Tom Petty in 1987

Tom Petty in 1987

Photo: Ross Marino/Getty Images

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Tom Petty's 70th Birthday Bash: Stevie Nicks, Foo Fighters, Rick Rubin & More

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The free five-hour extravaganza is raising awareness and donations for the NIVA's Save Our Stages Fund, MusiCares, Arts In Medicine and Digitunity
Ana Monroy Yglesias
MusiCares
Oct 20, 2020 - 1:02 pm

Today, Oct. 20, would have been Tom Petty's 70th birthday. To celebrate the music and legacy of the GRAMMY-winning rock hero, his estate is throwing a fittingly star-studded livestream concert on Fri., Oct. 23.

The fourth annual Tom Petty's Birthday Bash festival goes virtual this year, featuring performances and speeches from his friends and fans, including Stevie Nicks, Lenny Kravitz, Eddie Vedder, Rick Rubin, The Flaming Lips, Brandi Carlile, Norah Jones, Beck and many more. The five-hour extravaganza is free and is raising awareness and donations for the National Independent Venue Association's Save Our Stages Fund, MusiCares, Arts In Medicine and Digitunity.

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The annual concert was launched in the "Free Fallin'" singer's hometown of Gainesville, Fla. in 2017 just weeks after he died, as a celebration of his life and timeless tunes. This year's birthday party will begin on SiriusXM's Tom Petty Radio (which he helped launch in 2015) from 4:30-7:00 p.m. ET. It will feature performances from Grouplove, Jason Isbell, The Killers, Kurt Vile, the Raconteurs, the Arts In Medicine Hospital Band and others.

From 7:00-9:30 p.m. ET, the festivities will move over to Amazon Music's Twitch Channel and TomPetty.com, with an audio simulcast on SiriusXM. This show will feature Vedder, Kravitz, Nicks, the Flaming Lips, Foo Fighters, the Heartbreakers' guitarist Mike Campbell, Post Malone, Chris Stapleton, Emily King, Gary Clark Jr., Jackson Browne, Lucinda Williams, Lukas Nelson, Margo Price and more. Music mogul Jimmy Iovine, actor Kiefer Sutherland, super producer Rubin, Olivia Harrison and Stephen Perkins of Jane's Addiction will also appear.

The news follows the release of Petty's Wildflowers & All The Rest on Fri., Oct. 16. It's a long-awaited reissue of his 1994 Rubin-co-produced album, yet the first time it was released as the artist intended, a 25-track double album.

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Frank Iero

Frank Iero of My Chemical Romance

Photo: Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images

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MusiCares COVID-19 Fund: MCR's Frank Iero, Rita Wilson & Naughty By Nature, Ellie & Drew Holcomb & More Support With Livestreams & Beyond

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Linda Perry with We Are Hear, Brett Young via Levi Strauss' "5:01 Live" series and CMT, with their upcoming star-studded Kenny Rogers tribute special, have also joined the cause
Ana Monroy Yglesias
MusiCares
Apr 6, 2020 - 12:58 pm

Many more artists and companies have come together during this difficult time to support the many music people out-of-work and in-need due to coronavirus, with more fun fundraisers and generous donations to the MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund.

Today, actor/singer Rita Wilson teamed up with hip-hop legends Naughty By Nature to release a special remix of their classic track "Hip Hop Hooray," featuring none other than Wilson herself throwing down bars. All proceeds from the song will be donated to the Fund. It was released on YouTube today (listen below) and will be available across streaming/digital platforms this Friday. Wilson and her husband, Tom Hanks, contracted COVID-19 while filming in New Zealand; after posting a video rapping "Hip Hop Hooray" on Instagram, the group reached out to her about collaborating on the new version for a good cause.

For the last two weeks, Nashville powerhouse singer/songwriters and power couple Ellie and Drew Holcomb having been performing fun covers ranging from U2 to Kacey Musgraves to John Mayer on their daily Kitchen Covers series, raising money for MusiCares and their out-of-work touring band and crew.

Linda Perry and Kerry Brown's We Are Hear multifaceted music org have launched the On The Air series, in partnership with Roland, featuring music industry talks, performances and more on YouTube. With the platform's donation functionality, they are raising money for the Fund. Halestorm's Lzzy Hale offered some empowering words and music in one of the latest episodes. 

