CHARLOTTE, N.C. — As part of Gov. Roy Cooper’s Phase 3 executive orders, restrictions have been placed on entertainment venues, and some of those restrictions are creating challenges for local musicians.

It’s Sunday evening, and Cyanca is rehearsing for her big performance. She says she’s been into music since a young age, getting her start in church.

“It’s embedded in me. I grew up in the church, a small family church. That was my life. It was my livelihood. I was in church six to seven times a week," Cyanca says.

Since then she’s been perfecting her craft and building a professional career.

Before COVID-19, Cyanca was performing two to three times a month.

“We was ready to blow up. We was planning a tour with some friends,” she says.

But now with the pandemic, those performances have decreased drastically. Cyanca hasn't had many performances since March.

"Probably about three to four and them being virtual. I never knew how much they gave me so much energy to keep going while they were in the audience,” Cyanca says.

The lack of opportunities for artists like Cyanca to perform doesn’t just hurt the artists, it also hurts the theaters that depend on their performances.

“March 7, I remember the date very well. We had our last in-person, live audience show here. It was a Saturday night,” says Gregg McCraw with Maxx Music, an artist booking group.

McCraw has tried to find ways to still showcase artists, including virtual platforms, but he says it’s no substitute for an in-person audience.

“The revenue from streaming is nothing compared to what we generate with 20 to 30 live shows a month in this room packed full of people,” McCraw says.

Venues and artists alike have had to adapt to the new COVID-19 way of life and are now bringing performances directly to customers virtually.

For the venues the performance helps generate a little money to help keep the theater open.

“Everyone is invited to watch and hopefully donate some money so the artist can make a little bit of money as well,” McCraw says.

But for the artists, the performance means another chance to pursue their dream.

“It’s my purpose. I trust God. What’s for me is for me, and ain’t nobody going to stop me, not even a pandemic,” Cyanca says.

The state is still in Phase 3 until after the new year, but there’s no word on when things like concerts and plays will be able to return to in-person live audiences.