“After decades of performing, arranging, composing and recording music, the pandemic shut down all my sources of employment. I headed back into the streets of Boston to play the Bach cello suites on my clarinet where I brought in a bit of income but not enough to live on. I received an NEMRF grant of $1000. As much as the money helped, what helped equally was the feeling that what I did mattered in the world.””
— Donn Scott Shetler, woodwinds musician, July 2023
“I am incredibly grateful for the help I received from NEMRF due to an emergency situation. It has saved my sanity and provided much-needed stability and hope during a tough time. The entire process was flawless; I received the help in less than a week and was treated with kindness throughout the process. I look forward to being a donor some day”
— Sara 2023
“My band was so excited to be back on the road. It was exhilarating to make music live with an enthusiastic audience again, but then half way into our tour, we got COVID. We had to cancel the rest of the shows and isolate in our hotel rooms. We lost all the expected income from the cancelled shows but still had to cover our hotel bill and gas. Furthermore we had been counting on the tour income to pay our mortgage and utility bills back home. NEMRF came to our rescue with a grant. Being a musician today is really precarious, and we are so grateful to NEMRF for supporting us”
— Folk Band 2023
Share Your Story
“Combining parenting and freelancing is really hard. There’s no support system for parents with our work hours. We all have to piece it together the best we can, and at the end of the day, somehow be ok with it.”
