ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — As people who supported themselves in the Bay area's gig economy now search for ways to make ends meet in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, local musicians are coming together on a different stage, earning some money and providing comfort to the community.
- DTSP Saved by Streaming started by artist, booking agent Katie Talbert
- Musicians perform on live stream, viewers can contribute to "virtual tip jar"
- More Good News stories
Musician Ken Apperson has been performing live for almost 20 years. Until recently, he was making a living off of his music.
"When you're playing 5 or 6 nights a week, you're not as worried about where your next meal is going to come from, you're not as worried whether your power bill is going to get paid," said Apperson.
Now, he and fellow artists are looking for ways to pay those bills in the absence of regular gigs.
"Outside of music things I will be driving Uber pretty soon and today, I'm going to build a set of shelves for someone," said Apperson.
But booking agent and fellow artist Katie Talbert is trying to keep musicians performing and paid.
"Every time I was having to call over and over and cancel, I listened to a lot of people cry because they weren't going to be able to pay their bills, and it got me really upset, so I wanted to help," said Talbert.
In response, Talbert launched DTSP Saved by Streaming.
Musicians perform during a live stream while viewers can contribute.
"We create a virtual tip jar as a caption for each one of them so their friends and family from all over can actually donate directly," Talbert explained.
To hear Apperson tell it, the new virtual venue is working out well so far.
"It went far better than I ever could've imagined because of the people that were watching," said Apperson.
"When we're playing music in bars it has a purpose, we're providing entertainment for people," he went on. "But right now, it seems like people need a pick me up more than ever, they need something to enjoy and grab onto and luckily, music can do that for people."
To learn more about DTSP Saved by Streaming, visit their channel on Facebook.