We Don’t Talk About Mental Health Enough
…But there are organizations who have made it their mission to.
In this post, I wanted to illuminate some of these groups who work tirelessly to raise awareness about mental health in the music industry.
While this post was created in light of Mental Health Awareness Day 2020, I will be adding to this list over time and aim to turn it into an exhaustive list of all the organizations fighting the good fight for mental health.
If you’d like to contribute an organization I’ve missed out on, please leave a suggestion in the comments and I’ll add them to this list. Thank you!
Music & Mental Health (The Alarming Statistics)
Organizations Fighting For Mental Health In The Music Industry
1. Musicians Union
Musicians Union is a community of around 32,000 musicians working to protect our members’ rights and campaign for a fairer music industry. They are #BehindEveryMusician.
The MU stages regular campaigns in relation to relevant musical and industrial issues. Recent campaigns have included protests outside theatres in response to the use of recorded music in shows where live music was advertised, and the anti-Pay to Play campaign, an issue which continues to affect the live music scene, particularly at grassroots level
2. Help Musicians
Help Musicians is an independent UK charity for professional musicians of all genres, from starting out through to retirement.
They help at times of crisis, but also at times of opportunity, giving people the extra support they need at a crucial stage that could make or break their career.
Their mission statement extends to the following 3 pillars:
- To create a world where musicians thrive.
- To support and empower musicians through all stages of their lives.
- Be an independent charity with the freedom to think long-term and act responsively.
3. Music Minds Matter
Music Minds Matter is yet another initiative by Help Musicians UK. They are a support line and service for the whole UK music community.
If you work in music and are struggling to cope, or know someone who is, contact them. It doesn’t have to be a crisis, or about music. They have trained advisors that are there to listen, support and help at any time.
With 97 years supporting musicians, Help Musicians UK understands the complexity of working in music and created Music Minds Matter as a dedicated service for anyone in the industry.
4. Silence The Shame
Silence The Shame is a nonprofit organization that focuses on education and awareness around mental health. Through Crisis Response Trainings, Community Conversations, Wellness Trainings, digital content, and outreach programs. They aim to normalize the conversation, peel back the layers of shame, eliminate stigma, and provide support for mental well-being.
5. Musicares
MusiCares provides a safety net of critical assistance for music people in times of need. MusiCares’ services and resources cover a wide range of financial, medical and personal emergencies, and each case is treated with integrity and confidentiality. MusiCares also focuses the resources and attention of the music industry on human service issues that directly influence the health and welfare of the music community.
6. Why We Rise
Why We Rise is part of a national movement to transform the mental health care system. They demand that easy access to quality care be recognized as a civil right. WE RISE events are calls to action, asking you to join a movement to break through barriers and defy old assumptions about mental health and the many related social conditions that compound problems and hurt our communities.
The WHY WE RISE campaign is an ongoing project of the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health, serving the 10 million people of LA County with education and prevention programs and providing mental health-related services to over 250,000 people each year, offering connection, hope, recovery and wellbeing.
7. Music Support
Music Support is a registered charity founded and run by people from the UK music industry, for individuals in any area of the UK music industry suffering from mental, emotional and behavioural health disorders (including but not limited to alcohol and drug addiction).
8. Nuçi’s Space
Nuci’s vision is to end the epidemic of suicide and to inspire a culture free of the stigma attached to brain illnesses and its sufferers by supporting a community-wide effort that focuses on education, prevention and access to appropriate treatment.
With a focus on musicians, Nuçi’s Space advocates for and helps to alleviate the suffering for those living with a brain illness and fights to end the stigma of mental illness.
9. SoundGirls
SoundGirl’s mission is to create a supportive community for women in audio and music production, providing the tools, knowledge, and support to further their careers. SoundGirls.Org provides various means of support, from providing the tools, connections, and resources to battling gender issues, including sexual harassment.
10. SIMS Foundation
SIMS Foundation provides mental health and substance use recovery services and supports for musicians, music industry professionals, and their dependent family members. Through education, community partnerships, and accessible managed care, SIMS seeks to destigmatize and reduce mental health and substance use issues, while supporting and enhancing the wellbeing of the music community at large.
11. Key Changes
Key Changes provides music industry-focused mental health recovery services in hospitals and the community for musicians, song writers, lyricists, producers, vocalists and MC’s.
Their award-winning approach promotes wellbeing and recovery through studio sessions, artist development and live performance supported by music industry mentors that develops creative, technical and vocational skills and opens pathways to mainstream opportunities in education, work experience and employment.
If this was of interest, check out Dealing With Imposter Syndrome: Making It Or Faking It