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FORT WORTH, TX – In light of the impact of current world issues on Fort Worth’s musicians today, Fine Line Group, the Family office of Sasha and Edward P. Bass, announced the launch of SOUNDS OF RESILIENCE. The second in a series of competitive grant programs designed to help get Fort Worth’s arts community back to work. This $100,000 initiative challenges area musicians to compose works about resilience to fuel the city’s creative economy and to help drive community healing and positive change.
Led by the Fine Line Group, with support from the Alice L. Walton Foundation, the Tartaglino Richards Family Foundation, and Bass Performance Hall, SOUNDS OF RESILIENCE will provide highly focused financial support to 41 talented musicians whose work brings the Fort Worth community together to reflect on their recent experiences in the world and to begin driving change and healing through music.
“Music is part of Fort Worth’s soul. By putting this city’s stories into song, artists have the power to help our community process and heal from the unprecedented events we have all watched unfold over the last several months. As our city battles a pandemic and reckons with the legacy of prejudice, SOUNDS OF RESILIENCE delivers not just highly-focused financial support to Fort Worth-area musicians, but also, helps to create an audio record of our town’s unique perspective on all that has occurred, and all that we hope to see in the future,” said program founders Sasha and Ed Bass.
Mrs. Sasha Bass and Lauren Saba Childs, program administrator and founder of Gallery of Dreams, approached one of Fort Worth’s leading singer/songwriters, Abraham Alexander, to brainstorm how the model could be adapted to help the city’s musicians. “Moving forward at this unprecedented and challenging time is about so much more than just finding work. It’s about reviving the spirit and soul so we can make music again. This model does both, and that’s what makes it so powerful,” said Mr. Alexander. In partnership with Mrs. Bass and Ms. Childs, Mr. Alexander helped bring SOUNDS OF RESILIENCE to life.
“This program is a lifeline for the musicians of our city. It’s a life vest for the dreams our musicians are fighting to keep afloat in the midst of two life-threatening viruses – one new, and the other – systemic racism – an old and deadly plague,” continued Mr. Alexander. “SOUNDS OF RESILIENCE makes it possible for them to focus on doing what they do best – creating. Musicians will not have to worry about their next bill or what equipment they will need to sell in order to put food on the table. It makes me proud of our city and honored to know its citizens. Individuals from all walks of life are coming together around this program. SOUNDS OF RESILIENCE will rekindle hope, fuel collaboration, and change the fabric of our music scene for the better.”
Applicants are asked to create and submit a unique live performance video of two original songs, in a format similar to a “Tiny Desk” submission, along with a personal statement about their experience in the pandemic and the role their music will play in drawing people together around the theme of resilience. The full application is available at soundsofresilience.com. There is no fee to apply.
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