The Recording Industry's Music Performance Trust Fund Projects Grants of More than $1 Million to Communities Celebrating Jazz Appreciation Month in April 2025

Associated Press

04-03-2025

Month-long investment throughout North America intends to benefit individuals and communities sharing this treasured American art form
NEW YORK, NY / ACCESS Newswire / March 4, 2025 / The recording industry's Music Performance Trust Fund (MPTF), a leading non-profit organization enriching lives and uniting communities through the power of music, is on track to distribute over $1,000,000 in grants for admission-free live concerts this April for Jazz Appreciation Month (JAM).
This is the second consecutive year that the dollar value of the grants, which pay professional jazz musicians to perform, will achieve that level. Last year, the funds supported 750 performances throughout the U.S. and Canada in April alone, including 75 that were live streamed through the MPTF's Facebook page.
MPTF Trustee Dan Beck stated, 'Regional pockets of live jazz are alive and well across North America, and it is fundamental to the genre. The local offices of the American Federation of Musicians do a tremendous job of organizing these performances for their communities and for their musicians.'
The MPTF plays a vital role in support of the music industry's gig economy. Primarily funded by four major record companies, including Sony Music, Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group, and Walt Disney Records, the independently run organization has distributed millions of dollars in financial resources and grants, engaging professional musicians who are members of the American Federation of Musicians (AFM) to perform live in admission-free events across North America. Since its founding in 1948, the MPTF has distributed more than $630 million (USD) in sponsorship money.
The annual campaign, themed by the MPTF as 'Jazz Across America,' features the support of website partners www.allaboutjazz.com and www.jazznearyou.com, where performer and event location information for most of the performances are being listed. These websites boast the world's largest jazz events calendars and reach a combined 240,000 viewers per month.
All live stream events will be featured on the MPTF Facebook page at https://facebook.com/the.mptf. Beck added, 'Tuning in to live stream performance events as they happen is a unique way the public can experience jazz musicians from various locales throughout the U.S. and Canada.'
Jazz performances have been supported by the MPTF since it began more than 75 years ago, and over 1,600 regional jazz concerts have been funded since the end of the pandemic. With this year's projections, the fund will have distributed more than $3.1 million in Jazz Across America grants to compensate these fine musicians.
Events will be organized by American Federation of Musicians locals to ensure fair compensation for all performers.
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About the MPTF: The recording industry's Music Performance Trust Fund is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit public service organization whose mission is to support admission-free, live events performed by professional musicians throughout the United States and Canada. We seek to enrich the lives of the public, young and old, through music, and to contribute to the public's knowledge and appreciation of music. We also seek to make music and music education an exciting experience, and to expand it to every child's life experience. The MPTF was established 75 years ago by recording companies including Sony Music, Universal Music Group, and Warner Music Group. Interested parties may contact Samantha Ramos, Director of Grant Management, at [email protected] or visit www.musicpf.org.
About All About Jazz: All About Jazz (AAJ) has been a pillar of the jazz community since 1995, championing the music as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Their enduring commitment has made AAJ one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of enthusiasts, musicians and industry figures every month. For more information, contact Michael Ricci at [email protected].