Read More: Troye Sivan, Yoshiki, Father John Misty, Selena Gomez & More Donate To MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund

On Wednesday, April 8, CMT will be airing a special star-studded tribute show to the late country king Kenny Rogers to benefit MusiCares. "CMT Giants Kenny Rogers: A Benefit for MusiCares" will feature at-home performances by Dolly Parton, Lionel Richie, Jason Isbell & Amanda Shires, Lady Antebellum, Vince Gill, Michael McDonald, Rascal Flatts and more.

Later this week, on April 11, the Human To Human 2020 festival on Facebook Live will feature live music from Alec Benjamin, Tayla Parx, Skylar Grey, Richard Marx, Cyn, Grouplove, Jewel, Lauren Daigle and more. They will be raising money for the Plus1 COVID-19 Relief Fund, which has partnered with MusiCares and the Sweet Relief Musicians Fund.

Until April 9 (it began April 2), the UnCanceled Music Festival is bringing tons of live sets from artists around globe by pairing with local venues and brands to curate digital stages. The massive online event is hosted on the StageIt platform and requires "attendees" to donate in a pay-what-you-can model to watch. Fender's stage has featured alt faves like Waxahatchee, Cautious Clay and The Marias, while Los Angeles venue Hotel Cafe has tapped VINCINT, Colbie Caillat, Molly Tuttle and more. All money raised is donated to the venues' staff, the artist community and MusiCares.

Fender has been finding several creative ways to collaborate with artists and contribute to the MusiCares Fund. With the Fender Artist Check-In series on IGTV, they've tapped bad-ass guitarists including My Chemical Romance's Frank Iero, John 5, Isbell, and more and are donating on behalf of each artist that participates. In Iero's recent Check-In, which you can watch below, he shares a guitar tutorial for two MCR fan-favorites, "Ghost of You" and "Welcome to the Black Parade."

For those seeking a little retail therapy for a good cause, live music photographer Jacob Blickenstaff and pop star Troye Sivan have you covered. Blickenstaff has partnered with some of the artists he's photographed over the years, including Isbell, Dawes, Yola and Hiss Golden Messenger, selling gorgeous prints with a portion of the proceeds going to the Fund. Sivan, who had shared he would be supporting both MusiCares and the WHO's coronavirus relief efforts, recently released merch for his new single, "Take Yourself Home." All the profits from the three t-shirts will be donated to the WHO COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund and Spotify's COVID-19 Music Relief project, which supports MusiCares and several other charities.

Last Fri., April 3, Light In The Attic & Friends Live brought live sets from Ben Gibbard, Jim James, Fred Armisen, Barbara Lynn, Devendra Banhart and more on their YouTube and Twitch accounts. All donations were directed to MusiCares. "Lo-Fi" singer Haley Reinhart recently did a performance on Billboard's Live At-Home series, choosing MusiCares as her charity of choice.

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Denim purveyors Levi Strauss have launched a star-studded 5:01 Live IGTV music and chat series to benefit COVID-19 relief efforts from MusiCares and the WHO. So far, it's featured a stellar squad including Snoop Dogg, Questlove, Burna Boy, Moses Sumney and Brett Young. Young, who performed last week, donated his performance fee to MusiCares. Additionally, the country star's past GRAMMY Museum is also being featured in the Museum's exciting digital offering rollout, going live on April 29.

On March 30, his birthday, country star Thomas Rhett released a new song benefiting MusiCares, called "Be A Light." Featuring none other than Reba McEntire, Keith Urban, Hillary Scott and Chris Tomlin, all of the artists' proceeds will be donated to the cause. Joining the growing coalition of companies supporting the Fund, the Country Music Association and its philanthropic arm, the CMA Foundation, announced a $1 million donation last week.

As more members of the music community rallying around a unified cause, we'll keep you posted right here on musicares.org.

Learn more about how you can donate to or apply for assistance via the Recording Academy's and MusiCares' COVID-19 Relief Fund.

Learn more about the financial, medical and personal emergencies services and resources offered by the Recording Academy and MusiCares. 

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Troye Sivan

Troye Sivan performs in Sydney in 2019

Photo: Don Arnold/WireImage/Getty Images

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Troye Sivan, Yoshiki, Father John Misty, Selena Gomez & More Donate To MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund

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The Recording Academy's nonprofit arm, MusiCares, established the fund earlier this month to support the many people in the music industry negatively affected by the coronavirus crisis
Ana Monroy Yglesias
MusiCares
Mar 30, 2020 - 4:57 pm

Two weeks ago, MusiCares, the Recording Academy's nonprofit dedicated to supporting music people in need, established the COVID-19 Relief Fund. The new MusiCares fund has already raised money for and offered help to those facing "the greatest need" in the music industry right now, as the coronavirus crisis has halted most-to-all live events.

