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On June 19, 1865, slavery came to an end under an order issued in Texas by a Union general, but the announcement came more than two years after Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. With nearly four million enslaved black men, women and children granted freedom, 250,000 black people remained enslaved in Texas, unaware of their freedom, with former enslavers hiding the news.
On June 19, federal troops arrived in Texas to ensure freedom of all enslaved, but celebration was not soon to come. Though General Granger arrived with the news that “all slaves are free,” it came with a caveat, as Granger continued, “The freedmen are advised to remain quietly at their present homes and work for wages. They are informed that they will not be allowed to collect at military posts and that they will not be supported in idleness either there or elsewhere.” Former slave owners grasped at systems of societal oppression as a means to stunt the losses of their immoral trade, as Black Americans struggled for equal and deserved liberties not granted alongside their freedom. Slowly Juneteenth celebrations grew year to year, eventually seeing observation as an official Texas holiday to being celebrated nationwide.
The institution and system that took place before the emancipation of African Americans in the United States is horrific. While Juneteenth is a day of commemoration and rejoicing, it is also a time for assessment, education, and continuing to push for systemic change. There’s no “correct” way to celebrate Juneteenth, but if you’re looking for ideas, here are some ways you can celebrate Juneteenth in 2021 and beyond.
“Lift Every Voice and Sing” is one of the most cherished songs of the African American Civil Rights Movement and is often referred to as the Black National Anthem. The hymn was initially written as a poem by NAACP leader James Weldon Johnson in 1900. His brother, John Rosamond Johnson, composed the music for the lyrics. A choir of 500 schoolchildren at the segregated Stanton school, where James Weldon Johnson was principal, first performed the song in public in Jacksonville, Florida to celebrate Abraham Lincoln's birthday.
At the turn of the 20th century, Johnson's lyrics eloquently captured the solemn yet hopeful appeal for the liberty of Black Americans. Set against the religious invocation of God and the promise of freedom, the song was later adopted by NAACP and prominently used as a rallying cry during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s.
Alicia Keys performed a beautiful rendition of the song at the 2020 NFL kickoff. Listen below.
Show support for the advancement of Black people in the American economy by shopping at a Black business. SHOPPE BLACK is a Black owned, Philadelphia based company that connects Black owned businesses with the customers, partners and resources needed to succeed. Since 2015, they have profiled thousands of businesses and interviewed hundreds of entrepreneurs and professionals from New York to Nigeria, all in the name of celebrating Black Business excellence and encouraging their community to invest in itself and to #SHOPPEBLACK.
Check out their 2021 Juneteenth Gift Guide that supports Black Entrepreneurs and empowering generational wealth within the black community.
There are thousands of organizations that are dedicated to the advancement of racial equality in America. BeatStars’ philanthropic campaign Beats4Love aims to inspire our community to contribute to charities and organizations that are fighting to make the world a better place. By adding Beats4Love as a collaborator on your track, whatever sales are earned will be directly donated to our chosen charities, including Black Lives Matter, Color of Change, and more. BeatStars has also committed to matching donations raised by creators.
If you’re looking for more organizations to donate to in support of enacting systemic change such as Incarceration-reform organizations, Black LGBTQ organizations, and more, then be sure to check out NY Mag’s extensive list of organizations.
Black Creatives have always and are continually paving the way to new music discoveries, worldwide trends, and cultural movements. Without them, our world would be a lifeless place. Supporting Black Creators can look anything like sharing their content, commenting on their art, buying their art, streaming their music, highlighting them in a blog or podcast, or even purchasing their tracks, sounds kits, and services on BeatStars. We’ve compiled a list of 10 Ground-Breaking Black Creators you can show your support to as you go about your Juneteenth celebrations and beyond.
CEO and Founder Abe Batshon set out to solve a major problem in the music industry - the exploitation of Producers by major music corporations and labels. As a solution to that problem, BeatStars was born to empower producers, put them in control, and help them earn the royalties and recognition that they deserve.
BeatStars strived to encourage beat makers to build a brand around their sound and effectively monetize their beats. Over a decade later, BeatStars has helped thousands of producers earn a living doing what they love. It all started with a mission to empower creatives who hold a passion for music.
BeatStars was built for the writer, the performer, the beatmaker, the producer, the artist, and the creator. We value musicians and are obsessed with offering more technology to help them grow their music business.
Our goal was the same from the beginning; to give creators control over their music careers.
BeatStars’ focus on beat licensing allows producers to monetize their beats effectively while offering fair prices to artists. It’s a win-win situation. Producers are able to fully customize their license agreements and prices, giving beat makers complete control over the monetization of their music. Artists are able to purchase beat leases at a much lower price point rather than spending thousands of dollars on an exclusive beat. This business model has led to the success of thousands of independent producers.
It’s not uncommon to see a single beat generate a producer over $10,000 in revenue. When producers utilize the platform to build a following and a loyal customer base, the sky's the limit. There are countless producers on the BeatStars platform that have amassed dedicated fan bases. Some of these producers have little to no industry connections, yet they have droves of loyal listeners who consistently support their music. These are the producers that make BeatStars such a special platform. Every producer that’s part of the BeatStars community is an example of how any producer can take control and establish their own successful music business.
BeatStars was the starting point for some of the most successful producers in the music industry, including 30Hertz (Medicine x Queen Naija), Mantra (Selfish x Future ft. Rihanna), and The Cratez (I’m Not a Racist x Joyner Lucas). Certified Platinum producer, Mantra, got his start selling beats on BeatStars. After establishing his brand and developing his sound, Mantra went on to work with some of the biggest names in the industry such as Future, Rihanna, Bad Bunny, NeYo, and many more. After establishing their career on BeatStars, producers like Mantra are able to move beyond BeatStars and dominate the music industry.
In 2020, BeatStars introduced publishing services to the global BeatStars community of writers, producers, and artists. As a result, Producers like DeeMarc (When You Down x Lil Tecca), Lil H (Don’t Need Time x Hot Boii), JTRAXX (Drogba x Afro B & Ozuna), BabyBotBeatz (), Beat Demons (B. Young, PhoraBad Bunny, NBC SNL), Dreamlife (Snoop Dogg, Logic), Dystinkt (Lil Tecca, Lil Tjay), Tantu Beats (Higher Brothers, Joost), and many more went on to become Sony/ATV publishing signees.
As more and more producers join the platform and are welcomed into the BeatStars family, more groundbreaking waves will be made in the music industry. Thousands of producers are using BeatStars to follow a passion for music to make a living doing it, and so can you.
Creators on BeatStars are spread out all over the world, from San Francisco to Africa, but fortunately there’s a special place where our community can come closer together. We’re excited to now announce that BeatStars is on Discord!
Discord is a free voice, video, and text chat app where people can form connections and talk daily about topics they love. BeatStars’ diverse community of producers, artists, and music service providers made joining Discord a no-brainer, and we’re ready to help you build authentic connections in our channel’s space.
You’ll find a new question for engagement everyday on our channel to spark conversation, as well as weekly event updates, the latest playlisting opportunities, and placement achievements by fellow BeatStars members. Networking and forming professional connections is extremely important to the success of you and your music career, and we hope that the launch of our Discord channel will make relationship building in a digital world easier to tackle.
If you aren’t already living on Discord, consider the following networking and connection building tips as you sign up and join the BeatStars channel:
Ask Questions and Listen
Our wide-spread community is from all different walks of life. You never know who you may be talking to, but that’s what asking questions and active listening is for.
Share your Handles
If you’re on the lookout for a potential collaboration or a particular sound pack, drop your social or BeatStars handle! Being around other creatives on Discord offers a world of possibilities for networking and collaborative projects.
Use Humor
Exuding positivity and getting others to laugh helps draw people into your circle. If you have a sense of humor, use it!
Be Genuine
Whether it’s online or in-person, people can sense genuinity and authenticity. Be yourself, and like-minded people will gravitate towards you.
Drop Your Expectations
Sometimes connections work out, and sometimes they don’t. To avoid future disappointment or frustration, it helps to go into networking opportunities with zero expectations. Let your relationships build naturally, and drop your expectations of gaining something from every person you meet.
BeatStars is thrilled to announce the joining of the American Association of Music, a trade association that promotes growth, awareness, and opportunities for independent music through advocacy, education, and community. BeatStars and A2IM share twin missions in helping independent businesses and creatives thrive, which is why BeatStars is proud to announce this partnership and grow with A2IM.
*The following information was taken directly from A2IM’s website.
The American Association of Independent Music (A2IM) is a 501(c)(6) not-for-profit trade organization representing a diverse group of over 600 independently-owned American record labels. A2IM supports a key segment of the United States’ creative class and small business community. As an organization, A2IM is committed to protecting the value of independent musical contributions and influence on a policy level.
A2IM serves as a central voice for a diverse community of independent labels operating within the United States and represents independents’ interests in the marketplace, in the media, on Capitol Hill, and as part of the global music community.
