Music for Masks
Donation protected
Thank you for supporting #MUSICforMASKS. With your help, we put event industry professionals back to work making Face Shields for medical workers.
TWIN CHALLENGES: Together, we will try make a difference against two central challenges of the CovidCrisis:
• The PPE shortage: We are facing our most critical need right now for PPE of all kinds, including Face Shields.
• Layoffs: San Francisco was the USA's first city to order StayatHome, and California's public gathering bans erased our event industry weeks before similar actions elsehwere. Event workers, (many of whom work hourly as contractors) have been economically devastated. Our own staff has hit extremely hard, and our contractors face a difficult path to receiving even meager unemployment benefits.
HOW YOU WILL HELP: The good news is that HUSHconcerts is not only the gold standard for silent disco but also a full-service producer of immersive events, so we have a potent fabrication workshop. Inspired by the work of Justin Levine in San Carlos, we have fired up our printers and put our first contractor back to work already. We aim to have our first 50 shields done by the end of this week, and hope to produce at least 100 / week until the crisis subsides.
WHERE DOES YOUR MONEY GO
• Supplies: We have used all of our leftover stock of materials and need to purchase more. The plastic for the shields, the spools for the printers and the elastic are all hot commodities and we need o acquire more materiel.
• Staffing: Although some of our core employees have filed for unemployment, our part time contractors have little recourse. Therefore, unlike many similar campaigns run 100% by volunteers, musicformasks will pay a $20 / hour wage to get these event industry professionals back to work.
YES, #MUSICforMASKS IS DIFFERENT: We applaud the music industry relief campaigns, but most seem to focus on musicians and not crew, and on relief rather than re-employment. We have also seen incredible volunteer FaceShield projects run by students, or large fabrication shops. #MusicforMasks is different from these because it combines them in one campaign.
Yes, we need more money per shield produced, because our goals are not just PPE, but ALSO putting at-risk professionals back to work. With your help, we can redirect the sweat and talent of the event industry towards the PPE shortage.
WHERE DO THE SHIELDS GO?
We have pledged the first 100 already and assuming we can support further operations, will be open to suggestions for the next round.
WHAT DESIGN ARE YOU USING? We started with the PRUSA design and have modified it with a thicker bottom guard and thicker clear shield to make it more durable for cleaning and multiple uses.
WHAT CHALLENGES HAVE WE RUN INTO: 3D printing sounds so easy until you do make complex, high-stress materials. Even the best designs need to be calibrated to your specific machines, then tweaked endlessly and watched tirelessly. Any tiny factor can throw off a whole print, so our team's inherent attention to detail has been in high demand on this project. It's been slow going to start with but we are getting faster and faster as we go. Supply challenges have also been a real issue. Spools, clear plastic, and especially, elastic bands are in high demand, so we are working round the clock to secure materials. Have enough for 50 shields now, but with your help, we should be able to secure many more.
TWIN CHALLENGES: Together, we will try make a difference against two central challenges of the CovidCrisis:
• The PPE shortage: We are facing our most critical need right now for PPE of all kinds, including Face Shields.
• Layoffs: San Francisco was the USA's first city to order StayatHome, and California's public gathering bans erased our event industry weeks before similar actions elsehwere. Event workers, (many of whom work hourly as contractors) have been economically devastated. Our own staff has hit extremely hard, and our contractors face a difficult path to receiving even meager unemployment benefits.
HOW YOU WILL HELP: The good news is that HUSHconcerts is not only the gold standard for silent disco but also a full-service producer of immersive events, so we have a potent fabrication workshop. Inspired by the work of Justin Levine in San Carlos, we have fired up our printers and put our first contractor back to work already. We aim to have our first 50 shields done by the end of this week, and hope to produce at least 100 / week until the crisis subsides.
WHERE DOES YOUR MONEY GO
• Supplies: We have used all of our leftover stock of materials and need to purchase more. The plastic for the shields, the spools for the printers and the elastic are all hot commodities and we need o acquire more materiel.
• Staffing: Although some of our core employees have filed for unemployment, our part time contractors have little recourse. Therefore, unlike many similar campaigns run 100% by volunteers, musicformasks will pay a $20 / hour wage to get these event industry professionals back to work.
YES, #MUSICforMASKS IS DIFFERENT: We applaud the music industry relief campaigns, but most seem to focus on musicians and not crew, and on relief rather than re-employment. We have also seen incredible volunteer FaceShield projects run by students, or large fabrication shops. #MusicforMasks is different from these because it combines them in one campaign.
Yes, we need more money per shield produced, because our goals are not just PPE, but ALSO putting at-risk professionals back to work. With your help, we can redirect the sweat and talent of the event industry towards the PPE shortage.
WHERE DO THE SHIELDS GO?
We have pledged the first 100 already and assuming we can support further operations, will be open to suggestions for the next round.
WHAT DESIGN ARE YOU USING? We started with the PRUSA design and have modified it with a thicker bottom guard and thicker clear shield to make it more durable for cleaning and multiple uses.
WHAT CHALLENGES HAVE WE RUN INTO: 3D printing sounds so easy until you do make complex, high-stress materials. Even the best designs need to be calibrated to your specific machines, then tweaked endlessly and watched tirelessly. Any tiny factor can throw off a whole print, so our team's inherent attention to detail has been in high demand on this project. It's been slow going to start with but we are getting faster and faster as we go. Supply challenges have also been a real issue. Spools, clear plastic, and especially, elastic bands are in high demand, so we are working round the clock to secure materials. Have enough for 50 shields now, but with your help, we should be able to secure many more.
Organizer
Robert Kowal
Organizer
San Francisco, CA