Morgan Enos

News Article

MusiCares' annual Person of the Year benefit plays a critical role in raising funds for the organization's vital programs and year-round relief efforts. Here's a look into how the charitable organization honored music legend Joni Mitchell this year and helped raise funds and awareness for a great cause.

Body Text - MusiCares Person of the Year 2022 Final Recap

Circles inside circles inside circles. That's what MusiCares' [Person of the Year 2022 tribute](https://www.musicares.org/news/person-of-the-year-2022-recap-joni-mitchell-billy-porter-brandi-carlile-st-vincent-jon-batiste) to Joni Mitchell felt like.

As a gaggle of stars performed her ode to the cyclicity of everything, "The Circle Game," at the benefit gala, which occurred in April during GRAMMY Week 2022, it was hard not to let your eye wander to the spinning gramophone cakes at the table. Nor to recall John Legend earlier in the night, performing a soulful "River" on a slowly spinning platform. Nor to consider the generations of musicians performing Mitchell's songs from across the ages, from her earliest colleagues in the [old folkie days](https://youtu.be/EA2BNB_4m3g) — like Stephen Stills — to newly minted icons like Brandi Carlile and Billy Porter.

"We can't return, we can only look behind, from where we came," the united throng of celebrated musicians sang, with a beaming Mitchell in tow. "And go round, and round, and round."

Brightcove - MusiCares' 2022 Person of the Year

Body Text - MusiCares' Person of the Year 2022 Final Recap

And while the star-studded room filled with glitz and glamor, the focus of the Person of the Year event remained on MusiCares, a charitable organization supporting music people by providing a safety net of critical health and human services. MusiCares has [indefatigably supported the music community](https://www.musicares.org/get-help) for more than 30 years across [three key areas](https://www.musicares.org/about): Mental Health &amp; Addiction Recovery Services, Health Services, and Human Services. More specifically, this includes aiding musicians in need via emergency financial assistance, preventive services and [support groups](https://www.musicares.org/get-help/addiction-recovery), and [informational programs and resources](https://www.musicares.org/get-help/relief-resources) addressing issues impacting music professionals and artists today.

And the funding for music people is needed now more than ever. The [results of MusiCares' 2021 Wellness In Music survey](https://www.musicares.org/news/wellness-music-survey-results-2021-programs-financial-aid-solutions), which each year surveys music industry professionals about the pressing issues impacting the music community, showed that while the industry is recovering from the restrictions and detrimental effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, there is still significant work to be done. In this year's survey, 46% of the respondents indicated they felt moderately high to very high levels of financial stress every day, a 16% decrease compared to last year's survey. As well, 56% of this year's respondents reported feeling moderately high to very high levels of anxiety — a drop of nearly 10% from last year's numbers — which ultimately indicates that the mental health of the music community is still strained.

So where do the funds to finance all of MusiCares' programs and initiatives come from?

St. Vincent Performance - MusiCares 2022 Person of the Year Final Recap

St. Vincent performs at the 2022 MusiCares Person of the Year tribute to Joni Mitchell

Photo: Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

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How Person Of The Year Helps The Music Community

Photo: St. Vincent Performance - MusiCares 2022 Person of the Year Final Recap

Body Text 3 - MusiCares' Person of the Year 2022 Final Recap

"The money is not growing on some tree. It's because of things like Person of the Year that we persevere," Laura Segura, Executive Director of MusiCares, said in an interview, noting that the annual Person of the Year benefit plays a critical role in raising funds for the organization's vital programs and year-round relief efforts. "Yes, it's about honoring Joni Mitchell. But even Joni is aware that we're honoring her as a way to invest in and build those resources for the music community."

