The Los Angeles wildfires have ripped through the city destroying homes, businesses, and wildlife. The disasters extended beyond this devastating reality and threatened one of the cornerstones of the city’s economy and culture: the music industry. From the loss of artists’ homes, to the destruction of historic recording spaces and memorabilia, to the disruption of the live music scene through concert cancellations, this defining industry has a long road of recovery ahead. Creatives such as Bob Clearmountain, Mandy Moore, Diane Warren, Jhené Aiko, and more lost their homes and possessions to the flames. Throughout this time of hardships, however, the music community is leaning on one another to provide support in rebuilding one of the world’s most prominent music hubs.
From benefit concerts to nonprofit organization donations, the music community is receiving funds to be distributed for short-term relief efforts, in addition to long-term strategies to prevent similar catastrophic occurrences in the future. These funds will not only provide aid solely to artists, but aim to support any music industry professionals. MusiCares, an independent 501(c)(3) charity founded by the Recording Academy, has been at the forefront of advocating for professionals impacted by the recent crisis.
LMU student, Kaya Trifunovic, shares her gratitude for the supportive community, particularly within the industry she aspires to be a part of in her future career endeavors.
“Big companies are so often solely caring about financials, so I’m inspired by the way they [music companies] are putting that aside to prioritize people’s lives and give back to the community,” Trifunovic said.
Trifunovic attended the FireAid relief concert on Jan. 30 at Intuit Dome, a benefit show aiming to raise money to rebuild the communities destroyed by the wildfires.
“It was so great to see so many people come together, raise so much money, and shine a light on so many people’s stories: the first responders, and the victims of the fires,” Trifunovic said.
FireAid hosted simultaneous shows at the Intuit Dome and Kia Forum in Inglewood, with a lineup consisting of Gracie Abrams, Green Day, Billie Eilish, Stevie Wonder, and many more. The event made sure to highlight the first responders in the crowd who worked tirelessly to put an end to the fires spreading rapidly across Southern California.
“I’m so deeply blown away and grateful for all of the first responders and all of the firefighters who have put their lives on the line to protect all of us,” Gracie Abrams said while on stage. “This is a beautiful reflection of what music does: it brings people together in this way,” Abrams said.
Seventeen-year-old Katherine Armstrong, a Los Angeles native, said the show “brings together people who are not only impacted by the L.A. fires but also those who enjoy music as a culture.”
Additionally, Armstrong said benefit concerts like FireAid provide an opportunity for “artists to really do social good, rather than just perform their music.”
Former Vice President Kamala Harris was in attendance alongside her husband Douglas Emhoff, writing on Instagram, “It is a wonderful night that shows the strength and resilience of our city as we begin to recover and rebuild from the devastating wildfires.”
Event organizers announced to NPR that the event is expected to have raised $100 million to support wildfire relief, with contributions from donations, ticket sales, and merchandise sales.
To support the efforts of MusiCares and contribute to the rebuilding of the music community, further donations can be placed at https://musicares.org/donations.
