HAAM Musician Spotlight: Charlie Faye

HAAM musician Charlie Faye was ready to make her post-baby comeback at South by Southwest in March 2020 when the pandemic struck and the music world stopped in its tracks. 

“In many ways, the pandemic was terrible timing, but in certain ways it was beautiful timing for me because I ended up having an extra year to just be at home with my baby,” she said. “I didn’t have the option of being out there playing a bunch of shows and I also didn’t have to struggle with the FOMO I might’ve had if I could have been playing, but decided to stay home instead.”

Faye, who is a single mom to daughter, Edie, now 22 months, has appreciated having HAAM by her side not only during the pandemic, but for the past six years.

“Just knowing that HAAM is there gives me so much peace of mind. I know if anything comes up, I can call them. My health, my child’s health. HAAM would be my first call,” said Faye.

Shortly after giving birth to Edie, Faye encountered some red tape surrounding her insurance coverage, which HAAM staff helped her sort out. HAAM's team of health care navigators also supported Faye during her high-risk pregnancy, helping her find physicians and specialists that were within her insurance network. 

“HAAM is such a warm, personal organization. You are not just a number to them. If you are having a hard time and you call them, they’ll be there to support you because they are truly invested in helping you get the care you need”, she said.

Faye enjoyed a short taste of making music together live with other fully vaccinated musicians in a rehearsal back in June. But with this new wave of the pandemic in full swing and an unvaccinated child at home, Faye remains hesitant to return to playing live. 

“I’m still playing a lot of music, but these days it’s mostly for Edie,” she says. “Luckily she has good taste! Currently her favorite song is ‘Be My Baby’ and she asks me to play it for her about a million times a day. So I’m keeping my chops up!”