That said, the Person of the Year gala was a heck of a party — one featuring towering musical figures past and present, from Herbie Hancock to St. Vincent to Billy Ray Cyrus. Still, it wasn't a party for the sake of a party. Rather, it was a celebration of one of the music industry's greatest living legends that doubled as the ultimate fundraiser for an equally great cause. (To boot, this was no small feat, given that the event was fully relocated, from Los Angeles to Las Vegas, and rescheduled on short notice following the [postponement of the 2022 GRAMMYs](https://www.grammy.com/news/announcement-2022-grammys-postponed) in early January.)

The stars who walked the red carpet offered outpourings of appreciation for Mitchell.

Brightcove - MusiCares POTY Red Carpet Recap

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Global music pioneer Angélique Kidjo expressed awe at her voice: "The way she bends, and the way she breathes." Leon Bridges praised her "resilience … at a time when that landscape was male-dominated." Rita Wilson called her classic album *Blue* "a definitive moment for me." Herbie Hancock recalled how Mitchell "blended in perfectly" with himself, Wayne Shorter and Jaco Pastorius. Stills recalled meeting her and beholding her "stultifying … intimidating" prowess. On and on, and round and round.

The night's set list featured an astonishing breadth of selections from every single Joni Mitchell era — yes, *Don Juan's Reckless Daughter* and *Night Ride Home* were represented. Which speaks to the thoughtful, meticulous curation behind the event; GRAMMY winners Jon Batiste and Brandi Carlile served as Artistic Directors for the night, a first for Person of the Year.

But when the event's guest performers hit the classics, they hit them hard. Billy Porter elicited the first standing O with his astonishing rendition of "Both Sides Now," where he ranged from operatic acrobatics to a near-monotone with complete dynamic control. And Stills' shredding on "Woodstock" showed that his guitar abilities remain undimmed.

Photo: Allison Russell and Mickey Guyton - MusiCares' Person of the Year 2022 Final Recap

(L-R) Allison Russell and Mickey Guyton perform at the 2022 MusiCares Person of the Year tribute honoring Joni Mitchell

Photo: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

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Body Text 5 - MusiCares' Person of the Year 2022 Final Recap

There are so many pioneering artists worthy of a benefit tribute like this. Her obvious genius and litany of accomplishments aside, why Joni for an organization like MusiCares?

"It was really the story of how she's had to reinvent herself so many times in her life," Segura said. "Coming back from remarkable traumas and challenges to still create some of music's most renowned songs and lyrics." She goes on to note that due to Mitchell's brain aneurysm five years ago, the singer/songwriter had to learn to walk for the third time in her life — first as a child and then again after a childhood bout with polio.

When selecting candidates for Person of the Year honorees, MusiCares doesn't simply count philanthropic dollars — they look at the whole of a musician's life and consider how they lived according to their values, bettering the world with their creations and contributions to society. In Mitchell's case, think of how she fought for her creative autonomy in what was then a man's world and basically invented the archetype of the modern singer/songwriter. Thanks to albums like *Blue*, a generation of women performers were given a channel to express their inner worlds and unique lived experiences.

Then, the board at MusiCares considers whether the artist has a large catalog of diverse songs to be performed at the event. And like past Person of the Year recipients like Tom Petty, Bob Dylan, Carole King, Barbra Streisand, and Bruce Springsteen, Joni Mitchell certainly fits the bill.

So, with her global impact and voluminous catalog intact, MusiCares saw fit to throw a marvelous tribute show in Mitchell's honor — one which both celebrated a musical genius and helped subsidize Person of the Year for next year as well as the wider MusiCares operation, programming and services.

"Joni was really moved and she said it was the best concert she'd ever been to — and it wasn't just because it was her music, but because how much detail was put into recreating it in an artistic way," Segura said. "She loved the nuance of all of the details across the whole room \[in which\] we really tried to pay tribute to her."

Photo: Madison Cunningham and Sara Bareilles - MusiCares' Person of the Year 2022 Final Recap

(L-R) Madison Cunningham and Sara Bareilles perform onstage at the 2022 MusiCares Person of the Year tribute to Joni Mitchell

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Body Text 6 - MusiCares' Person of the Year 2022 Final Recap

Later this year, MusiCares will begin deliberations as to who will be their Person of the Year for 2023. But for now, the organization is basking in the glow. With the night a smashing success, both Mitchell and MusiCares were done proud.

