BROOKLYN, NY (CelebrityAccess) – Today (March 28), Sound Mind Live, a non-profit organization that brings together musicians, music lovers, and forward-thinking organizations, announced its fifth annual Sound Mind Music Festival for Mental Health, presented this year as a free, all-day street festival between Irving Avenue and Wyckoff Avenue in Bushwick, Brooklyn, on Saturday (May 20).
The festival will feature full sets from Iron & Wine, Hiss Golden Messenger, Langhorne Slim, Kamauu, and Pom Pom Squad. In addition, there will be dance parties and DJ sets – in partnership with House of Yes – throughout the day, as well as Sound Sessions. Sound Sessions is a holistic mental health programming experience including movement and yoga, mindfulness and breathwork sessions, and creative activities.
The iconic New York institution, Smorgasburg, will provide food and drinks for the event, which will be live-streamed in partnership with YouTube Health.
Dance parties will occur 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, Sound Sessions will help to ground festival attendees in the resonant vibrations within themselves and one another. In honor of the festival, BetterHelp, the world’s largest therapy platform, partnered with Sound Mind Live to provide a month of free therapy for their combined communities. Learn more and get free tickets to the exciting and purpose-driven event HERE.
“We’re so proud to partner with Sound Mind on this amazing festival,” the 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 has contemplated suicide since the COVID-19 pandemic, and PTSD symptoms have increased by 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 faced within mental health journeys. This year’s festival is dedicated to fostering deeper community connections for healing and elevating conversations to 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 – 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 donate to enjoy an elevated VIP experience located directly next to the main stage. The VIP experience will include an enhanced viewing area, a private bar, and complimentary swag bags.
The event partners with over ten music artists, three local venues, and over 20 mental health organizations, including National Alliance on Mental Illness, JED Foundation, TransLifeline, and more.
The event is possible with support from the Society of Valued Minds, BetterHelp, Sozosei Foundation, and G4D Productions.
In honor of the festival, BetterHelp, the world’s largest therapy platform, partnered with Sound Mind Live to provide a month of free therapy for their combined communities. Learn more at www.betterhelp.com/soundmindfest
