Help Aging Musicians Meet Daily Needs

Summary

Music Maker Foundation helps musicians over the age of 55 avoid poverty through providing food, shelter, and medical care, and helps them continue making music and sharing their gifts with the world.

What is the issue, problem, or challenge?

Many musical pioneers and heroes of Southern musical traditions have been forgotten. Today, many such musicians are living in extreme poverty and need food, shelter, medical care, and other assistance. Music Maker works with musicians rooted in a Southern musical tradition who are over the age of 55 and have an annual income less than $18,000 per year.

How will this project solve this problem?

Music Maker provides grants to meet basic life needs and emergency relief, offers professional development to keep musicians active, supports preservation of musical traditions, and assists musicians affected by Hurricane Katrina.

Potential Long Term Impact

The Music Maker Relief Foundation is helping to preserve roots music for people to celebrate now and for generations to come. They hope to provide a brighter future and improved quality of life for the forgotten heroes and pioneers of Southern music.

Project Message

"A fabulous project -- real evidence that the music I have always loved is alive and well."
- Eric Clapton, Recording Artist and Performer

Additional Documentation

This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).

Resources