AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin is home to lots of musicians and live music events throughout the year, but one annual festival coming up will benefit the health of the live music scene… literally.
Each year, the Health Alliance for Austin Musicians, or HAAM, hosts HAAM Day — its largest fundraiser of the year, and one of the largest one-day, all-local music festivals in the world, per its website.
HAAM Day is a huge music festival in Austin that raises money to support HAAM’s mission of connecting Austin-area music professionals to affordable healthcare services. There are more than 200 live performances across over 100 venues, all held in just one day. That’s about five or six days’ worth of live music packed into one, HAAM CEO Paul Scott said.
This year’s HAAM Day, the 20th anniversary of the fest, will be on Sept. 23.
Scott said it’s especially important this year because more than 2,200 musicians are facing an average of a 76% increase in insurance premiums. That’s because of general increases in health insurance premiums across the state and country, as well as a new tax bill, under which the tax enhancements that made premiums affordable under the Affordable Care Act will likely not be renewed, Scott explained.
The Associated Press reported Saturday that those tax credits are in danger of expiring soon, and U.S. Congress members are at odds over what to do about it. If the credits expire, millions of Americans could face significant spikes in insurance premiums, the AP noted.
That’s why HAAM is working ahead to replace the potential loss of those funds. Scott said the nonprofit is seeking to raise over $850,000 through HAAM Day this year. Last year, HAAM Day raised $890,000, which the nonprofit used to leverage into more than $6.2 million in direct healthcare services to the more than 3,200 musicians, according to its website.
“So, the money will go directly to supporting our musicians’ access to healthcare, helping to pay for those premiums we talked about, as well as all the other services that HAAM provides,” Scott said. “People can go out and enjoy the free music, but we also ask, help us fundraise, you know, donate to us directly, or ask your friends to donate to HAAM, because we all love live music and… we know what it means to our community.”
Scott said the community has been generous in supporting the nonprofit’s mission for the 20 years it has been around, and local musicians have been generous in donating their time and work to pull off HAAM Day.
“It’s an incredible, generous community. And one thing I have to say is also our musicians are incredibly generous as well, in donating their time on HAAM day, and they’re just incredible people, and they really contribute to our culture here as a live music capital the world, and HAAM is here to have their backs, and we’re going to be there for them at all times,” Scott said.
More than 400 musicians are set to perform for HAAM Day this year, at traditional music venues as well as grocery stores, restaurants, shops, rooftops, parks, and more.
Details about this year’s festival can be found on HAAM’s website, including a complete guide to the fest, a full lineup, maps, sponsorship opportunities, and more.
A local publication group, Thunderhouse, is also releasing the first comprehensive field guide dedicated to Austin’s current, contemporary music scene in concurrent with HAAM’s 20th anniversary. Half of all proceeds from sales of the book will benefit HAAM. It’s available for pre-order now and is set to hit store shelves (at places like Book People and Waterloo Records, among others) later this fall.
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