There are so many more music people in need and so many budding artists searching for an idol, a voice, a signal flare to the wider world. And this year's Person of the Year benefit established that ineffable connection — between one woman and a charitable organization — and let it [shine](https://youtu.be/Abt8V8HpE24) for all to behold.

[5 Fascinating Moments From MusiCares' Person of the Year 2022: How The Recording Academy Honored Songwriting Legend Joni Mitchell](https://www.musicares.org/news/person-of-the-year-2022-recap-joni-mitchell-billy-porter-brandi-carlile-st-vincent-jon-batiste)

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How MusiCares' Annual Person Of The Year Benefit Honors Music's Icons & Supports The Music Community In Need

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Hero: Joni Mitchell - MusiCares' Person of the Year 2022

Joni Mitchell accepts the Person of the Year honor during the 2022 MusiCares Person of the Year honoring Joni Mitchell

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Philip Merrill

MusiCares Dental Clinic In Philadelphia

On Oct. 24 MusiCares will sponsor a free dental clinic for Philadelphia-area music professionals from 9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. Services provided will include a dental exam, teeth cleaning and X-rays, and will be provided to pre-screened, pre-registered attendees. The clinic will take place at The Recording Academy Philadelphia Chapter office. For more information and to register, call toll-free at 877.303.6962.

![](https://i8.amplience.net/i/naras/find-your-anchor-musicares-Editorial_1644x925_v1)

On Oct. 24 MusiCares will sponsor a free dental clinic for Philadelphia-area music professionals from 9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Rachel Brodsky

Above & Beyond's Paavo Siljamäki Talks Burnout And Staying "Mentally Fit" At Miami Winter Music Conference

A musician's lifestyle certainly sounds romantic: constantly on the road, meeting new people every night, playing shows to sold-out crowds. But the touring life isn't all glitz and glam. Navigating music industry success can actually result in neglect of one's mental health. This is exactly the topic **[MusiCares](https://musicares.org)** and the Recording Academy explored in a panel called Survive the Madness: Music and Mental Health at Miami Winter Conference in late March of this year.

Featuring Paavo Siljamäki from GRAMMY-nominated British trance group **[Above &amp; Beyond](https://www.grammy.com/artists/above-beyond/19436)**, the panel explored the performer's journey, which he spoke about with MusiCares senior director Jennifer Leff.

"What is mental health to you," she asked?

"I made the wrong choice internalizing my stress," said Siljamäki. "About a year and a half ago, I was ready to leave music. I saw music as the source of all of my pain, so for me the solution was for me, to quit the band."

"Quite quickly I realized that that's not the way I could keep going," he continued. "The way for me to go forward is to look at what led to this point, how can I actually learn from this, how can I go on? And I ended up going to doing this thing called the Hoffman Process in the U.K. They actually helped me in a group therapy setting to find the reasons why I burned out. And I realized that a lot of other people burn out too. I'm not unique in any way... I've been able to really look at what causes me stress and I've refound my love for music."

Watch the entire interview with Siljamäki **[here](https://www.musicares.org/videos)**.

**[Fitz And The Tantrums And Kesha To Perform At 2019 MusiCares Concert For Recovery](https://www.musicares.org/news/fitz-and-tantrums-and-kesha-perform-2019-musicares-concert-recovery)**

The British trance figure opens up about staying on top of your mental health at a Miami Winter Conference panel called Survive the Madness: Music and Mental Health, presented by the Recording Academy and MusiCares.

Paavo Siljamäki On Staying "Mentally Fit" At MWC

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Photo by John Parra/Getty Images for SiriusXM

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Above and Beyond

Renée Fabian

Protect Your Hearing: How Many Decibels Is Too Loud?

