Today, Sound Mind Live announces its fifth annual Sound Mind Music Festival for Mental Health, presented this year as a free, all day street festival between Irving Ave and Wyckoff Ave in Bushwick, Brooklyn on Saturday, May 20th. Starting at 12pm, the festival will feature full sets from Iron & Wine, Hiss Golden Messenger, Langhorne Slim, KAMAUU, and Pom Pom Squad. In addition to the performances, there will be dance parties & DJ sets (in partnership with House of Yes) throughout the day, as well as Sound Sessions – holistic mental health programming experiences including movement and yoga, mindfulness and breathwork sessions, and creative activities. Iconic New York institution Smorgasburg will provide food & drinks for the event, which will be livestreamed in partnership with YouTube Health.
Dance parties will be taking place in between main stage performances so that no one will have to choose between watching inspiring performances and letting loose on the dance floor. Through breath and sound, some of the most accessible forms of meditation, Sound Sessions will help to ground festival attendees in the resonant vibrations within themselves and between one another.
“Mental health is such a significant part of our well-being and the advocacy work Sound Mind Live does by creating dialogue and community through music is often an important first step to those in need,” Iron & Wine says. “I’m really happy to be involved and looking forward to taking part in this year’s event.”
In honor of the festival, BetterHelp, the world’s largest online therapy platform, has partnered with Sound Mind Live to provide a month of free therapy for their combined communities. Learn more at the ticket link below.
Get free tickets to the exciting and purpose-driven event here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sound-mind-music-festival-for-mental-healt…
"We're so proud to partner with Sound Mind on this amazing festival," Co-founder of House of Yes Anya Sapozhnikova says. “Mental health has long been at the top of causes that House of Yes supports, and this gives us a wonderful opportunity to foster community and action around mental health in partnership with a united coalition of artists and organizations."
In partnership with Absurd Conclave, the festival will host a series of panels on mental health, including Mental Health in Communities of Color, Mental Health in the Music Industry, The Importance Of Fostering Community, and more.
One in four youth have contemplated suicide since the pandemic and PTSD symptoms have by increased 53%. The post-pandemic mental health crisis is real and experts anticipate these mental health impacts to last 3-5 years on top of the existing struggles we all face in our own mental health journeys. This year’s Sound Mind Music Festival for Mental Health is dedicated to fostering deeper community connections for healing, and elevating conversations and resources that can help those in need find affordable resources sooner.
"Over the past several years the world recognized that mental health issues impact us all in one form or another,” Executive Director of Sound Mind Live Chris Bullard says. “We’re proud to open up this year’s festival for free for the first time ever - enabling artists, organizations, and the whole community to join and advocate for a healthier future built on compassion, empathy, and support. Together we demand that social and cultural systems support the mental health of all equally with human-centered solutions NOW, and we celebrate the beauty and joy that is created when we unite to support one another - particularly through music and the arts."
In addition to the free elements of the festival, attendees will have the opportunity to make a donation to enjoy an elevated VIP experience located directly next to the main stage where all the musical performances will be taking place. The VIP experience will include an enhanced viewing area, a private bar, and complimentary swag bags.
The event is in partnership with over 10 music artists, 3 local venues, and over 20 mental health organizations including National Alliance on Mental Illness, JED Foundation, TransLifeline and more. The event is made possible with support from Society of Valued Minds (an initiative of Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc.), BetterHelp, Sozosei Foundation, and G4D Productions. Media partners include YouTube Health and Consequence.
In honor of the festival, BetterHelp, the world’s largest online therapy platform, has partnered with Sound Mind Live to provide a month of free therapy for their combined communities. Learn more at www.betterhelp.com/soundmindfest
Learn more about Sound Mind Live here: https://www.soundmindlive.org/2023-sound-mind-festival
