Hannah Kulis

MusiCares Unveils 2021 Wellness In Music Survey Results — And What Programs Are Already In Place To Act On Them

The initiative, which was implemented in 2020, helps MusiCares better understand the circumstances and well-being of individuals who earn their living by working in music. With the 2021 results now in, see how MusiCares plans to take action.

Body Text 1 - MusiCares Wellness Survey 2021 Results

Each year, MusiCares distributes its [Wellness in Music Survey](https://www.musicares.org/news/second-annual-health-wellness-survey-2021-announced-launched), a series of questions to music industry professionals around topics like mental health, financial pressure, health insurance, and more, in order to gauge the most pressing issues at hand for the music community. Launched in the wake of the effects of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, the survey's second installment was launched in October 2021 and concluded in December.

The goal of the survey is to better inform MusiCares of the needs of its clients and to further understand and communicate the issues impacting the lives and careers of music professionals, in real time. The results help guide and define the programs and services MusiCares offers, so it can best support the humans behind the music — because music gives so much to the world.

This year's survey findings emphasize that the industry is more hopeful as pandemic restrictions have lessened, but there is still significant work to be done.

Here are the most pressing issues facing the music community based on the 2021 Wellness in Music Survey, along with MusiCares’ plan to address them.

**ISSUE: Although music professionals are more confident in being able to afford their basic needs, financial stress remains high.** 

When respondents were asked how confident they were in affording their basic living expenses — things like rent, food or utility bills — in 2020’s Wellness in Music survey, 51 percent indicated they felt low to very low levels of confidence. Fortunately, this year’s results are more hopeful. Only 19 percent of survey respondents indicated they had low to very low levels of confidence in affording their basic needs, a 32 percent decrease.

However, 46 percent of this year’s survey respondents indicated they felt moderately high to very high levels of financial stress every day. Though that is a 16-percent decrease compared to last year’s 62 percent, with nearly half of survey respondents feeling regular financial pressure, there’s still plenty of work to be done.

**SOLUTION: Continuing to provide emergency relief to those in financial crisis, and tailoring virtual programming efforts to prevent individuals from experiencing a financial crisis.**

The Human Services arm of MusiCares’ [Emergency Financial Assistance Program](https://www.musicares.org/get-help) provides monetary relief for those experiencing financial hardship in affording their day-to-day needs. Through the program, music professionals can apply for grants to help pay for things like rent, utility bills, car payments, and more.

Additionally, MusiCares will work on expanding access to this relief through marketing efforts, so all members of the music community know that this service is available to them.

MusiCares is also tailoring its virtual programming efforts in order to prevent music industry professionals from ever facing a financial crisis. This spring, the Human Services Team will begin a financial wellness workshop series, free virtual programs featuring personal finance experts discussing topics including money management and the psychology behind money.

The team has implemented programs around rent and affordable housing, too. Last summer, they started the “Renter’s Rights” series, partnering with legal services in different cities throughout the country to present virtual workshops on what to expect when the eviction moratorium ends, renters' rights during a natural disaster, and understanding eviction. (This month’s installments cater to residents of Washington State and Austin, Texas. [Click here](https://www.musicares.org/news/2021-achievements-support-music-community-donations-programs-surveys) for more information.)

What’s more, they’ve implemented an Affordable Housing series, another group of virtual workshops providing participants with affordable housing options.

**Read More: [Here’s What’s Happening At MusiCares This February](https://www.musicares.org/news/programs-virtual-events-february-2022)**

**ISSUE: The need for mental health services is more important now than ever — yet, those who need counseling often can’t afford it.** 

Last year, 26 percent of Wellness in Music survey respondents said they regularly experienced moderate to severe levels of depression. To put this into perspective, a [2019 National Health Interview Survey of U.S. adults](https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/depression.htm) found only 4.7 percent reported regular feelings of depression.

The 2021 Wellness in Music Survey saw a decline in respondents experiencing moderate to severe levels of depression, with only 20 percent reporting feeling this way. However, 56 percent of this year’s respondents reported feeling moderately high to very high levels of anxiety — and  though that is down almost 10 percent from last year’s numbers, it indicates the mental health of the music community is still strained.

While 50 percent of survey respondents did seek counseling for depression, anxiety and stress, 38 percent of those respondents said they were unable to get counseling because they could not afford it. What’s more, 59 percent of respondents without health insurance reported the reason they don’t have health insurance is also because they aren’t able to afford it.

**SOLUTION: Expand access to health services, both physical and mental, to music industry members who cannot afford them on their own.**

Through the [Emergency Financial Assistance Program](https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/depression.htm), music people can receive funding for medical bills, health insurance premiums, dental procedures and more. MusiCares also offers a variety of free preventative health services including medical, dental, and hearing clinics, vocal health workshops, and assistance obtaining low-cost health insurance through its Healthy Essentials Program.

When it comes to mental health, MusiCares partners with providers around the country — therapists, psychologists, and more — to provide free mental health services to music industry professionals through the Emergency Financial Assistance Program. Through the program, music professionals can apply for funding for services such as therapy, counseling or psychiatric care.

MusiCares plans to expand and diversify the mental health providers it works with, in order to accommodate the increasing need for mental healthcare within the music industry. MusiCares will also sustain its [virtual emotional support and addiction recovery groups](https://www.musicares.org/get-help/addiction-recovery) (along with its [weekly free yoga sessions](https://musicaresfreeweeklyyoga012022.splashthat.com/)), providing music people with free mental healthcare on a regular basis.

**ISSUE: The impact of COVID-19 on the music community is still very prevalent.**  

The pandemic has taken a toll on the music industry in many respects. Nearly half (48 percent) of survey respondents reported that prior to COVID-19, their level of confidence in paying for their basic living expenses fell in the moderately high to high range. But now, 38 percent report their level of confidence in paying for their living expenses is somewhat low, low or very low.

In addition, before the pandemic disrupted the music industry as we know it, 20 percent of respondents reported making less than $35,000 annually from working in music. That percentage has now doubled, as 40 percent report their annual income working in music is below $35,000.

The pandemic is not over, and the aftershock of COVID-19 on the music industry will likely be felt for years to come. COVID has impacted the music community’s ability to make a living, with the percentage of survey respondents making less than $35,000 doubling since the start of the pandemic. As the music industry has changed forever, the need for the music community is greater than it has ever been before.

**SOLUTION: Two new revenue-generating departments.**

To adapt to this change, MusiCares changed, too. To accommodate the increase in financial need from the community, MusiCares implemented two new departments to generate revenue: Marketing &amp; Partnerships, and Development.

The addition of these departments has allowed MusiCares to raise even more funding to distribute to the community. During the Fiscal Year 2020/2021 (when the departments were launched), MusiCares distributed $10.2 million in need, which is almost double the $5.7 million distributed in Fiscal Year 2018/2019. (Fiscal Year 2019/2020 was a standout year due to MusiCares’ COVID-19 Relief Effort, which distributed $22.4 million.) 

MusiCares plans to improve and expand these departments in the coming years — one of the countless ways the organization continues to prioritize the needs of the music industry.

[10 Things MusiCares Did To Support The Music Community In 2021](https://musicaresfreeweeklyyoga012022.splashthat.com/)

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MusiCares’ 2021 Wellness In Music Survey Results

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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

Above and Beyond 050619

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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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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