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Above & Beyond's Paavo Siljamäki

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Above & Beyond's Paavo Siljamäki Talks Burnout And Staying "Mentally Fit" At Miami Winter Music Conference

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The British trance figure opens up about staying on top of your mental health at a Miami Winter Conference panel called Survive the Madness: Music and Mental Health, presented by the Recording Academy and MusiCares
Rachel Brodsky
MusiCares
May 6, 2019 - 12:31 pm

A musician's lifestyle certainly sounds romantic: constantly on the road, meeting new people every night, playing shows to sold-out crowds. But the touring life isn't all glitz and glam. Navigating music industry success can actually result in neglect of one's mental health. This is exactly the topic MusiCares and the Recording Academy explored in a panel called Survive the Madness: Music and Mental Health at Miami Winter Conference in late March of this year.

Featuring Paavo Siljamäki from GRAMMY-nominated British trance group Above & Beyond, the panel explored the performer's journey, which he spoke about with MusiCares senior director Jennifer Leff.

"What is mental health to you," she asked?

Paavo Siljamäki At Miami Winter Music Conference

"I made the wrong choice internalizing my stress," said Siljamäki. "About a year and a half ago, I was ready to leave music. I saw music as the source of all of my pain, so for me the solution was for me, to quit the band." 

"Quite quickly I realized that that's not the way I could keep going," he continued. "The way for me to go forward is to look at what led to this point, how can I actually learn from this, how can I go on? And I ended up going to doing this thing called the Hoffman Process in the U.K. They actually helped me in a group therapy setting to find the reasons why I burned out. And I realized that a lot of other people burn out too. I'm not unique in any way... I've been able to really look at what causes me stress and I've refound my love for music."

Watch the entire interview with Siljamäki above. 

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Listen: Kick Off Mental Health Awareness Month 2021 With MusiCares' Playlist Of Go-To Comfort Songs

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To celebrate Mental Health Awareness Month 2021, the MusiCares team has compiled a playlist of their favorite pick-me-up songs, including tracks from Taylor Swift, Fitz and the Tantrums, Bill Withers and more
Hannah Kulis
MusiCares
May 3, 2021 - 5:01 pm

The MusiCares team is embracing in the healing power of music with a playlist of their favorite comfort songs in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month 2021. The playlist features all kinds of feel-good music, from bops like "Safety Dance" by Men Without Hats to self-empowerment anthems like Rachel Platten's "Fight Song" to Billy Joel's calming "Vienna," which reminds listeners everything is going to work out just fine.

Mental health awareness is a crucial part of the MusiCares mission. Founded by the Recording Academy in 1989, MusiCares is the leading music industry charity that supports music people through three key areas of service: Human Services, Health Services, and Mental Health & Addiction Recovery Services.

As part of their Mental Health & Addiction Recovery Services, MusiCares hosts five free weekly online groups for anyone in the music industry looking for emotional support. MusiCares also offers direct financial assistance to music community members for things like therapy, psychiatric care, inpatient treatment, coaching, intensive outpatient care, sober living and more.

Mental health awareness is also a key element in MusiCares' virtual programming. In just the past three months, they have hosted over 10 programs specific to mental health awareness. This includes panel discussions such as "Black Mental Health Matters," a look at mental health through the lens of racial injustice, and "IN TUNE: Music as the Bridge to Mindfulness," a mindfulness and meditation workshop for individuals in the music industry.

For guaranteed positive vibes all month long, cue up the MusiCares Mental Health Awareness Month 2021 playlist below!

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Press photo of Wax//Wane

Wax//Wane

 

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Wax//Wane Releases New Single "The Way Down," Produced By Linkin Park's Mike Shinoda, As A NFT Benefitting MusiCares

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Wax//Wane is releasing his Mike Shinoda-produced single "The Way Down," available for bidding for 24 hours starting Monday, April 26, via auction platform Nifty Gateway
Hannah Kulis
MusiCares
Apr 26, 2021 - 3:18 pm

Ryan Paul, professionally known as musical artist Wax//Wane, is joining the NFT game with the release of his new single, "The Way Down," produced by Linkin Park co-founder and two-time GRAMMY winner Mike Shinoda. The song will be released as a NFT today (Monday, April 26) starting at 6:30 p.m. ET on the auction platform Nifty Gateway, with bids open for 24 hours. All proceeds from the auction will go directly to MusiCares, the leading music industry charity providing a safety net of critical assistance to the music community in times of need.

