MUSIC FOR THE SOUL Musicians Return to Play For Public Hospital Workers in Reboot of 2020 Program

The Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment, NYC Health + Hospitals, the Mayor's Fund to Advance New York City and AFM Local 802 are proud to announce the return and expansion of Music for the Soul of NYC's Health + Hospitals Heroes in support of the 43,000 staff and their patients at NYC's 11 public hospitals.

Launched this week and running through June 30, 2022, the year-long Music for the Soul reboot will be livestreamed on NYC Health + Hospital's Facebook page weekdays from 12-1pm ET. Additional support from the Mayor's Fund to Advance NYC will expand the free program to include 2+ hour live, in-person performances at several hospitals, starting July through December 2021.

Music for the Soul offers hundreds of AFM Local 802 musicians paid work to provide inspiration to our heroic medical community and connect isolated patients to the outside world. The series features a variety of professional NYC musicians performing select songs. The first edition of Music for the Soul took place in spring 2020 with a series of 45 daily, free and virtual performances from May through July 3.

The return of Music for the Soul follows the recent launch of Music Heals, a new program of performances by AFM Local 802 musicians at 11 NYC vaccination sites, on behalf of staff and patients, through June 20, 2021. Both programs offer NYC musicians fair wages and benefits in accordance with guidelines from AFM Local 802.

"We are excited to see the return and expansion of Music for the Soul, which provided relief to so many during the height of the pandemic in 2020," said the NYC Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment Commissioner, Anne del Castillo. "Music for the Soul and its sister program, Music Heals, bring the joy of music to hospital and vaccination staff and patients, and give talented musicians, many financially affected by COVID, the opportunity to be paid to perform for audiences once again."

"We're excited to see the 'Music for the Soul' program come back on, and grateful for the Mayor's Office of Music and Entertainment for providing artists the opportunity to perform for our healthcare heroes," said NYC Health + Hospitals Senior Vice President and Chief Quality Officer Eric Wei, MD, MBA. "Arts has played an integral role in our mind and spirit's recovery over the last year, and while low infection numbers and high vaccination rates give us hope that the worst of the pandemic is behind us, our recovery continues."

"Since the onset of the pandemic, healthcare workers have suffered from unimaginable trauma, seen and unseen. It was only natural that we found a way to employ many of our city's professional and out-of-work musicians to play live and virtual concerts so the power of music could aid in the healing process for many of our healthcare heroes," said Daniele Baierlein and Jorge Luis Paniagua Valle, Co-Executive Directors of the Mayor's Fund to Advance New York City. "We are so proud of the success Music for the Soul had last year and are excited to re-launch this program to help thousands of more New York City healthcare heroes."

"Our musicians are thrilled to be able to share their talents with the health care workers who got us through this pandemic," said Adam Krauthamer, President of AFM Local 802. "Music is the heartbeat of New York City and we're glad that to be working with the Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment to continue these successful programs."

Licensing and support provided by ASCAP, SESAC (Society of European Stage Authors and Composers), BMI (Broadcast Music, Inc.), Global Music Rights, SGA (Songwriters Guild of America), MCNA (Music Creators of North America coalition) and the Congressionally-chartered umbrella organization of the U.S. music industry, the National Music Council.