MusiCares

Offering Aid to Struggling Musicians, Launches Artist-Designed T-Shirts

By Ashley M. Halligan

Made For Good calls itself a “recurring model of giving and a catalyst of collaboration in its efforts of identifying like-minded consumer product goods created to augment their endowment efforts and assist them with fundraising in their mission of giving.” Essentially, Made For Good (MFG) partners with non-profit organizations with lateral ideals in an effort to provide revenue for product development and, in turn, donating a percentage of its sales to each organization’s efforts.

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MFG has recently partnered with MusiCares, an organization founded by The Recording Academy in 1989 offering a financial safety net to musicians who may be struggling through a difficult period of their life, whether that be for medical necessities, personal emergencies, financial stressors, or assistance in a time of a natural disaster. Through this new partnership, MusiCares has launched a line of t-shirts bearing musician- designed artwork of artists who have supported MusiCares in the past and benefiting the MusiCares organization.

Among current artists featured in the MusiCares collection are Tim McGraw, Sugarland, Jack Johnson, Slipknot and Sean Kingston, all featuring designs created by the artists themselves and printed on highquality, soft cotton shirts. The shirts can be purchased online at shopmusicares.com and at select Kohl’s and Buckle stores, retailing for $24.99.

A percentage of all sales through the MusiCares collections directly benefit the organization which offers a handful of meaningful and valuable services to musicians in varying life situations. The Emergency Financial Assistance Program is defined as “the ‘heart and soul’ of MusiCares, which provides critical funds for music people struggling with financial, medical or personal crises. This program offers financial assistance for medical expenses, including doctor, dental and hospital bills, prescriptions, addiction recovery treatment, psychotherapy, treatment for HIV/AIDS, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and other critical illnesses, as well as basic living expenses such as rent and utilities,” according to the MusiCares website.

According to the 2009–2010 Community Services Report, “In 2010, MusiCares experienced a landmark year by serving the largestnumber of clients to date – more than 2,200 – with $2.5 million in aid.” And supporting an organization boasting a thoughtful concern for musicians’ overall well-being and the life struggles they encounter along their ventures seems to be right up Austin’s alley, particularly given the number of local artists who could potentially benefit from such a cause during their early musical careers.