Anyone who has talked to a musician, tour manager, guitar tech, front of house engineer, or the many other people who pile into a van or bus and hit the road to bring live music on tour knows that it is a unique, exciting, strange, and challenging experience. And most will tell you that it takes a toll. 

Dr. Chayim Newman and Zack Borer, founders of Amber Health, have studied just exactly what that impact is on artists and those who support a tour. And even though we knew, intuitively, that touring is hard on a person, I’m not sure we really knew the extent of its impact. Newman and Borer found people working in the music industry have rates of depression, anxiety, and suicide risk five to ten times higher than the general population. In a subsequent study, they found that mindfulness plays a protective moderating role in the relationship between stress to depression and anxiety. 

But if you’re on tour, how do you access the support to use these practices? That is where Amber Health comes in, partnering with festivals, labels, companies, and artists’ tours, to provide mental health support. And all of the providers working for Amber Health have experience in the music industry, so they understand the highs and lows of making a life in music.

Dr. Chayim Newman, providing support at Newport Folk Festival, 2022.

For this episode of the podcast, we got to talk with Dr. Newman about his work. We discuss the state of mental health in the music industry, the different stressors on not only artists, but the myriad people who support art, the challenges in accessing mental health support, and possible paths forward to make sure people get the care they need. As Dr. Newman puts it, where there was no “net” before, Amber Health is beginning to build one. This is inspiring work for anyone who cares about music. Thank you for listening, and sharing the episode as widely as you can. 

• The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is a hotline for individuals in crisis or for those looking to help someone else. To speak with a trained listener, call 988. Visit 988lifeline.org for crisis chat services or for more information.

The Crisis Text Line is a texting service for emotional crisis support. To text with a trained helper, text SAVE to 741741. It is free, available 24/7, and confidential.