HMUK Launches Music Minds Matter

Music charity Help Musicians has announced a new campaign called ‘Music Minds Matter’ to support a dedicated 24/7 mental health service for people working in music. This follows what they have described as a “mental health crisis” across the industry.

The organisation has initiated a unique mental health fund with an investment starting at £100,000, with a call out to industry and philanthropists to match this investment.

The recent tragic suicide of Linkin Park singer Chester Bennington (pictured) has again brought such issues to the forefront. Bennington was 41 when he was found dead at his home from suicide by hanging on 20^th July.

Help Musicians UK CEO Richard Robinson said: “For generations and generations, the music industry has lost some of its brightest talent and future stars due to the scourge of mental health and related issues. The situation is now urgent and we can no longer allow this to continue”.

Robinson continued: “We have decided to make this landmark investment as a precursor to a dedicated service – but we cannot undertake this work in isolation. We need the music industry to step up, arm in arm with Help Musicians, and match our support pound for pound, so we are proud to launch the Music Minds Matter campaign”.

You can find out more here.

Mental health is certainly firmly on the industry’s agenda in 2017, with the MMF recently publishing a manager’s guide to mental health and organisations such as Music Support offering vital help and support services behind the scenes. It also feels like a wider conversation, with this recent article on Noisey widening the focus beyond artists and to those working in the industry.