Rock concerts can achieve 115 decibels. Hearing Loss starts at 85 db. Protect your ears, and visit MusiCares' events to find an upcoming hearing clinic near you.

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Learn how loud if too loud and protect your ears

Hearing Protection: How Many Decibels Is Too Loud?

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Photo:&nbsp;Steve Jennings/WireImage.com

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Breana Phelps

Provider Spotlight: Adrienne Williams On The Importance Of Mental Health & How She is Working to Dismantle Stigma In The Black Community

Adrienne Williams leads two of MusiCares' free weekly support groups. In our series highlighting MusiCares' providers, Williams discusses her mission to dismantle the shame surrounding mental health — and why it’s important to ask for help.

Body Text 1 - Adrienne Williams Provider Spotlight

MusiCares' Mental Health and Addiction Recovery team is dedicated to assisting eligible individuals find the treatment that they need. There have been many providers that have generously offered their services and expertise to MusiCares' clients at its mental health and wellness focused programs.

One of those providers is licensed therapist, clinical sexologist, and doctoral candidate at Widener University, [Adrienne Williams](https://www.instagram.com/mylifeepiphany/). Williams is dedicated to dismantling the stigma and shame surrounding the topic of mental health and sexuality for everyone, especially in the Black community and other communities of color.

As a part of MusiCares free support groups, Williams leads a weekly Black Music Community Group and a LGBTQ Music Community Group every Wednesday and Thursday, respectively. She provides individual therapy, couples counseling, sex therapy, workshops, and professional development services. (She also has her own private practice in Atlanta and Pennsylvania, and is a professor at Columbia University; she currently sees her patients virtually.)

As a part of a new "Provider Spotlight" series, MusiCares is thrilled to highlight Adrienne Willilams in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month and Mental Health Action Day, May 19.

**How did you first become interested in social work?**

My introduction to social work is truly that I'm a humanitarian at heart. I believe that love, compassion, patience, and understanding can heal our world. In 2008, I founded a nonprofit in Pennsylvania as the co-executive director with some phenomenal women, and we hosted a three-day national conference for queer women of color. That was the platform that catapulted me into social work. It was a volunteer organization, and it was five years of my life. That's when I realized how much I really love social service.

Also, my mother is a social worker, and my mother in love is also a social worker. So, social work has just been a part of the foundation of my life. When I decided to go back to graduate school, I found a dual master's program at Widener University in Chester, Pennsylvania. That's where I am in the Center for Human Sexuality Studies and the School of Social Work. It's also where I'm completing my PhD studies now, which is really awesome. So, a master's in human sexuality, education and social work was the route for me.

**Why is mental health and mindfulness important to you, and how do you encourage others to prioritize it?**

Mental health is important to me because it informs our emotional, psychological, and social well-being from a foundational perspective. How we feel informs our behaviors. So, when we're feeling good, it helps us act in ways that feel good and foster more growth inside of the way that we want to be in the world.

Mindfulness is a practice of being present, which is really in danger right now because we spend so much time on devices and not enough time in nature or with other humans. Mindfulness allows us to take a moment to be present. Our world is so focused on what's next, that we don't take time to savor and be in what is. That's why mindfulness is so important to me.

I often remind my clients that now is the only time that we exist in. With a blink, the moment has changed. Slowing down to connect with our breath is a practice that most folks don't take up daily.

That's how I try to encourage my clients to be present: literally saying, "Hand to heart.'' When we get anxious or scared, the first thing we do is stop breathing. So taking a breath, bringing yourself back to presence, is a great way to kind of try to reset. If we are too far focused in the future, or too far focused in the past, that's where anxiety can really take hold.

**Read More:** [Here's How To Practice Mental Health Awareness Month All Year Long](https://www.musicares.org/news/mental-health-guide-all-year-long)

**[Life Epiphany ](https://www.mylifeepiphany.com/)is your boutique agency focused on mental health, gender, healthy relationships, culture, sex, birth, and sexuality. Can you tell us more about your approach and what inspires you?**

Truly living inside of your authenticity is my biggest motivator. Having a space where you can be your full self, as we are often fragmented or only show parts of ourselves. I'm inspired by art, spirituality, good food, family, friends, my partner, reading, resting. Inspiration can come in a multitude of forms.

