New York, NY – The entire Nashville community is facing devastating financial, property, and personal losses following the disastrous flooding in the region this past weekend. Many musicians in the area have suffered significant damage to their instruments, recording studios, and homes. Some have lost everything.

The ability of these musicians to earn an income has been put on hold as the city tries to rebuild from this catastrophe, with losses for the city estimated at $1 billion. A large amount of economic activity in Nashville revolves around music, and many important venues, including the Schermerhorn Symphony Center and the Grand Ole Opry House, as well as many rehearsal facilities and home studios, have undergone considerable damage or have been destroyed.

In 2005, the American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada (AFM) created the Musicians Disaster Relief Fund as a way to distribute funds to musicians in need, and that fund is now coming into play. The AFM encourages all music supporters to make a contribution, and to be a part of the effort to assist afflicted Nashville musicians.

“Nashville musicians are invaluable members of the music industry as a whole. The Musicians Disaster Relief Fund will be an essential component in getting them back on their feet and enabling them to continue to create the music that people everywhere enjoy,” says AFM International President Thomas F. Lee.

One hundred percent of the contributions go directly to the musicians. To donate online, please visit http://www.afm.org/about/donate/help-nashville-musicians. If you prefer to pay by check or money order, please make your contribution payable to “AFM Musicians Disaster Relief Fund” and send it to:

AFM Musicians Disaster Relief Fund
1501 Broadway, Suite 600
New York, NY 10036

ABOUT THE AFM
Founded in 1896, the American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada (AFM), AFL-CIO, is the largest organization in the world dedicated to representing the interests of professional musicians. With more than 90,000 members, the AFM represents all types of professional musicians, including those who record music for sound recordings, film scores, videogames, radio, television and commercial announcements, as well as perform music of every genre in every sort of venue from small jazz clubs to symphony orchestra halls to major stadiums.  Whether negotiating fair agreements, protecting ownership of recorded music, securing benefits such as health care and pension, or lobbying legislators, the AFM is committed to raising industry standards and placing the professional musician in the foreground of the cultural landscape.

For more information, visit the Web site at www.afm.org.

AFM; 1501 Broadway, Ste. 600; New York, NY 10036