NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Local musicians are calling on the community as the end to unemployment benefits looms.
The gates at the Schermerhorn are padlocked, and the musicians who make their livelihoods there don't know when they'll see the inside of it again.
"It is something that we all miss," Derek Hawkes said, the Assistant Principal Trombonist at the Nashville Symphony.
The days until his unemployment benefits end are numbered. The days he has to wait until he can return to his job are innumerable.
"We don’t know when exactly we’re going to be able to go back," he said.
The Schermerhorn season has been canceled through next July. After that, Hawkes does not know where his next paycheck will come from, or when he'll be on stage again.
"I miss playing the Schermerhorn quite a bit," he said. "It is one of the finest halls I’ve ever played in in the world."
Hawkes is among performance artists all over the country who will be out of work for months.
"It is difficult to have your job and what you’ve dedicated your life to, to be a proponent of this craft, to not be able to do that in the way that we’ve been used to is emotionally difficult," he said.
Nashville Symphony musicians are calling on their followers to reach out to their legislators and ask for extensions of unemployment benefits.
"Any opportunity you can find to support people in the industries that are so adversely affected by this pandemic I think is worth your time," Hawkes said.
Whether it be following them on social media, watching their digital performances or donating to the symphony — the ways people can show their support are countless.
"We really miss you guys," he said. "We miss the community. We miss playing for you."
Links to ways you can help can be found on the Nashville Symphony Musicians Instagram and Facebook pages.