Backline Launches Hub Featuring Mental Health & Wellness Resources For Live Music Community

More than 50 music industry professionals have responded to a string of tragic deaths within the live music community by launching the industry-wide mental health support initiative, Backline. Those who work in the music industry, including artists and their families can easily access mental health and wellness resources using backline.care.

Backline has teamed with leading support organizations and care providers to guide website visitors to such music industry-geared services as Sweet Relief, Musicians Fund, Anders Osborne’s Send Me A Friend and VA Way. The site launched as a referral-based system in which professionals will work with visitors to lead them to the appropriate resource. 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 space.”

“There are wonderful organizations who have been doing great work to support the health and wellness of the music industry. What we saw was a gap in making these resources easily accessible,” said Hillary Gleason, CEO of level, Backline’s convening body. “Mental health treatment is not one-size-fits-all, so it is our hope that by bringing these organizations together in one place, and providing case managers to guide visitors through the resources, we can make it simple to get the help you need.”

Ben Baruch (11E1even Group), Nadia Prescher (Madison House), Joshua Knight (Paradigm Agency), Jay Sweet (Newport Folk Festival) & Peter Shapiro (Brooklyn Bowl) are among the music industry veterans who supported the creation of Backline. The organization next aims to bring its team of trained professionals and distribute educational materials to tour buses, green rooms, backstage areas and other places where musicians and their support teams assemble.