From editor George Lawrence - I was contacted by www.Jooble.org, an organization that helps Ukranians around the world to find jobs around the world. I personally sympathize with the Ukranians who are being unjustly attacked by a warring super power led by a madman dictator. Jooble’s writers composed this article about how Ukranian drummers lives have been drastically changed in the face of this terror. Please see the links below about how you can help the victims of Ukraine.

February 24th has changed dramatically changed life in Ukraine. The full-scale Russian invasion has affected everyone; musicians are not excluded from that. People all over the country had to adjust to the new reality and find their way.

Drummers and other musicians face new challenges due to the lack of work opportunities and unstable economical environment. In partnership with Jooble, we’ve decided to dive into this subject and find out how exactly war has affected musicians.

Lack of Job Opportunities

One of the major factors is that the number of performances had dropped significantly. Many performers switched to online music teaching, volunteering, or other careers. Big audience gatherings are unsafe and not allowed during martial law, so there is not much one can do in terms of concerts.

And even if a band or an individual wants to perform, they must find a protected place, like an underground club or cafe. No matter how big, the number of opportunities went down for all musicians.

For example, Kozak System had to postpone its concert on May 18th. Instead, the band decided to go on tour in Ukraine and Poland to gather funds to support the Armed Forces.

There were no events in the first couple of months of the invasion. Now, many regions are returning to life, and the options are growing a bit.

But a lot of drummers and other instrumentalists had to switch to other things, like:

● Online tutoring;

● Online concerts;

● YouTube content creation;

● Sound editing;

● Music arrangement on demand.

And some of them had to change their source of earnings because of the war. It was not an easy choice but a necessary one.

Joining Armed Forces

Another significant change is that some drummers joined the Armed Forces to protect their country. For many, it was an obvious choice and the right thing to do. Although not everyone had prior military experience, they chose to fight.

Others joined Territorial Defense and Police to help as they could. For instance, Oleksandr Demyanenko from Kozak System joined Territorial Defense, and his bandmate Ivan Lenyo joined Police.

Vladimir Burlaka, the drummer of the Drabadan band, joined Armed Forces in the first days of the Russian invasion. He has previous military experience in ATO. Other band members signed up to be a part of Territorial Defense.

Another drummer at the front line is Oleksiy Bykov from “Our Atlantic.” His band was planning to give a concert on February 24th, but instead, he had to save his family and join the military.

Musicians on the front line are not a rare occurrence in Ukraine. A lot of them decided to risk their lives and protect the country. Recently, Tetiana Romashka published a short video of a drummer making a cover to “Oh, the Red Viburnum in the Meadow” (the song of Ukrainian resistance) while using his rifle instead of a musical instrument.

Volunteering and Helping the Community

Many musicians are helping the community, affected, and military by collecting donations and volunteering. Some participate in online charitable performances; others go to relatively safe cities or other countries.

They need to help refugees and support the Armed Forces with what they do. And, of course, music becomes a uniting and supporting force like any other art form. It is as vital as ever for people to be able to enjoy even small things they knew before the full-scale invasion. And artists serve this purpose too, with new releases, video clips, and songs.

What is There To Come?

No one can predict the future, but Ukrainians remain optimistic. They believe in victory and know that it is crucial to stay strong even if you are not on the battlefield. The rear is essential as it needs to support the military and the community. And musicians do their part with what they know best – art.

Now there are more opportunities for drummers to perform offline, and slowly the industry will return to what it was. However, there are still many reasonable restrictions in place.

Resources - how to help Ukranians:

https://helpukrainians.jooble.org/
https://war.ukraine.ua/
https://jooble.org/

Ukranian bands:

http://www.kozaksystem.com/
https://www.instagram.com/ouratlanticofficial/?hl=en
https://www.instagram.com/boomboxfamily/