The corona pandemic is particularly hard on artists.
Musician Michael Benker from Erding talks about it.
Erding -
"Extremely frustrating and economically borderline" is how Michael Benker, musician from Erding, describes his current situation.
“Everyone likes to listen to music, but we musicians are currently unimportant,” the 54-year-old complains.
Benker lives 50 percent from music.
He also works as a software developer.
However, he mainly works for customers from the event industry, he describes his dilemma.
A big job in the summer kept him afloat.
First and foremost, the father of two adult sons currently lives on his reserves, "which were originally intended as a pension," he says.
“Before Corona, I went out a lot in the evening.
I'm saving that money now, ”he jokes.
The one-time aid he received from the state was "a joke".
"The politicians like to make big speeches and make promises, but none of them can survive from this aid." Benker knows many artists.
"They are all devastated," he says.
This year started so well.
“I had three really great concerts shortly before the lockdown,” he enthuses.
“This year I would have reaped the laurels of my many work from the last few years,” Benker is certain of that.
At the beginning of the pandemic, the guitarist and singer didn't want to believe it.
"Then there were 20 rejections within a few weeks." The bad news bothered the otherwise positive musician.
"We and many other organizers are of course planning for 2021," he says, but many are disillusioned, have little motivation and are afraid that the events will have to be postponed again.
"That is always associated with immense costs."
Despite all the discontent, Benker can also draw something positive from the crisis: “The family has taken on a different status.
We sit together a lot and play board games.
That's great.
The old and important values have been brought back to mind.
You just have to keep looking at the good things, ”he is still optimistic.
Even if you can't see Michael Benker live at the moment, you can hear him on his CD “Wia a Blattl im Wind”, as well as on the Christmas CD “On a Trip to Bethlehem” together with the Erdinger pianist Peter Heger.
The albums can be ordered on his homepage www.michaelbenker.de.
ALEXANDRA ANDERKA