Celeb Musicians Doing Good Things During Quarantine

 

It’s nice to see celebs doing good works during this incredibly difficult time in our global history. There’s nothing better than seeing someone who you dig as a musician who also happens to be a decent human being paying it forward. Here are some good people doing good things who also happen to be celebs.

 

Post Malone- The rapper's Shaboink brand has partnered with Direct Relief to donate 40,000 N95 masks to help keep front-line workers safer during the global crisis.

Miley Cyrus has created a daily talk show on her Instagram called, “Bright Minded” which focuses on positive ways to cope with quarantine. She speaks with mental health experts, fellow musicians, and those on the front lines. She’s spotlighting a lot of great causes with the intent of “staying positive and engaged”. 

Watsky The rapper and poet raised over $140,000  for Sweet Relief's COVID-19 Fund, which provides financial assistance for musicians and industry workers affected by the pandemic. Watsky is raising money by performing non-stop, rapping over 33 hours, which earned him a place in the Guinness Book of World Records for the longest continuous rap. Glad he’s doing it and not us.

Ariana Grande has a slew of organizations that she has been supporting during the crisis, including Fund For Families, The Bail Project, The Mental Health Fund, and more.

Billy Ray Cyrus, another Cyrus doing good, has created with Native American communities, donating 20,000 masks to use for their protection against the virus. The announcement came during the Native Americans & Coronavirus Virtual Town Hall.

Madonna has teamed up with REFORM Alliance to donate 100,000 masks to jails and prisons with the hope of curbing the spread of the coronavirus behind bars. REFORM has donated 100,000 masks to those at Rikers Island in NYC.

Willie Nelson-He’s no stranger to helping those in need. He’s been successfully raising money for others for thirty plus years. His virtual Farm Aid concert on April 11 raised more than $500,000 for family farmers and ranchers who have been impacted during the crisis. "The coronavirus has disrupted our entire country and is a grave threat to all of us. One of its many impacts is that it has helped us to better see the value of essential people like healthcare workers, grocery store clerks, delivery truck drivers, and farmers and ranchers," Nelson said in a statement.


Tips On Starting A Podcast During Quarantine

In an age where we are suffering from both anxiety and ADD, the podcast is a beacon of calm amidst the selfie pandemonium. So if you’re looking to start up your own podcast during quarantine, here are a few tips to help you find your way to that beacon.

 

  1. Podcasts are a genuine way to connect with an audience. Instead of the short-lived and fractured connection you may or may not make through Facebook, Twitter, IG, or Tik Tok, listen to or creating a podcast allows for engagement with an audience in a long-form content. People can listen while exercising, driving, cleaning the house, or knitting next year’s scarf for their brother.
  2. There’s a lot of unexplored space in the podcast world. There are 23 million YouTube channels, 600 million blogs, but only 800,000 podcasts on Apple Podcasts. That’s a pretty substantial differential. So there’s still room for you to make your mark, and have fun doing it.
  3. Develop a podcast concept that you are passionate about. When you figure out your “what” and “why” you will then have a strong foundation as to where to target your direction.
  4. Identify your goals. Why are you doing it? Is it for income, to share your ideas with the world, or to simply have fun? Knowing why is helpful in keeping you on track with meeting your deadlines, goals, and helping to shape your creative concept.
  5. Choose your format. Do you like to improvise? Then you’ll do well to have a co-host to bounce all those brilliant jokes off of. Do you like the idea of drama or intrigue? Then maybe a scripted show is more your direction. Or maybe you love learning from others, and if so, then the interview format might be your perfect match.
  6. Determine the length beforehand. Whatever your length is, whether it’s tasty 10-minute segments or more extensive 45-minute long interviews, determine your length and stick to that format. 
  7. Consistency is key! It’s best to get a handful of shows in the can before going to broadcast because you’re going to want to keep to a consistent schedule. If weekly seems daunting, then go to a bi-monthly format. Whatever your schedule is, stick with it and watch as your listenership grows over time.
  8. Don’t be afraid to edit out the boring stuff. Listen back to the recording and make note of the parts that aren’t completely engaging. If it loses your attention, then it will most likely lose your listener's attention too.
  9. Have Fun! Even if you are creating a podcast to rake in the big bucks, remember to have fun doing it. There’s a lot of hours that will be put into your new endeavor, and if you’re having fun doing it, you’re a lot less likely to peter out when you’re in the doldrums.

Songwriters and Composers Generate Record $876 Million In Music Royalties

Photo by Emiliano Vittoriosi

 

Remember that sensitive kid in high school who carried a Moleskin, took Drama and sang in the Glee Club? Yeah, you don’t. Jerk.

Well while you’ve been killing it in the HVAC game, driving a big fancy truck with extra-shiny-sparkly chrome, that dweeb from high school has been part of a group that nearly made a collective $1 billion in 2019.

PRS for Music, the organization that represents the rights of over 145,500 songwriters, composers, and music publishers in the US and worldwide, collected a record $876 million on behalf of its members in 2019, a year-on-year increase of 8.7%, according to Music-news.com.


Best Songs To Play When You Have Money Falling From Your Pocket

 

 

View On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tv/B7bdr2vlkHI/

So you’ve just found a hundred smackers on the sidewalk, or maybe all those years of playing scratchers has finally paid off. Whatever the reason, you have a little extra dough to spend on whatever you want. But no frivolous shopping spree is complete without the proper soundtrack. So check out some of these songs for your ultimate shopping playlist:

Who doesn’t love a great bargain on a 1973 fedora?

No one will make you feel better about non-essential shopping.

The ultimate cautionary tale of how to not impulse buy.

Sometimes it’s just as fun to try on the clothes and then whimsically decide you’d rather just borrow your friend’s schwag instead.

Sometimes you just really need to buy that vintage Cabbage Patch Kid to add to your collection. We all have dreams, and maybe swinging your hips to this classic is just what you need.