In Tune, A Conversation For Musicians and Mental Health

Fort Collins Music Association and The Colorado Sound come together to present In Tune, a safe space for creatives to open up about mental health. This is just the beginning of the conversation with the hope it’s a continual series. In Tune is at The Lyric on September 23 at 6 pm. Snacks, a film, an open forum discussion with a few local musicians who have gone through their own struggles with mental health moderated by Spencer who does the musician mental health meet up.

Matthew Fritz, Executive Director of Fort Collins Music Association says, “A musician is always on, they are in the spotlight, I think a lot of people from the outside see musicians as all must be a great lifestyle right? They get to see the world and they get to play music their heart is a party all the time. I mean that’s part of it but there’s a lot more that goes into it that’s can be detrimental to it sometimes.”

 Spencer hosted a mental health meetup at FoCoMx and felt such a big need for something bigger to attract and support creatives that are struggling and build a community of support and resources for everyone. 

Why do creatives need this? Fritz says, “It’s not comfortable to talk about. Society tells you to suppress that because you need to and so we want to bring it out. You know drug and alcohol abuse is so prevalent in musicians. This might be a Tuesday for you playing a show but. People buy the tickets they’re there to party. They come to have a good time. But as a musician, it could be your sixth year in a row and like you can’t do it again.”

There are a lot of things that are difficult about the rock and roll lifestyle, being center stage and working hard to master your craft. In Tune is a platform to create a system, to let other people know that other people are going through similar situations. That a creative should not feel bad for needing help. In tune will be a resource in every way it can be. The event is going to shed light on issues that linger around in the darkness. 

“This is something that doesn’t just like getting solved in one setting,” Matthew says. “I mean people filter through our community. It is our goal to continue it, beyond one time. On what basis we’re not quite sure yet. We’ve had a lot of suicides in our community with musicians this past year alone and hopefully, the least we could do is we just let people know this resource and that the problems are recognized and we are talking about it. Right?”

In Tune, a conversation about music in mental health is open to anyone, music is the focus of this first because FoCoMa recognizes the need in the Fort Collins music community right now. If they can help someone live and be happier, then that is the goal.  Perhaps it will evolve it to an even wider conversation and bring in other creative sectors because they are constantly in the spotlight and giving themselves in very vulnerable ways.