SEATTLE — A new program launched by the City of Seattle's Office of Economic Development aims to connect musicians and small local businesses as they continue recovering following pandemic-related shutdowns.
"Shop to the Beat" matches local musicians with retail businesses, paying them to provide in-store performances during peak shopping hours- bringing more customers to those districts and providing competitive pay for artists that lost significant income during the pandemic. It's funded through the Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund and organized through a partnership with Gigs4U, which curates artist line-ups for performances in non-traditional settings.
Musician Shaun Crawford was selected to participate during the program's first weekend. He moved to Seattle for music-- and was gaining steam just as the pandemic hit.
"I'm not even going to coat it and say kind of rough- it was very rough," Crawford said. "I think we all did the same thing where it was like, 2020's our year, and I did the same thing, I was getting hit up to play with a bunch of acts and I was excited, and then boom- the pandemic hits."
Crawford couldn't play live music or teach his music students, so he found himself trying to fill time. He got excited about songwriting and participated in some live-streamed performances, but it took a challenging toll.
"You saw everything else, everyone was fighting to get back to normal," Crawford said. "Everyone was shopping, going out and having stuff to eat- but it felt like music was the one thing they completely put the hold on and we were sitting here like- what else are we supposed to do? Because our whole industry is on pause."
Now, live music is starting to return. Crawford says the energy is palpable- and the city hopes the Shop to the Beat program will bring some of those vibes to Seattle streets, especially in underserved neighborhoods.
"There's something different about how a community like Seattle comes together and is like hey, if you need something I got you- and it's the same thing, you always see people from other bands coming up to your show and it's a wonderful thing to be a part of," Crawford said.
The city is still accepting applications from bands and small businesses that want to participate. To apply, click here.
Hear more from Shaun Crawford about his musical journey: