COVID-19 financially crippled many hundreds of Bay Area arts-and-entertainment performers over the past year.
The âstarving musiciansâ category swelled exponentially, for example, because many lacked digital skills needed to overcome gig loss triggered by in-person venues closing. Noteworthy exceptions exist, however.
Pianist-singer Mike Greensill draws roughly 1,000 viewers each Monday, Wednesday and Friday to his livestreams on Facebook.
"They take a lot of time," he says. "I have to plan and plan."
His viewers ante up via PayPal and Venmo for shows that extract tunes from the '20s to the early '60s. Greensill says he's been doing well, but it's up and down. Some weeks, he makes a lot, while during others, he makes practically nothing. Even so, he enjoys streaming.