Okay, wanna know my big news???
I'm still processing that it's even real tbh but guess what?!
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I JUST WON AN ARTIST'S GRANT!!!!!
WOOOHOOOOOOO!!!!!!
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I just got 3 months of rent covered and a 1500 grant for therapy of my choice from an organization called Musicares!!!!
Musicares is funded by the Grammys and aims to support musicians in the industry who struggle with mental health.
Check out their website www.musicares.org
As we Cali girls say....'DUDE'.
I'm freakin stoked. I feel so seen and supported as an artist. I feel so renewed in my dedication to community through the arts!
How I found out:
So for those of you who follow me on Bandcamp, you know that I send you all love letters with secret songs and little notes and thoughts.
(If you don't yet, please do--- www.emilyra.bandcamp.com )
So one day I decided to send along a secret link to a song I wrote called '3am Sadness'. Like the title implies, I was crying while recording and in a really vulnerable and wounded emotional place when I created it.
Listen here (with care)--- https://soundcloud.com/emilyra/3am-sadness/s-rNKQzjhWI1q...
I almost put it on my album 'Celtic Knots' but then decided it was too intense and left it out.
I needed feedback first so I soft released '3am Sadness' to my Bandcamp followers because, well, if you've donated any amount of money whatsoever to my music then you get me and I love you, and therefore I trust you'll get my more obscure stuff.
Well, when I sent the song to all 42 of us at the time, one of the people who heard it turns out to be longtime Dream Council homie Matthew who lives in LA and happened to be putting on an event with Musicares.
He was like, yo, you could send them this song. Maybe they'd be able to raise some funds for their cause with it. So I sent along the song to Musicares not even thinking I'd qualify for their grant.
But then as I perused their website I realized, wait. Yeah I do qualify!!! I've been in the industry over five years, have published over 5 professional songs, and struggle with PTSD.
So I applied and a few weeks later BOOM...rent and therapy!!!
WOW.
It goes to show once again the power of vulnerability and the power of music and the power as an artist of loving your followers and treating them like gold and channeling your mental health struggles into art.
It's a reminder that music heals. It's reminding me what the music is really for. It's not for fame or fortune or to be popular. It's to be nourished by, to express through, and to heal with.
This is a sign from the universe to keep making music and holding cultural community events that serve peace and unity through the arts.
In fact I'm on my way to host an incredible evening at Bridgespace Commons PDX for Mothership Cypher episode 6 TONIGHT as we welcome artists from diverse backgrounds and influences to celebrate through the arts.
We have a live band, drum circle, dance performances, a documentary film showing, and teazone.
Get Tickets----https://www.ticketfairy.com/.../mothership-cypher.../
Join the livestream---https://emilyra.bandcamp.com/.../mothership-cypher...
This life is such a blessing.
Will you celebrate with me?
Cuz If I can do it, you can do it. So let's do this.