we know people

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<v Speaker 2>are still in this case evacuated or you know, without

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<v Speaker 2>access to utilities, kids are out of school. Things are

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<v Speaker 2>different levels happening to a lot of people, and so

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<v Speaker 2>we just try to get out as quick as we

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<v Speaker 2>can those first initial rounds of relief and then you're right.

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<v Speaker 2>We move into sort of recovery resiliency services in coming months,

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<v Speaker 2>even a year out longer than that. It really depends

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<v Speaker 2>because right now people are still evacuated. So one person

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<v Speaker 2>might go home and they've lost their entire home. Another

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<v Speaker 2>person might go back and realize, oh, my goodness, my

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<v Speaker 2>home was saved, but you know, I have smoke damage

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<v Speaker 2>or something else. Right, So the full scope of the

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<v Speaker 2>disaster that we're looking at right now is not We

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<v Speaker 2>just don't know. It's not been fully revealed to any

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<v Speaker 2>one of us that are involved.

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<v Speaker 3>So your instincts are right.

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<v Speaker 2>It goes on far more than just this moment of

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<v Speaker 2>disaster relief, where it's important just to think about people's food,

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<v Speaker 2>their shelter, their safety, things of that nature. And then

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<v Speaker 2>we move into services like mental health, addictionary, recovery, you know,

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<v Speaker 2>instrument and replacement, equipment replacement, we help with insurance claims,

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<v Speaker 2>things of that nature.

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<v Speaker 1>Wow, who are the kinds of people that I guess

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<v Speaker 1>can reach out to music cares for those kinds of

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<v Speaker 1>basic needs in the short.

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<v Speaker 2>Term, So our mission is specifically for music professionals. We

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<v Speaker 2>ask people to demonstrate in this in disaster relief scenarios

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<v Speaker 2>three years of working in music in any capacity. So

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<v Speaker 2>it doesn't have to be a musician or a creator

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<v Speaker 2>or a performer. It could be anyone who works in

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<v Speaker 2>some form or fashion in the music industry. So in publishing,

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<v Speaker 2>it could work in publishing, a label executive, they could

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<v Speaker 2>they could be you know, live tour crew, really any facet.

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<v Speaker 3>Of the music industry.

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<v Speaker 2>We can support with our services, and we ask people

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<v Speaker 2>to reach out to us at Musiccares Relief at musiccares

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<v Speaker 2>dot org. Just tell us your situation, let us know

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<v Speaker 2>what's going on. Where are you right now? Are you safety,

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<v Speaker 2>have your basic needs met? What is it that we

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<v Speaker 2>can help you with? If people are willing to share

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<v Speaker 2>a broader narrative of what's going on, If that maybe

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<v Speaker 2>they already know they've lost their homes, and then we

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<v Speaker 2>have sort of an approval and vetting process, and at

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<v Speaker 2>that point then we'll release those initial realms of relief.

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<v Speaker 1>There's another group of people who imagine might be listening

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<v Speaker 1>who aren't musicians, or they might not be directly affected

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<v Speaker 1>by what's happening, and they might be wondering where they

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<v Speaker 1>can give money. Do you guys accept donations?

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, we are public charity, so we accept donations. We

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<v Speaker 2>need donations. I mean, I think we already have well

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<v Speaker 2>over a two thousand people who have come to us

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<v Speaker 2>saying they need help, and we're still in the active

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<v Speaker 2>crisis currently, and you know, if we were to just

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<v Speaker 2>get out that first round of aid to them, I'm

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<v Speaker 2>trying to do that math in my head. You know,

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<v Speaker 2>there's at least four million dollars already right there in

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<v Speaker 2>just this first round of aids, So it definitely could

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<v Speaker 2>use support if people are in a position to give.

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<v Speaker 2>Our donation page is Musiccares dot org slash fire Relief.

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<v Speaker 1>Okay, amazing, Well, thank you so much. I don't know,

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<v Speaker 1>is there anything else that you think people should know

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<v Speaker 1>or anything that'd be useful for you guys to get

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<v Speaker 1>out in terms of your mission.

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<v Speaker 2>And well, one more thing I'd love to share if

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<v Speaker 2>I could, is just that you know, we're here all

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<v Speaker 2>year long and we work with music people in times

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<v Speaker 2>of their own personal crises or even just in the

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<v Speaker 2>you know, preventative healthcare things of that nature, or health

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<v Speaker 2>in human services organization.

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<v Speaker 3>So I just would love our community to know whatever

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<v Speaker 3>part of music you.

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<v Speaker 2>Happen to work in music Cares is there for you

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<v Speaker 2>and that you can come to us anytime. It doesn't

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<v Speaker 2>have to be disaster related moments. I just love people

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<v Speaker 2>to know that, you know, to check out our website

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<v Speaker 2>Musiccares dot org and and know that we're here for

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<v Speaker 2>anyone should they need.

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<v Speaker 3>Them that help.

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<v Speaker 1>Always really grateful that you guys do that work, because

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<v Speaker 1>you know, none of us get into the arts because

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<v Speaker 1>we're necessarily you know, financially, you know, financial wizards, that

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<v Speaker 1>we know how to take care of ourselves and plan

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<v Speaker 1>for retirement or handle health care needs. You know, it's

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<v Speaker 1>like sometimes we're just driven by a passion and all

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<v Speaker 1>these other things in life, of course come up, whether

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<v Speaker 1>there are moments of personal crisis or disaster events like

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<v Speaker 1>this fire or Krtrina, And so really grateful that you

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<v Speaker 1>guys exist and can help in times like this and

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<v Speaker 1>then more kind of mundane times.

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, oh, so appreciate that.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, it's it's not an easy path for sure, but

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<v Speaker 2>we need that passion. You know, that passion is what

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<v Speaker 2>makes music as an art possible. And so Music Cares

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<v Speaker 2>exist because we respect the power of music in the

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<v Speaker 2>world and we need people to keep making it. So yeah,

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<v Speaker 2>certainly let us know if anyone out there needs some help.

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<v Speaker 1>Incredible, thanks so much, Laura, And we'll have all this

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<v Speaker 1>information in the episode description, so if anyone who's listen

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<v Speaker 1>and wants to donate, they can. We appreciate it all,

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<v Speaker 1>check it out, or if they need help they can

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<v Speaker 1>they can reach out to you guys.

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<v Speaker 3>Great, thank you again for having us here, like we're

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<v Speaker 3>big fans. Very succeeded when you when you reached out.

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<v Speaker 3>Thank you.

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<v Speaker 1>No, no big fans of what you guys do, so yeah,

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<v Speaker 1>really grateful. Thanks guys,