Inspired by the global generosity movement GivingTuesday, Annapolis Musicians Fund for Musicians (AMFM) will debut a first-of-its-kind music video on Tuesday, November 30.
“(This is the Way We Do It) Down in Naptown” is a celebration of Annapolis and its vibrant music scene, and it features more than 70 Annapolis-area musicians, ages 7 to 73. Performers include established area acts, including rocker Jimi Davies of Jimmie’s Chicken Shack fame, bluesman Charlie Sayles, Greg Phillips (former member of the R&B-charting band Starpoint), and journeyman musician Bryan Ewald, along with up-and-coming musicians such as singers Daphne Eckman, Natalia Zerga, and Davonne D’Neil.
“We’ve never before done a project quite like this, bringing together such a wealth of Annapolis talent for one song,” says AMFM board president Matt McConville. “We’re building community during a time when our usual live events aren’t happening and we need music perhaps more than ever. This is a testament to the uniquely supportive and collaborative music community that Annapolitans enjoy.”
Although the song’s foundation is in the New Orleans brass band tradition, it features a diversity of distinctly Annapolis styles and instrumentation, from electronica to steel drums, pedal steel to a deejay scratching, and more. “We’re excited how it’s all coming together,” says AMFM board member Leah Weiss. “Everything about this video is local, including the production crew. We cannot wait to share it with the world next week, when we kick off our GivingTuesday campaign.”
AMFM is a nonprofit organization created to provide temporary financial relief to professional Annapolis area musicians who cannot work due to sickness, injury, or any other circumstance leaving them unable to perform. Additionally, AMFM provides scholarship funds and grants to educate young Annapolis area musicians, with an emphasis on underserved communities.
The organization rallied to meet the unprecedented needs created by the COVID-19 pandemic, more than doubling its annual grantmaking and finding ways to more efficiently process applications so that benefit checks could quickly reach out-of-work musicians. Since the pandemic started, AMFM has provided more than $200,000 in benefits solely for COVID relief. This has been an important lifeline for the musicians who live and work in Annapolis and are a valuable asset to the social, cultural, and economic landscape of our community.
During its GivingTuesday fundraising campaign, AMFM will be raffling off a signed PRS guitar as well as music lessons provided by Garrett Park School of Music. Those interested in participating in AMFM’s GivingTuesday campaign can “like” AMFM’s Facebook page, www.facebook.com/amfminc, follow AMFM on instagram, www.instagram.com/amfm_inc or twitter, twitter.com/amfm_inc, or visit www.am-fm.org/donate. For details about the GivingTuesday movement, visit www.givingtuesday.org, www.facebook.com/GivingTuesday, or follow @GivingTuesday and #GivingTuesday on Twitter.
For more information about AMFM, visit www.am-fm.org.
