Introduction

Nandika Chirala

As a violinist and classical music enthusiast, I cherish my involvement with the arts community in my area. When COVID-19 eliminated the prospect of playing in an orchestra or attending concerts, my loss of engagement with this community led me to consider the devastating impacts of COVID-19 on the financial welfare and fulfillment of professional musicians.

Through my research, I aimed to assess the impacts of COVID-19 on the financial welfare of classical musicians in the DFW area and identify and address their areas of need. I wanted to investigate which specific groups of musicians were being impacted the most and how current systems of assistance could be improved to better serve the needs of classical musicians in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

The key takeaway I found from this project is that classical musicians, particularly those who rely heavily on freelance work for income, need federal assistance for the continued growth of their industry. Many have lost a significant portion of their income without the means to restore it, due to the absence of live performances. The stimulus checks and $600 a week unemployment benefits were effective in mitigating these severe effects, but the absence of these forms of assistance have taken a major financial toll on musicians. These forms of assistance, among other funds, such as the Paycheck Protection Program, must be replenished.

Methodology

This project attempted to answer those questions through a two-pronged approach: a survey providing comprehensive quantitative data and ethnographic interviews to understand the musician’s perspective. In order to determine how to gather meaningful data and information, I sought advice from experts in my community. I reached out to local economics professors in my community, from universities including University of Texas at Dallas and Southern Methodist University to gain insight on how to collect, organize, and represent data. I also spoke with representatives at local arts organizations, including the Dallas Symphony Orchestra where I am a Teen Council member, to gain a comprehensive understanding of the situations classical musicians in DFW are experiencing, which helped me shape my survey questions accordingly.

After finalizing the contents of my survey based on this feedback and advice, I utilized connections with teachers and mentors as well as contacts with ensembles and organizations to disseminate my survey. My survey received around 180 total responses from classical musicians in my area, and I was able to conduct 4 ethnographic interviews, providing me with insight on how the pandemic has taken a financial toll on different types of classical musicians.