Learn More: MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund

Many musicians have already made generous donations to the fund, with many engaging with fans in creative ways to fundraise, from livestreaming concerts and online festivals to merch sales. Today, March 30, Japanese rock star Yoshiki and philanthropist offered a generous donation of $100,000 to the fund via his charity Yoshiki Foundation America.

Aussie pop sweetheart Troye Sivan pledged donations to the WHO Solidarity Response Fund and MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund in a recent IGTV video to his fans. He explained the vital importance of MusiCares' work at this time, supporting crew and others most affected by tours and festivals being canceled en masse. He noted that he'll be donating via Spotify, as they are matching donations to MusiCares, and encouraged his fans to do the same.

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Alt-folk crooner Father John Misty recently released a new live album on Bandcamp, Off-Key In Hamburg, for which 100 percent of proceeds will go to the fund. Dave Longstreth of Brooklyn indie favorites the Dirty Projectors, released a cover of John Lennon and Yoko Ono's "Isolation," with all proceeds (until April 3) going to the fund. The track, also available on Bandcamp, is being offered as "pay-what-you-wish" to encourage larger donations to the fund. Pop act OneRepublic and their label UMG/Interscope are donating a portion of streaming proceeds (through September) from their new single "Better Days" to the MusiCares Fund.

With many artists joining the livestream concert-from-home party, some of them have used the platform to solicit donations for charities working on the frontlines of the coronavirus crisis. Americana power couple Amanda Shires and Jason Isbell have been sharing daily-ish concerts on YouTube they've dubbed "I So Lounging," sharing a portion of the donations they get with the Fund.

Kevin Griffin, the frontman of indie-rock stalwarts Better Than Ezra, raised over $40,000 from one Facebook live performance! He shared he was inspired by rising singer/songwriter Molly Tuttle, who raised $2,200 for MusiCares with a Facebook livestream on March 16. Tuttle is also donating a portion of all merch sales on her website (until the end of April).

Singer/songwriter Trevor Hall did an IGTV livestream on March 27, partnering with CLIF GreenNotes for their Playing From Home concert series. The org donated one dollar for each person that tuned in (up to $5,000) to the MusiCares Fund and the Sweet Relief Musicians Fund. Nahko Bear of Portland band Nahko And Medicine For The People also participated in CLIF's series on March 23, with MusiCares the recipient of all donations.

Los Angeles-based trio Magic Giant organized an IGTV Live From Quarantine concert over the past weekend to raise money for MusiCares, tapping Nahko, Brandon Jenner, Tom Higgenson of the Plain White T's and more. Following the model of the CLIF series, one dollar for every viewer that tuned in (up to $15,000) was pledged to the Fund.

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Concert discovery platform Bandsintown hosted a two-day "Live Music Marathon" on Twitch, featuring performances from Taking Back Sunday, Amanda Palmer, Tank & The Bangas, Tayla Parx, SOFI TUKKER, BLOND:ISH, Matt Quinn of Mt. Joy, The Mowglis and more. On their Twitch page, they encourage donations via the platform's "Bits" monetization program, and will continue to do so with their upcoming programming.

Bass DJ/producer Said The Sky released a popular new "Sadboi" hoodie today, with a portion of the sales going to MusiCares. Last week, pop superstar Selena Gomez made headlines for dropping new merch for Rare's "Dance Again," with part of proceeds going to the MusiCares Fund.

Alicia Keys and the nonprofit she co-founded, She Is The Music, paired up with Amazon Music, who each pledged up to $100,000 to the Fund, with a fundraiser based on social engagement with a post. The streaming giant also joined SiriusXM and Pandora, Spotify, TIDAL, YouTube Music and Facebook last week, all of whom pledged efforts to support the music community in need via the Fund.

Learn more about how you can donate to or apply for assistance via the Recording Academy's and MusiCares' COVID-19 Relief Fund.

Learn more about the financial, medical and personal emergencies services and resources offered by the Recording Academy and MusiCares. 