My approach is an integrated approach. I pull from a number of therapeutic modalities that are unique to the couple, to the client, or to the pod. I work with a lot of polyamorous folks, and there are a lot of ways that we can experience love and sexuality. So, everything is tailored.

We're going to pull from an inter-system approach in sex therapy, we're going to pull from narrative therapy, we're going to pull from cognitive behavioral therapy. I'm going to use a multitude of modalities to tailor the work that I'll do with you. There is no cookie-cutter approach, because everybody is an individual, and everybody needs an individual approach.

**For many people, therapy can at first feel intimidating. How have you been able to create an environment that helps your clients feel both comfortable and safe?**

Building therapeutic rapport can take time. I create a welcoming environment by offering a space for people to simply be themselves. I assure them that the space that we're sharing is solely for them in their experience, and we go from there.

I welcome them in their authenticity, and give people permission to experience their own love. We often want to give that to other people. I remind them of how fragile they are, and how there is strength in their vulnerability.

**How did you first hear about MusiCares? What similarities do you see between your mission and MusiCares' mission?**

MusiCares is actually really close to my heart. One of my best friends — we've been friends since the first day of seventh grade — said that MusiCares saved her life when she was struggling with her own sobriety. It is the assistance she got through the organization that allowed her to take her life back.

That was my introduction to MusiCares. So, to have the honor to work with folks in the industry, and to know the work that MusiCares does from a personal level, it's such an honor.

The similarities I see between my mission and MusiCares' is simple. I keep coming back to this core idea, but it's allowing space for humans to live authentically. Our core values are aligned in terms of service, inclusivity, empowerment, and integrity. I think when I look at MusiCares' values, that's what I hold inside of Life Epiphany and myself. Those two were just an easy collaboration.

Photo - Adrienne Williams Headshot 2

Photography by Kristian Melom &amp; Helen Simrill

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Adrienne Williams Headshot 2022 (2)

Body Text 2 - Adrienne Williams provider spotlight

Photography by Kristian Melom &amp; Helen Simrill

**You lead two of our free, weekly online emotional support groups: the Black Music Community Group and the LGBTQ Music Community Group. What can attendees expect to learn or discover about themselves during these sessions?**

I think the biggest component is that we are not alone. We often feel like we experience life in a vacuum, and we don't. When we share our authentic selves — we allow people to meet us where we're at when we can take off the mask. We can be seen, heard and held.

We understand that everyone's doing the best that they can with what they have. We can be human, and we can be flawed. We can be breaking through, and we can recognize that we're worthy of love, compassion, connection, and understanding. I think that's what people get when we're together in our groups: that we are not alone.

We often feel so alone, and with the pandemic, the isolation, it's been really challenging. As things open up, and we're able to get back into things like live music, we're able to get connected and really enjoy music in the way that we used to.

There is such assorted history with the medicalization of mental health and the way that Black people have been seen inside of that space. MusiCares has created a space that is solely for Black people to share and open up about their lived experience in the industry, in connection to mental health, and in connection to the pandemic.

The Black Music Community Group is a closed group. It's a private space. You can actually come and talk about your mental health experience. I'd love to see more people consistently show up. Take the risk to trust that you can come and share your story.

Sometimes, it is really challenging in the Black community. As a clinician, I want to encourage Black people to come get the help and support that you need. You don't have to do it alone. You don't have to have this notion of "We don't air our dirty laundry" and "We don't actually have to talk to people." It's not true. Let's break the stigma and connect.

