What is the Artist Grants Program?
My name is Aubrey and I am on the board and committee for artist selection for the *brand new* LSC Artist Grants Program! And I am so excited about it. Let me tell you what it’s all about.
The AGP is one of LSC's new pilot programs, and is the one I am thrilled about because it puts CASH into the hands of musicians who are working to share a part of themselves with the greater community and help Rochester's local music scene thrive! The idea of AGP is based loosely on the idea of Universal Basic Income. UBI essentially is periodic cash payments to all citizens regardless of economic standing or income to keep all citizens above the poverty line. If you want to read more, I will put some links at the bottom!
Within our amazing community of musicians, sound experts, and creatives, this small cash grant from LSC won't cure poverty, but may be able to subsidize some living costs for musicians. Some musicians work multiple jobs, and are unable to spend time on artistic pursuits because of this. Other musicians may not be able to put out an album because they can't afford the studio space or equipment. With a little extra cash, many musicians and creatives in the Greater Rochester area will be able to pay their bandmates, rent the PA, replace their broken equipment, quit their second job, or maybe just buy groceries or pay their electric bill for the month. We all know the struggle, and a little goes a long way. By putting a little extra cash out into the city, we hope that music careers and general well-being improves among Rochester musicians, and allows people of all backgrounds to get their foot in the door of the music scene, which can be a difficult first step.
I am a social worker by trade, and have always been a proponent of the UBI models, because I am often working with people below the poverty line in a country that shows disgusting amounts of wealth in other areas. We see segregation, food insecurity, poor health outcomes, low graduation rates and violence in our community that is struggling. My first question when working with LSC was why are we supporting musicians when so many people need help putting a roof over their head or food on the table? But Rochester is rich with resources that are working on these goals already (we love our local nonprofits and the amazing work they do everyday). However, still being missed is the in-between people. People who work and have a place to live, but are just getting by. Many of those people are musicians, and many are leaving Rochester because they can't afford to make a living with music alone. We want to see musicians thrive and bolster the culture of Rochester. We need more connection, more diversity, more trust in our communities, and music has always had a hand in bringing people together.
The Local Sound Collaborative will be raising the funds to support 5 musicians with $200/month for one year with the hopes that it bolsters and grows our already incredible community of local artists. If you are interested in applying, please check out our website! Questions? Email Ray at ray@thelocalsoundcollaborative.org or message us on Insta or Facebook (@thelocalsoundcollaborative)
Aubrey Baldauf, MSW
LSC Board Member
Grants Committee Chair