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meditating

Photo: Madison Lavern/Unsplash

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11 Meditation Apps To Help You Get Calm & Centered During Quarantine & Beyond

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With more time at home and a lot of craziness in the outside world, it's a great to build healthy habits—here's some apps to help you find a meditation practice that works for you
Ana Monroy Yglesias
MusiCares
Apr 7, 2020 - 5:23 pm

With the normal flow of life upended for most of us at the moment, you may be finding yourself with more time on your hands and perhaps a bit more stress or anxiety, given all the new uncertainty in our lives and the world around us. One of the silver-linings of quarantine is a lot of our routines and habits are getting a big-old reset. If you are looking for tools to help you stay calm during these crazy times, and new habits to bring into your life, meditation may be a good place to start.

There are a lot of styles and approaches to meditation, but the basics involve building awareness around your breath and checking in with your mind and body. It can involve music, can be guided by a meditation teacher and can even involve visuals. There are plenty of mobile apps out there to help you find a style that works best for you, as well as a guide you towards a less-stressful daily flow. Read on to learn what 13 popular meditation apps can offer you, and at what price (many offer free trials to give you an idea if you want to commit).

1. Calm (iOS & Android apps)

One-week free trial as well as limited-access free version; Premium costs $70/year

Calm is currently the top-rated app in the Health & Fitness category in the Apple App Store and is loved by its many users for its themed daily meditations, sleep stories and calming music library. Much of the meditations, which are typically about 10 minutes, are guided by meditation teacher/musician/writer Tamara Levitt, who brings inspiring quotes and real-world lessons into each session. In addition to the rotating daily meditation, the app offers many more on-demand meditations around practical themes like confidence, soothing pain, reducing anxiety and even training your mind with with Lebron James. For help relaxing and falling asleep, calming music collections from Moby, Sigur Rós, Sam Smith add flair to a packed library of nature sounds and celebrity-narrated bedtime stories. The sleep stories are great for all ages; Calm also offers meditations tailored for kids and teens, if you have young ones at home.

2. Headspace (iOS & Android apps)

One-week free trial as well as limited-access free version; Plus costs $70/year or $13/month

With cute animations and tailored meditations to your goals, Headspace is another hugely popular meditation app. Similar to Calm, they also offer meditations centered around themes like reducing anxiety and stress, as well as sleep-focused stories, meditations and music. The biggest difference between the two apps seem to be the approach, with Headspace being more goal-oriented and less rooted in Eastern philosophies like Buddhism. They also offer a special section for kids.

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3. INSCAPE (iOS app)

One-week free trial; $10/month or $59/year

As explained by Oprah Magazine, the Inscape Studio in New York City is filled with "sound and smellscapes designed to instantly transport its members to tranquility," with the app bringing their ethos to your home. In addition to offering guided meditations and sleep offerings personalized to your needs, Oprah Mag highlights their unique playlists, with short, melodic meditations to address "Tinder Troubles," "Overcoming Your Fears" or to get into a productive "Study Chill" mode.

4. Insight Timer (iOS & Android apps & online platform)

Many free meditations, plus one-week free trial for MemberPlus, which costs $60/year

Insight Timer has an extensive free offering (40,000 free meditations!) and gives its users access to guided meditations and deep-dive mindfulness courses from mindfulness teachers around the world, like Elizabeth Gilbert and davidji. The platform also offers an extensive calming music collection, including mantras and recordings from musicians around the world as well. You can follow the people whose offerings you love and find content aimed at beginners, kids, for sleep and more, meaning it's easy to find exactly what you need.

5. Meditation Studio (iOS & Android apps)

Some free meditations; Premium (iOS only) is $50/year or $8/month. Limited Android app is $4 (one-time cost)

Meditation Studio is all about ensuring your meditations are exactly what you need, with themed collections and customizable open-ended ones. For the latter, you choose your duration, background music and the sounds that will open and close the unguided sit. The extensive collections are grouped by practical themes like eating ("Mindful Eating Practice" and "Love Your Body"), calm ("Releasing Anxiety" and "Slow Down") and creativity ("Fire Your Inner Critic" and "Make Space").

6. Mesmerize – Visual Meditation (iOS app)

Free three-day trial; $60/year

Mesmerize offers something totally different from the rest of the apps—trippy, kaleidoscope-esqe visuals to sooth you and meditate with. As their website explains, their approach is based in the Focused-Attention meditation technique. Like many of the other apps we've mentioned, they offer guided meditations for stress, sleep and more, but instead of closing your eyes, you keep them open and softly focused on the paired visuals. Citing scientific research, they claim this method helps with cognitive performance and other brain functions. The app also offers "psycho-acoustic music" tailored to relaxation.

