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VERSED is a monthly podcast illuminating the heart and soul of music. Featuring in-depth interviews with songwriters and composers, plus tips and insights to help you navigate your music career. Brought to you by ASCAP, home of the world's greatest music creators.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. And as the weather warms up and music festival season starts, so many artists will hit the road to do what they do best - share their music, live-in-person, with the world, and bring joy to millions of people. But the challenges of being a touring artist can take a terrible toll on creators’ mental and physical health. In a 2022 paper in the Journal of Psychiatric Research, Dr. Chayim Newman and Zack Borer - revealed some sobering statistics from a 239-question survey of more than eleven hundred touring professionals. They discovered that people working in the music industry have rates of depression, anxiety and suicide risk five to 10 times higher than the normal population. That’s an astonishing statistic, but probably not surprising to many of our members who spend much of the year on the road facing many challenges.

Newman and Borer recently launched Amber Health, a company that offers a broad suite of mental health services to help treat the root causes of this mental health crisis and to provide solutions for the music industry. To date, with science-based research under their belt, they’ve worked with such organizations as the Newport Folk and Jazz Festivals, the Country Music Association, Live Nation as well as top artists in the industry.

In an illuminating conversation, Newman and Borer share insights into the unique challenges artists face as working music professionals and some of the ways we can take care of ourselves and each other.

+Learn more about Amber Health

+Read more on how the industry is confronting music’s mental health crisis

 

EP. 34 FEATURED INTERVIEWEES: Dr. Chayim Newman and Zack Borer

Dr. Chayim Newman

Dr. Newman holds his PhD in Clinical Psychology. His private practice, specializing in clinical care for artists, music industry professionals, and high-performance, high-profile individuals focuses on the use of a variety of therapeutic modalities (ACT, CBT, mindfulness, traditional psychotherapy) in the treatment of psychological and emotional issues. Having been involved in the music industry for more than two decades as a touring performer, event producer and festival artist liaison, Dr. Newman possesses a first-hand understanding of its unique challenges and stresses. Dr. Newman is also the co-founder of the Tour Health Research Initiative (THRIV), dedicated to conducting research on mental health in the touring sector and is the co-creator of the weekly Come Together music industry online support groups.
  
Zack Borer, LMFT

Zack Borer is a licensed psychotherapist based in Los Angeles with a Masters Degree in Marriage and Family Therapy. After a decade as a working musician and songwriter, Zack entered the mental health field out of a desire to help music industry professionals with the unique struggles and stressors that come with being in a challenging and complex business. Zack works with artists, crew and industry professionals to enhance their emotional well being, and to help mitigate the acute mental health crises that have become commonplace in the music industry.