A2IM’s diverse community includes music labels of all sizes and staffing levels across the United States, from Hawaii to Florida, representing musical genres as diverse as our membership, including bluegrass, blues, children’s, classical, comedy, country, dance/electronic, gospel, folk, Hawaiian, jazz, hip-hop, Latin, metal, new age, pop, R&B, reggae, roots, soca/Caribbean, traditional American, world, and more. “Independent” doesn’t refer to a specific genre of music, nor does it mean lesser-known artists: A2IM member labels have issued music releases by artists including Taylor Swift, Mumford & Sons, The Lumineers, Adele, Alabama Shakes, Arcade Fire, Run the Jewels, Bon Iver, and many others.
In a 2018 study, 50% of musicians reported symptoms of depression, compared with less than 25% of the general adult population. Nearly 12% reported having suicidal thoughts - almost four times the general population. According to a 2019 study, the numbers are darker, finding that 73 percent of independent musicians have battled stress, anxiety, and depression.
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and to acknowledge that we’re taking some time to focus on the importance of mental health, finding balance between the hustle and rest, and researching ways musicians can help their mental health so we can help lower the statistics. While there are a number of great ways you can help boost your mental health, we’ve listed out five that we believe are the most essential to practice in your day-to-day.
This one may seem obvious, but it’s an essential mental health must that a lot of people neglect and push to the side. Anxiety stems from obsessive thinking about the future, while depression is a feeling triggered by obsessive thinking of the past. The fact of the matter is you’re here. Right now. The past is gone, and the future has yet to come, so no other moment in time truly matters because it’s ultimately out of your control. If you have racing thoughts and can’t seem to get out of your own head, try identifying 5 things as it appeals to each sense. What is something you see within your space? What does your space sound like? Smell like? Feel like? Observing and sitting mindfully in your surroundings is an easy way to bring yourself back into the present moment.
To assist you when practicing mindfulness, try out the HeadSpace app.
Not everything has to have a rhyme or reason, especially your art. Take detour off the grind train and remember that it’s okay to make music just to make music. When you spend all your time and energy making music for other’s, it’s easy to get lost and feel burnt out on your own craft. Lock your phone away, sit down, and spend some time each week gifting yourself with your own music. Experiment. Try out a different style. Sample one of your favorite songs. Do anything you want with YOUR music. As soon as you let go of the need to make music for others or for profit, you may surprise yourself with what you end up creating.
To help you make music in a distraction free setting, try out the app Offtime to temporarily eliminate phone alerts and messages.
Your support system is everything, and having somebody to talk to (whether that be in real life or virtually) is an important part of maintaining a solid mental well-being. Having an outside perspective and talking to your friends about areas of your life that are triggering bad feelings is a great way to look at the bigger picture and make necessary changes.
To stay connected in a fun, easy, and covid-safe way, try out the App Bunch with your friends.
It’s time to kick yourself off the couch and simply walk it out. Going on walks is proven to improve your mood, increase your energy, and even boost creative thinking. Take it a step further and leave your phone at home or on airplane mode to completely unplug and let your imagination expand. Taking the time to stop and smell the roses could help inspire your next project.
To experience the benefits of walking, aim for 30 minutes of brisk walking or other moderate intensity exercise three-five days a week. You can also break it up into three 10-minute walks if you have a packed schedule.
To track your distance, pace, calorie burn, elevation, and more on your walks, try out the app MapMyWalk.
Meditation is the new medication. A new study shows that people who engage in meditation for about 20 minutes report higher levels of happiness and decrease in anxiety compared to participants who just rested during the 20-minute time-span. Meditation is a catch all for both mental and physical health, helping people manage symptoms such as anxiety, depression, asthma, cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure, and chronic pain.
For guided meditations, inspirational talks, and master classes, try out the app Breethe.
There are a number of resources available to help you and your journey to achieving mindfulness and better mental health. Check out some of our favorites:
Silence the Shame is a nonprofit organization that focuses on education and awareness around mental health. They aim to normalize the mental health conversation through wellness trainings, digital content, community conversations and crisis response trainings.
With over 99 years of supporting musicians, Music Minds Matter was created as a dedicated service for anyone working in the industry who is struggling to cope, or know someone who is. Their Music Minds Matter Counsellors are available at any time to listen, support, and help anyone in need.
If you’re looking for a one-size fits all solution for good mental health, then look no further than Moodfit. Voted the best overall mental health app of 2020 and 2021, Moodfit offers meditation tools, cognitive behavioral therapy, breathing exercises, and reports, and more. Make way to their website and try out Moodfit Premium for 30 days free to see what it’s all about.
Founded by the Recording Academy in 1989, MusiCares helps the humans behind music by providing a safety net of critical health and welfare services through addiction recovery services, health services, and human services that support basic living expenses.
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