MENTAL HEALTH IS WEALTH
Backline: Mental Health & Wellness Resources For The Music Industry
As we close in on nearly nine months of canceled shows, it’s hard to ignore the effect the virus has had on the live events industry. Pollstar estimates that our industry will lose a total of $30 Billion in revenue due to Coronavirus, and while recent developments with the vaccine are encouraging, there is still no clear end in sight.
The fact that the majority of an artist’s income is tied to touring and opportunities related to touring like merch - it’s no surprise that this pandemic has taken a serious toll on the live-events economy. Artists, stagehands, managers, booking agents, promoters, and the entire ecosystem that is built around this massive industry have been struggling to find ways to stay afloat and find new ways to supplement their incomes while we weather the storm. With the holiday season quickly approaching and most of the industry out of work, this has become the breeding ground for a whole new pandemic- a mental health pandemic.
Artists have had to endure a substantial financial loss and have even been encouraged by the government to retrain and find new careers. Arguably the most insulting thing one can say to a gigging musician is downplaying their life's work. How does an artist, agent, or promoter find compassion during this time without the generic ¨retrain and find a new job¨ response from someone who doesn´t understand what they are actually going through? Backline initiative offers this exact kind of support. Backline’s goal is to provide a network of on-demand mental health services available at no (or low) cost for industry professionals, with a focus on addressing the unique challenges and stresses of our industry. Lead by industry professionals, this seems like the most appropriate initiative during this time. With one-on-one case management, support groups, and wellness offerings, Backline is hands-down the leading support system artists can lean on.
Backline: Mental Health & Wellness Resources For The Music Industry
Enter Backline. Backline is a national nonprofit organization that connects music industry professionals and their families with mental health and wellness resources—streamlining access to a network of trusted organizations and care providers that truly understand this line of work.
Backline has partnered and employed health professionals that understand the obstacles of accessing mental health and wellness resources, and why music industry professionals, in particular, face unique barriers in receiving care. To address this, they have built a platform that brings together the network of individual practitioners and organizations that can provide care to this at-risk community from a place of understanding and professionalism.
The company launched in 2019 and today has provided mental health and wellness resources to more than 4,500 music industry professionals and their families. They've built a national network of mental health providers around the country, including therapists, psychiatrists, sobriety + life coaches, and wellness practitioners that have experience with and/or an understanding of the complexities of the music industry.
Backline’s resources are available to artists, managers, agents, promoters, crew, and their families. Ultimately, Backline was built to create a safer and more supported music industry, which they do through the following free programs.
Case Management: Through a one-on-one assessment, their team of clinicians provides custom care plans that connect individuals with the appropriate resources within their growing database of trusted organizations and practitioners that have been fully vetted by Backline. All of Backline’s clinicians have gone through a screening and vetting process, and have agreed to offer their services at a negotiated rate.
Backline’s goal has been to assess individuals in need with compassion and understanding and work to find tailored and specific referrals best suited for their circumstances and geographic location. This includes referring by clinical specialty, as well as by gender, race and sexual orientation.
Support Groups: Backline hosts weekly support groups that are moderated by licensed therapists. The meetings take place virtually and welcome music industry professionals to come together and talk about what it means to work in the music industry in today's global climate with people who truly understand. To see their latest schedule, click here.
Wellness Offerings: Regular routine and wellness practices can drastically improve one’s overall mental health—ultimately positioning individuals for a more positive future. Exercise, meditation, breathwork, and other modalities promote wellbeing and calm the nervous system.
The holiday season is a great time to check in with friends and loved ones who’s work or mental health may be impacted by this pandemic. While our industry still has a ways to go to recover and heal- resources like Backline help us connect and build a support system to be there for one another. Please join us in supporting this much-needed resource and spread the news to anyone you think may benefit from their services. We appreciate you Backline, and everything you are doing for our industry!
Subscribe to Backline’s newsletter to receive monthly updates. For more information on Backline’s services for the music industry, please visit www.backline.care.
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The Advance began with the intention of creating community and dialogue around what the future of live entertainment looks like, how we are pinpointing places for growth, streamlining processes, highlighting advancements, and shaping it as a collective. Get in touch with us at theadvance@gigwell.com