7. Oprah & Deepak's 21-Day Meditation Experience (iOS & Android apps & online platform)

Current series is free; past courses are available for purchase

A powerhouse inspiration and mindfulness team, Oprah Winfrey and Deepak Chopra have been offering 21-day mediation courses for years now. With their mobile apps and online platform, they offer free access to several series a year for those who follow along. If you miss it or want to dive into one of their past offerings, they offer each for purchase á la carte, for yourself or as a gift. Their current offering, which you can join for free now, is incredibly timely, called Finding Hope in Uncertain Times. Each day comes with an audio mediation clip, opened by Oprah and led by Chopra, paired with journal prompts to help you dive into the daily theme and mantra.

8. Shine (iOS & Android apps)

One-week free trial plus limited free content; Premium costs $54/year

Shine is female-founded app is aimed at helping users manage and reduce stress and anxiety. The "Daily Shine" serves up short, tailored meditations and paired in-app journal prompts to check in with yourself and add some calm each day. In addition to more on-demand meditations, the premium version allows you to look back at your journals and check-ins to track your moods and connects users with a community to support each other through the journey. Shine is also offering a free coronavirus anxiety toolkit online.

9. Simple Habit (iOS & Android apps)

One-week free trial, plus some free content, $12 monthly, $90 annually

Simple Habit, was created by Silicon Valley's Yunha Kim for people who are "too busy" to meditate. With meditations ranging from one to 20 minutes, this app focusing on quick breathers to help you find a moment of stillness and breathing in your packed schedule. The meditations, the majority of which are just five minutes, are broken up into practical topics like reducing work anxiety, one minute breaks, falling asleep and even moving on after a breakup.

10. Smiling Mind (iOS app & online platform)

FREE

Not only is Smiling Mind completely free (they're an Aussie non-profit org), it is designed by psychologists and educators with "evidence-based" meditations tailored for kids and schools as well as adults and workplaces. They have recently launched the "Thrive Inside" program to help combat the stresses many of us are facing specific to the coronavirus quarantine.

11. Ten Percent Happier (iOS & Android apps)

One-week free trial, plus limited free content, Membership is $100/year

The Ten Percent Happier app was created by Dan Harris, who wrote a New York Times Best-selling book with the same name six years ago. The app, like the book, hopes to show people that meditation can be for everyone, even those who "get fidgety just thinking about it," as their website explains. The app connects you with world-renown meditation leaders like Anushka Fernandopulle and Sharon Salzberg, to teach you how to meditate.  In response to the COVID-19 crisis, they are also offering the Free Coronavirus Sanity Guide, as well as free app access for health care professionals—to share with anyone who could benefit.

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Fred Armisen at the 2020 GRAMMY Salute to Prince

Fred Armisen at the GRAMMY Salute to Prince

Photo: Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

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Hudson Valley Votes Hosting Virtual Concert & Rally Featuring Fred Armisen, Natalie Merchant & Sean Lennon

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The free livestream show, airing on Oct. 17, will raise money for Common Cause New York and feature musicians, comedians, local Upstate New York politicians and speakers
Ana Monroy Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Oct 12, 2020 - 12:48 pm

Hudson Valley Votes will be hosting their third annual concert and rally to encourage civic engagement on Oct. 17, this time virtually. The free livestream event will raise money for Common Cause New York, a voter advocacy org, and feature musical performances and speeches from local Upstate New York politicians, celebrities and others.

The musical performers include Norah Jones, Natalie Merchant, Sean Lennon, Emily King, Nels Cline of Wilco, Justin Vivian Bond, Joakim Lartey, Energy Dance Co and many others.

Celebrity set to make appearances include Fred Armisen, Amanda Seyfried and Bobby Tisdale. U.S. Representative Antonio Delgado, State Senator Jen Metzger, and State Senate candidates Michelle Hinchey and Karen Smythe, all of whom are current down-ballot candidates in Upstate New York, will also participate. 

The show will air on Hudson Valley Votes' YouTube channel, Radio Kingston and Radio Woodstock on Sat. Oct. 17 at 8:00 p.m. ET.

For more information on the virtual event and voting in New York, visit hudsonvalleyvotes.com.

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