Shinoda first heard the track through his #ShinodaProduceMeProject, an initiative where he asks fans to submit music for selection to be produced by him live on his Twitch channel. "I liked it enough that it intimidated me a bit," he said of "The Way Down" during the stream. "If I'm like 'Oh man, that's a really good one,' I get a little bit nervous about screwing it up."

Paul has been active as Wax//Wane since 2017, releasing one original song per month and releasing covers on his YouTube and Patreon pages. His original version of "The Way Down" is "a reminder that you can always fly again," Paul tweeted. He says the song is about a period in his life where he lost hope. Not sure where to turn, he reached out to friends who then connected him with MusiCares, which he credits with giving him the resources to rebuild his life. Paying it forward, Paul has now chosen to auction the song as a NFT and donate the proceeds back to MusiCares, so other artists who are struggling with their mental health can get the help they need.

NFT auctions are becoming increasingly popular around the world, particularly for those in the art and music space. NFTs, or non-fungible tokens, are digital assets stored on blockchain with unique identification codes and metadata that distinguish them from each other. Because these codes are unique, they cannot be traded or exchanged at equivalency, allowing digital assets like photos, videos, and songs to be commodified in a way that has not been done before.

The Music Industry Needs To Do More To Take Artists' Mental Health Seriously

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Music Business & Family: Fatherhood & Music Dives Deep Into Balancing Kids, Career & A Pandemic

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Six working dads dive deep into the joys and challenges of fatherhood, balancing career and childcare responsibilities with a partner
Ana Monroy Yglesias
Membership
Nov 12, 2020 - 12:53 pm

The Music Business & Family: Fatherhood & Music panel recently brought together music professionals navigating fatherhood during the pandemic for an insightful, honest conversation about balancing life as a working father in the music industry. 

The heartfelt virtual discussion, moderated by Fake Shore Drive music blog creator Andrew Barber, featured five fellow awesome dads: clinical psychologist Dr. James Ballard III, Ph.D., producer/multi-instrumentalist and Co-Founder of BASSic Black Entertainment Adam Blackstone, Chicago rapper and mental health advocate G Herbo, songwriter/producer Billy Mann, and DMV rapper/producer Oddisee. The panel was presented by the Recording Academy's Chicago, New York, Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia Chapters, in partnership with MusiCares,

Watch Music Business & Family: Fatherhood & Music

Related: Watch: Music Business & Family: Motherhood & Music Brings Together Powerhouse Moms Working In Music

The panelists dove deep into the joys and challenges of fatherhood, balancing career and childcare responsibilities with their partner, and how much more work quarantine has left them all with. Watch the full conversation above. 

The conversation is part of a two-part series, preceded by Music Business & Family: Motherhood & Music.

G Herbo Talks 'PTSD' And The Importance Of Mental Health: "People Need To Treat Mental Health More Seriously"

Music Business & Family: Motherhood & Music
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Watch: Music Business & Family: Motherhood & Music Brings Together Powerhouse Moms Working In Music

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"You know what's the most revolutionary thing we can do during all of this? We can be joyful," MusiCares-affiliated therapist Robin Hornstein shared during the poignant conversation
Ana Monroy Yglesias
Membership
Nov 5, 2020 - 12:14 pm

Presented by the Recording Academy's Chicago, New York, Washington D.C., and Philadelphia Chapters, in partnership with MusiCares, Music Business & Family: Motherhood & Music brought together seven superwomen to talk about balancing life as a working mom. 

The lively virtual conversation (watch in full below), moderated by GRAMMY-winning singer-songwriter Melanie Fiona, featured five working moms in music: singer, educator and music publisher Kaisha Blackstone, pianist of GRAMMY-winning ensemble Eighth Blackbird Lisa Kaplan, GRAMMY-nominated soul/R&B artist Maysa, GRAMMY-nominated Ethiopian-born singer-songwriter Wayna and President/Chief Creative Officer of one77 Music publishing Jennifer Blakeman. MusiCares-affiliated therapist Robin Hornstein, who is also a mother, joined the insightful, honest chat as well.

Watch Music Business & Family: Motherhood & Music

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They got real on topics including self-care, balancing priorities, thriving as a single mother, setting boundaries and keeping your family healthy during a pandemic.

"You know what's the most revolutionary thing we can do during all of this? We can be joyful. Even just in little moments during the day," Hornstein shared.

To learn more about MusiCares and how they support the music community in times of need, visit their website here. To learn more about the Recording Academy's 14 Chapters, go here.

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