NEWS RELEASE
BARRIE'S LIVE MUSIC SHOW
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Sunday, March 28, 2021 marked the official one year anniversary for the Barrie’s Live Music Show, a public Facebook group that has raised awareness and over $100,000 for local charities, and has grown to over 11,000 members since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
With the devastating closures of venues and in-person live music due to the virus, the Barrie’s Live Music Show provided an outlet for musicians to continue to share their musical passion and talent virtually which resulted in creating a community for thousands of people feeling isolated, and looking for hope, purpose, and connection during the lockdowns.
Founder of the Barrie’s Live Music Show and musician, Jake Mathias, created the Facebook group during the first lockdown when he heard that the Barrie Food Bank was in dire need of monetary donations as they could no longer accept physical donations due to the risk of spreading of COVID-19.
Jake, along with members of his band The Straits, began to play covers live on the Facebook group while encouraging other musicians to do the same, and for any viewers to donate to the cause.
“I was shocked how quickly the page started to grow” said Jake Mathias, founder of the Barrie’s Live Music Show. “In the first week we raised over $2,000 for the Barrie Food Bank- and the support just kept coming! Tons of local musicians started to come on board -even musicians from other countries- and local charities began to reach out for help. A fun project that I thought was going to last for two weeks turned into a major lifeline for so many people in our community over the past year."
The Barrie’s Live Music Show has financially supported over 25 local charities and has created a safe space where hundreds of musicians can share their music to an active and respectful audience of over 11 thousand viewers. Famous artists have even performed live on the Facebook group — such as Doug and the Slugs with their hit Day by Day, Juno Award winner Jason McCoy and Fred Penner known for his children’s songs such as The Cat Came Back.
The Barrie’s Live Music Show was also able to provide a virtual platform for the 2020 Kempenfest Festival to take place, provided live music for the Xcelerate Summit- Barrie’s Premier Business Conference, and also facilitated fun interviews for local musicians on the local talk-show Accordin’ to Jorden.
With higher poverty rates during the winter months, the Facebook group was able to gather physical winter clothing donations through their Winter Wellness Campaign to support shelters in need.
The Roberta Place was also supported during their tragic COVID-19 outbreak through the groups Comfort and Care Initiative as schools and kids provided handwritten letters, and local businesses donated care packages for residents and staff at the long-term care unit.
More recently Jake Mathias and his brother Jorden have been using Barrie’s Live Music Show as a platform to support those struggling with addiction and mental health battles, as the year long pandemic continues to create many challenges and disruption to daily living.
Music is healing, and a fundamental human need – especially during stressful and unpredictable times. If you are looking for an online community that focuses on helping others, and tuning out the fear by turning up the music — to help get you through these challenging times — please join The Barrie’s Live Music Show on Facebook. Whether you are a musician, or a music lover, all are welcome to listen or play as the group is a judgment free zone for all ages. Donations raised this month will be going to the Barrie Food Bank.
Thank you to all the supporters, and the many administrators and musicians who have kept the music alive and well. Although the pandemic has devastated the entertainment and arts industry, the Barrie Music scene is now even more united than before and is ready to rock and put on concerts and festivals once it is safe to do so.
- March 28 to April 5, 2020: Barrie Food Bank - $2,265
- April 6 to April 12, 2020: Women and Children’s Shelter of Barrie - $7,750
- April 13 to April 19, 2020: Ontario Parents Advocating for Children with Cancer - $19,055
- April 20 to April 26, 2020: Youth Haven - $5,250
- April 27 to May 3, 2020: RVH - $3,010
- May 4 to May 10, 2020: Hospice Simcoe - $5,113
- May 11 to May 17, 2020: Redwood Park Communities Inc. - $2,201
- May 18 to May 24, 2020: Gilda’s Club Simcoe Muskoka - $2,600
- May 25 to May 31, 2020: Big Brothers Big Sisters - $1,765
- June 1 to June 14, 2020: Down Syndrome Association of Simcoe County - $2,761
- June 15 to June 28, 2020: Multiple Sclerosis of Society of Canada - $1,696
- June 29 to July 12, 2020: Shak’s World and Canadian Mental Health Association - $1,001
- July 13 to July 26, 2020: Seasons Centre for Grieving Children - $1,292
- July 27 to Aug. 2, 2020: David Busby Centre - $1,095
- Aug. 3rd to Aug. 15, 2020: Barrie Native Friendship Centre - $762
- Aug. 17 to Aug. 22, 2020: Elizabeth Fry Society - $431
- Aug. 23 to Aug. 30, 2020: The 705 - $2,386
- Aug. 31 to Sept. 21, 2020: Gilda’s Club Simcoe Muskoka - $306
- Sept. 28 to Oct. 10, 2020: Epilepsy Simcoe County - $1,570
- Oct. 11 to Nov. 1, 2020: Barrie’s Food Bank - $842
- Oct. 11 to Nov. 8, 2020: Barrie and Innisfil Food Bank - $586 (Physical Donations collected at Proud West Fun Zone)
- $24,282 donation from Jackson McAuley
- Nov. 2 to Nov. 8, 2020: The Innisfil Food Bank - $773
- Nov. 9 to Nov. 15, 2020: Royal Canadian Legion – The Poppy Fund - $290
- Nov. 12 to Dec. 15, 2020: Winter Wellness Fund - $2,903 & over 80 bags full of winter clothes donated to homeless shelters in Barrie
- Dec. 13, 2020: Barrie Food Bank Auction of Carlsbro Electric Drum Set - $400
- Jan. 20 to Feb. 20, 2021: Care and Comfort for Roberta Place - $3,917
- Feb. 21 to March 31, 2021: Anti Violence Youth Educational Services (AV Youth) - $715
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