LA Fires: the role of music and musicians

Beginning on the January 7, a series of fires are ripping through Los Angeles, devastating residential areas and businesses, and resulting in the deaths of an estimated 28 people. Amongst such severe tragedy, the voices of musicians and other celebrities have offered support, hope and empathy. However, many have been scrutinised for their participation, earning criticism for their superficiality or lack of comment. So, how important is support from musicians?

Recently inaugurated President Trump’s vocal opposition to the Paris Agreement’s climate aims has reinvigorated panics about the abuse of the environment. Climate change is undeniably a factor in the fires, and yet many politicians remain, at best, apathetic. Within this specific climate context, is there anything that musicians can really do to alter our as yet inexorable fate?

Los Angeles is widely renowned for homing many of the world’s premier musicians and other celebrities, potentially contributing to the mass of support. Do musicians give the same effort and attention when they do not have a personal connection to a disaster? Certainly not. While this does not reduce the quality or integrity of intentions behind contributions to LA fire relief projects, it certainly raises questions about the sincerity of artists’ commitments to activism.

In this instance, musicians are playing an active and altruistic part in assisting victims of the fires, using their celebrity to encourage wide support

Musicians are uniquely positioned to encourage vast donations from their fans, as their creations are solely commercial. Whether it’s through the release of charity singles, special concerts, or special edition recordings, the music industry has a long history of involvement in fundraising. Band Aid, arguably the most infamous charity music project in history, began in 1984 to raise money to support victims of famine in Ethiopia.

Drawing from the precedent of Live Aid, a Fire Aid concert has been organised to raise funds for short and long-term fire relief in Los Angeles, scheduled for the end of January. The line-up is filled with some of today’s most acclaimed musicians, including Billie Eilish, Gracie Abrams, Green Day, and Lady Gaga. The diversity and unambiguously ‘superstar’ status of all the musicians is remarkable, demonstrating the commitment and devotion of musicians – as this is a charity concert, they are donating their valuable time for, presumably, very little personal benefit. The Fire Aid concert has been advertised by many famous figures beyond the music industry, including Kim Kardashian. The benefit concert promises to be a major source of financial assistance to fire relief teams across Los Angeles. In this instance, musicians are playing an active and altruistic part in assisting victims of the fires, using their celebrity to encourage wide support.

Music can connect people, provide a welcome distraction, and facilitate the vocalisation of complex feelings that are otherwise hard to articulate

Furthermore, many musicians are helping on the front lines of fire relief. For example, The Regrettes’ lead singer Lydia Night, is organising, buying, and distributing food and hygiene products to devastated communities. Although it is not their specific musicianship which allows this, their position as musicians places them in the public eye, therefore granting them a large platform through which they can receive donations, suggestions, and connect with in-need individuals.

Aside from their active participation in relief efforts, musicians often offer emotional support through their music. The comforting capabilities of music is a widely-known phenomenon, and it has specific relevance within this context. Amidst the bleakness and tragedy, music can connect people, provide a welcome distraction, and facilitate the vocalisation of complex feelings that are otherwise hard to articulate.

We must remain wary of tokenistic and superficial acts, and instead perhaps celebrate those active in grassroots activism, who are regularly providing useful support without expecting the same praise as musicians and other celebrities

However, within such enormous tragedy, intense scrutiny of musicians’ contributions is to be expected. News reports of the suffering are punctuated by various controversies. For example, the revelation that some of LA’s ultra-rich are hiring private fire trucks, thus displacing vital and dwindling resources from public fire services. Musicians are certainly among this category of LA residents. Although speculation is dangerous, it does raise concerns over the authenticity of their contributions to public aid, while they are able to afford private – and often superior – protection. However, these controversies have tainted only a minority, and should not detract from the very real and valuable support many musicians are giving.

Ultimately, musicians’ public responses to tragedies are only truly valuable when they directly correlate to productive action. It is very easy to idolise musicians, but we must remain wary of tokenistic and superficial acts, and instead perhaps celebrate those active in grassroots activism, who are regularly providing useful support without expecting the same praise as musicians and other celebrities.

Musicians are uniquely placed, however, to offer indirect support to individuals through their music. Music as a source of comfort is a vital part of protecting mental health during tragedy. From this, musicians’ direct support gains an added dimension of significance.

In the wake of this tragedy, musicians are fulfilling a unique role: providing direct and indirect support to all victims of the fires. Although musicians can’t stop the fires or end the suffering, their contributions are certainly going a long way to help.