**Are there any mental health struggles that are frequently seen amongst individuals in the music community? Do you have any advice that you can share on how to navigate these issues?**

I think one of the largest struggles is folks actually not reaching out for help — or reaching in for help when they need it. Perfectionism, performance, anxiety, and depression can make people feel like they can't say anything. Feeling like you have to be "the strong one" and not asking for help when you actually need it is something that I see frequently.

**Do you have any advice for people who are hesitating to reach out for help? What would you tell someone if you knew they were scared to reach out for help?**

I'd say do it scared. I would say take the risk to connect to yourself. Risk is really scary. It's really scary to say "I need help," or "this is hard," or "I'm upset," or "I'm scared." Find someone that you love and trust and take the risk.

I would say use your voice. It makes me think of MusiCares and the work that they've done with [Shanti Das](https://www.musicares.org/news/musicares-hosts-mental-health-panel-a3c-virtual-conference-2021-featuring-ayanis) and [Silence The Shame](https://www.musicares.org/news/be-well-amazon-music-silence-shame-creative-vibes-only-recording-academy-black-music-collective-mental-health). I think the silence is such a huge part. Really giving people permission to say "I need help" is important.

**Read More:** [Keep Your Mental Health In Balance With These 5 Free Weekly Events From MusiCares](https://www.musicares.org/news/free-mental-health-resources-events)

**Do you have any stories that come to mind in thinking about the many ways that you have helped the music community and MusiCares' clients?**

I'm thinking about the folks who come to my LGBTQ group and folks who are transitioning. They know that every week we're going to get together and talk about what's happening now and what's happening in your world.

That's the beauty of the groups — they are directed by participants. So, we get to actually reach into exactly what's coming up for them in the moment that we're sharing. That space allows folks a lot of flexibility to discuss a number of different challenges that they're going through, or to celebrate the good things that are happening. Oftentimes, when we're looking at a mental health wellness group, we're typically thinking that we're only gonna talk about the hard things. We also have a space that's celebratory.

Also having a space for people who can celebrate the ways that you've grown and changed is so important. Growth is a slow process. When you're sharing, "I really had a great 60 days," and we can actually celebrate that, we are moving and celebrating one day at a time. We are recognizing that each day, you're able to sit inside of yourself, and your authenticity, and your healing, and your health. You're focused on that, and then you get to actually celebrate that with other people in the groups.

**In the last couple of years, it feels like people have become more open about their struggles. What impact have you noticed the pandemic having on people's mental health journeys?**

The pandemic really created a space where people couldn't run from themselves. You actually had to move through whatever it is you needed to move through, whatever challenges those were. That's where, again, mental health came at the forefront.

Our cognitions and behaviors inform the way that we feel. So, now, we're looking at our emotional, psychological and social well-being and having that isolation from the social well-being. So for folks who lived alone, or folks who were struggling with addiction, or who were in abusive situations and having to be isolated where they were being harmed — or they were harming themselves — really forced people back to our humanity, and to be honest about your lived experience. You could not run from yourself. You had to show up, and you had to be present.

Your mental health is critical to your well-being. The pandemic allowed \[a look\] at safety, at authenticity, at relationships, at resilience. It has forced people to have to slow down and stop and be present, and hopefully take steps towards their own healing.

In my clients, more people were reaching out because they didn't have anywhere else to go. There was nowhere else you could possibly go but inward. When you're looking inside so that you can feel better outside, that's where it all starts — everything starts from that internal perspective. I'm really helping people strengthen that internal locus of control, where a lot of people had a lot of external validators that were helping them decide who they were rather than sitting inside of who they are.

We're still all in it together. That comes back to that piece where we're not existing in a vacuum, and actually admitting, "hey, I'm scared" or "I feel really good today." Whatever that is, whatever your experience is, actually giving yourself permission to share is important. I find that I've given a lot of permission for folks to just go back to experience their own love. You are worth your time.

[5 Ways MusiCares Supports Mental Health And Wellness Year-Round](https://www.musicares.org/news/mental-health-awareness-month-programs-support-groups-resources-free-yoga-wellness)

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